EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION

FILM STUDIES DOCUMENTARY ON HIP HOP

For my project I have decided to make a documentary on hip hop dance:

B-boy/B-girl (breakdance) Street dance Freestyle/Popping/locking

The reason why I have chosen to base my documentary on hip hop is because it is what I love and want to explore it on more details .

INTRODUCTION

B-BOY / B-GIRLB-boy which is most often called “break dancing” is a popular street dance that was created and developed by Latinos and African American youths in New York City in the 1970’s. The dance consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes/suicides.

It is danced not only to hip hop but other genres of music which are often remixed to make the musical breaks. The musical selection for b-boying is not restricted as long as the music’s tempo and patter meets the conditions.

A practitioner of this dance is called a b-boy, b-girl or breaker. These dancers often participate in battles, formal or informal dance competitions between two individuals or two crews

The term “breakdance” is used a lot now a days by the public and the media but “breaking” and “b-boying” are the original terms used to refer to the dance.

The majority of the art form’s pioneers prefer this term as well as the practitioners.

STREET DANCE

Breakdance, mostly known as vernacular dance is an umbrella term used to describe the different dance styles that involve outside dance studios e.g.• Streets• Dance parties• Block parties• Parks• School yards• Raves• Nightclubs etc.

Street dance refers to the modern folk dance were ‘street’ is more accurate as more of the modern world now is urbanized.

As well as hip-hop style b-boying, funkstyles popping and locking are some of the most popular street dance styles in Western and African American culture.

freestyleThere is a difference between freestyle dance and street dance. While freestyle dance is random and a personal dance invented by a single person (even if it's based on someone else's dance style) where as, street dance has various similar dance moves and styles into one practice and is regarded as the same dance. For example, when breakdancing evolved out of early hip-hop culture, people came up with their own moves, and other people improved them

Popping is a street dance and one of the original funk style that came to California in the 60/70’s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit. This is done continuously to the rhythm of a song in combination with various movements and poses.Popping is also used as an umbrella term to refer to a group of closely related illusionary dance styles and techniques that are often integrated with popping to create a more varied performance, such as the robot, waving and tutting.

Locking (originally Campbellocking) is a style of funk dance, which is today also associated with hip hop. The name is based on the concept of locking movements, which basically means freezing from a fast movement and "locking" in a certain position, holding that position for a short while and then continuing in the same speed as before. It relies on fast and distinct arm and hand movements combined with more relaxed hips and legs. A dancer who performs locking is called a locker.

Popping

locking