korean b-boys and the advent of audience 2.0
DESCRIPTION
B-boying, a form of hip-hop dancing, has become a phenomenon in Korea. Despite its introduction almost 20 years later than in the U.S., B-boying is now not only sweeping Korean culture but Korean dancers are dominating the world’s B-boying scene. In fact, Korean B-boys have won the championship titles in several world-level competitions from 2002 to 2007. Moreover, B-boying has begun to be considered a serious artform in Korea. Korea Tourism Organization selected a B-boying musical performance as one of the 6 performances that are representative of Korean performing arts, while leaving out numerous blockbuster performances and Korean traditional performances. The presenter attributes this remarkable phenomenon to the advent of Audience 2.0 via the highly-developed IT environment in Korea. With the focus on Audience 2.0, this session will explore how foreign culture became popularized in Korea, influenced the world in turn, and eventually became successfully institutionalized in the Korean arts scene. Created by WoongJo Chang for the 2008 Technology in the Arts: Canada Conference.TRANSCRIPT
Korean B-Boys and Advent of AUDIENCE 2.0
WOONG JO CHANGThe Ohio State University
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Background Facts #1
In many of the world-levelbreak dancing competition events,Korean B-boys have cutbrilliant figures since 2002.
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Background Facts #2
Korean B-boys are leadingKorean performing arts scene
andKorean government takes it seriously.
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Background Facts #3
Long beforethe introduction of MySpace and Facebook,
South Korea already had Cyworld, a social networking site launched back in 1999
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Korean B-Boys
Successful Story of
Today, I will talk about
• B-Boying? B-boy?• B-Boying in US and Europe• Korean B-Boys in the World• Korean B-Boys in the Arts Scene
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WHY? • The Internet and IT in Korea• Institutionalization in the Virtual World• Web 2.0 and Audience 2.0
Today, I will talk about
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B-boys?Coined byKool Herc.
Image from Wikimedia Commons
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B-boying?B-boying or Break dancing is called so becausethey dance to the break part of music.
In late 60s and early 70sAfrican Americans in Bronx New York, started a sort of b-boying.
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Dancers, B-boys, began tomove up and down and pop up again on the beats.
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D.J.s developedvarious skills to emphasizebreak beats in their music.
B-boying in US
In US, B-Boying became popularized throughout the 70's and 80's.
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After late 80's,
B-boying was
losing
Its popularity.
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Image fro
m Amazon.com
In late 90's,B-boying gained its popularity again.
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This time, not only in USbut also in Europe and Asia.
“For just as b-boying was fading here [in the U.S], teenagers in Europe and Asia, who had watched the Rock Steady Crew and other greats on video, started forming their own crews.”
- Julie Bloom in New York Times
Battle?Head to head confrontationsbetween individuals or crewstrying to out-dance each other
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Battle?
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Korean B-Boys in the World
Korean B-boys have wonthe championship titlesin many world-level competitionssince 2002.
Image from www.redbullbcone.com/download1616
In BOTY,
2001 Visual Shock: Best Show
2002 Expression :Finalist
2003 Expression: Finalist
2004 Gambler: Finalist
2005 Last For One: Finalist
2006 Last For One: Finalist
2007 Extreme Crew: Finalist1717
In Red Bull BC One,
2005 Hong 10: Finalist
2006 Hong 10: Winner The End: Semi-finalist
2007 Hong 10: Semi-finalist
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In UK B-Boy Championships,
2002 Project Soul: Winner (team battle) Hong 10: Finalist(Solo battle)2003 Project Soul: Finalist (team battle)2004 Project Soul: Winner (team battle) Physics: Winner (Solo battle) Hong 10: Finalist(Solo battle)2005 Project Soul: Winner (team battle) Hong 10: Finalist(Solo battle)2006 Drifters: Finalist (team battle)2007 T.I.P: Winner (team battle)
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Planet B-boys (2008)
In the Movies
Hype Nation (2009)
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B-boying has become one of the notable materials inKorean Pop Culture.
In Pop Culture
Imag
e fr
om B
BOYS
TAR
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In the Arts
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a B-boyingmusical performanceas one of the6 Koreanrepresentative NonverbalPerformingarts
In the Arts
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Last Feb,in the inauguration ceremony forPresident Lee Myung-bak in Korea,
A B-boying performance by Last For One was heldas well as other Traditional percussion and opera performances.
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R-162727
B-boying was introducedin earnest to Koreain late 90's or early 2000's.
Korean B-boys are sweepingKorean Cultural Scene.and are leading the World’s B-boying Culture.
Now,
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“South Korea is at the forefront of the new wave of break-dance, or b-boy, artistry.”
- Julie Bloom in New York Times
&HOW? WHY?
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One Explanation
Similarity ofBeats and Movements
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Another Explanation
Examination Hellin Korea
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A Very Miscellaneous Explanation
A Comic Book
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Explanation for Today
The Highly Developed
IT Environmentin Korea
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Some Facts of IT Environment in Korea
Over half of South Koreans have migrated their cell-phone to 3G.
In 2006, 57% of South Korea's music sales were digital.
South Korea became the first country to launch DMB to cell phones in 2005.
From Tomi Ahonen's book, Digital Korea
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Some Facts of the Internet in Korea
90% of South Koreans have broadband Internet access.
The average broadband connection is 50 ~ 100 mps. 1,000 mps connection has been already introduced.43% of Korea's population maintain an online profile or blog site in Cyworld.
From Tomi Ahonen's book, Digital Korea
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Institutionalization?“an ongoing, complex, and potentially contradictory process of structuration, stabilization, and perpetuation of collective action.”
Shapiro, R. (2004). The Aesthetics of Institutionalization-Breakdancing in France
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..
Institutionalization ofB-boying culture in US
has been driven mainlyby the private sector.
In France, it involves the government’s
constructive participation.
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No Attention fromPrivate Sector
No Support from
Government
In Korea
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B-boys in Korea institutionalized themselvesin the Emerging Virtual institutions.
Emerging VirtualInstitutions ?3
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Emerging Virtual institutions
• Various social networking sites• Second Life
Image from
Second Life Art New
Image from Second Life Art New
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Web 2.0
Matthew Paul Thomasretrieved from http://mpt.net.nz/archive/2005/12/27/web-2
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Audience 2.0
• They dwell in Web 2.0.
• They are Audiences
• They are Creators/Producers/Artists.
• They institutionalize themselves
in the Emerging Virtual Institutions.
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Korean B-Boysthanks to the highly developed IT environment,
Institutionalized themselves in the virtual institutions,• view other b-boys dancing via the Internet• mocking their dancing• practice/develop their movement as an exit of exam hell• organize crew via the Internet• upload their movement in the Internet• have won world level competitions• gained worldwide attention via the Internet• widen their work into the arts performances• get support from the government and the private sector
finally, entered into the real institutions,lead the real world’s culture.
as Audience 2.0 who dwells in Web 2.0,
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THANK YOU