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[sarahlset]

The Impacts of Community Dance Battles

Lastly, I’d like to share these three videos. Each is quite different. But I love that in each of them we see lots of people together, in community. This is especially seen in the first and third video. We see people crowded together on the floor, watching and participating, there for the sole purpose that they love to dance and witness hip hop. These people are all there from different backgrounds and experiences, but this dance brings them together. I think that is what I love the most about dance, it has the ability to draw so many people in and create a community. Hip hop dance comes from hip hop culture, and hip hop dance has been shared with so many around the world, with different races, ethnicity, abilities, upbringings, religions, beliefs, and lived experiences. Dance is really important because although we just see these people facing off and kinda dancing at each other, beneath that there is a collaboration that is really powerful.

I really appreciate that so many have been allowed and welcomed into the hip hop dance community. They can in a way share who they are through these movements, and contribute to the culture through their freestyle and choreographed dances.

Thank you so much for reading my blog about hip hop dance battles!

[sarahlset]

Community in Street Dance Battles.

, 

Union Square Dancers

Street-Dance Battle

The first video here is a video of “litefeet” dancers in New York City. “litefeet” is a whole movement of dancers, it’s own style and culture of hip hop dance. There are five specific dancers in the first video: Boy Aero, Sha Smooth, Lady Slic, Sonic, and Goofy, all from different boroughs of New York City. They are all in their teens but growing popularity on YouTube and around New York, known for dancing on the Subway. This video of them is not really labelled as a “battle”, but I think it kinda falls under the same ideas, that these are dancers are coming together and dancing and each showing off their skills in a kinda showdown. I really like this video because they use so many cool tricks with their shoes and hats, and they’re so young, but they’re out there dancing and helping to contribute to hip hop dance culture.

The second video has a spontaneity to it that I really appreciate. I love the way that the camera catches the expressions of the passerby's, it’s really interesting to see how different people react. I think it’s also really cool how the dancer approach each other, and the chill sort of vibes they give off. They also make their moves look sooo easy and smooth, when it’s really not (trust me, I tried to copy and failed miserably). Again, I love the togetherness that I see in this video even though they’re opposing teams battling each other. 

QUESTION: Why do you think this term “battle” is used? Would you maybe have negative connotations associated with this word?

[sarahlset]

Practice for Freestyle?

Prepare for Dance Battle

Les Twins Vs. Kida the Great and Jabari Timmons  

Something interesting to think about: How much preparation goes into a freestyle dance battle? A lot, a lot, a lot. As the first video above says, when going into a dance battle the dancer needs to be mentally and physically prepared to do their best. Even in the first original dance battles, a lot of though was put into how one could show off their skills the best. Dancers whose whole life is battling they need to be experts at preparing. They need to be able to adapt and dance well to any song that plays, they need to be in shape so that they can have a high amount of energy for the whole battle. They need to make sure that they brush up on all the moves they’re best at, and perfect those that they need to work on. They also need to be prepared to dance with a partner or solo, have knowledge of their component and be aware of who is judging their battle.

The second video is a dance battle which is 2 vs. 2. These pair of dancers take turns in rounds. I was really really entertained by this battle, the dancers movements are so fluid. The way that the Les Twins move together is amazing. It’s obvious that through so much practice they’ve really been able to figure out how to work best together in a dance battle. Kida the Great is also amazing, he was only 14 years old in this video, which is insane. This battle was called an “exhibition battle”, which I think means that there was no declared winner. I really like this video though because I can see that the dancers are having lots of fun with each other while also being really serious about their dance skills. The dancers aren’t in any way malicious towards each other rather they’re having lots of fun. At the end of the video they hug each other and congratulate them. This is a part of what the hip hop dance community looks like, although it’s called a “battle”, it’s also a way for dancers to connect through a sort of collaboration. 

[sarahlset]

“Competition” Vs. “Battle”

Poreotics Front Row World of Dance 2018

Royal Family Front Row World of Dance 2015

*Here is the video from my first video for reference*

Now, these two videos are very different types of battles (this is called a competition) from the one that I previously posted. First off, these dance crews are not free-styling these dances, these are very meticulously choreographed and organized dances that were probably practiced very very intensely. That is not to day that freestyle dancers don’t practice very intensely for battles, but these dancers’ practices are focused around learning specific chirography. World of Dance is an extremely famous televised dance competition, and these are both very famous dance crews. All the dancers are very uniform, they wear the same thing, pull off their moves at the exact right moment. Participating in these massive battles is their lives, whether they’re there for money, fame, or the love of dance.

I am absolutely fascinated and in awe at the talent these dancers possess and I know that they’ve all worked incredibly hard to get where they are with these dance crews. There is a completely different feel to these videos compared to the freestyle dance video. For instance, the costuming; they are all uniform and they chose their specific costumes for a reason. Quite honestly, I think their uniforms look a bit uncomfortable compared to what the freestyle dancers were wearing. I’m guessing that the freestyle dancers wore what they wore for comfort while these dance groups pick what they wear to look as flashy and “cool” as possible. 

Another big difference is the camera quality and angles. In the freestyle dance video it seems as if the video is being taken from the angle of someone kneeling or crouching on the ground, they are very close to the dancers (it is a very small space and dance floor) and the camera quality isn’t amazing. Then, in the two World of Dance we are watching the dance from a “front row” sort of view. The camera person is close to the stage, so that it feels like we’re almost looking up at the dancers. I actually think this is a super cool angle, it gives a good perspective to look at the footwork and how the arms and legs and torso and head move together. In both these videos we see that there are lighting changes, and the music mashups change frequently.

Fun Fact: Poreotics is one of the first famous hip hop dance groups that I was ever aware of. If you ever used to watch Ryan HIga on YouTube it’s likely that you saw this hip hop dance group in some of his videos. These videos were really famous probably 9-12 years ago and as a kid I was OBSESSED, so that’s how I came to know and love the dance group Poreotics. 

QUESTION: Do you think the evolution of hip dance battles from street dance crew battles to massive organized, commercialized, mainstream competitions is a good or bad thing? Or can this evolution even be labeled as something “good” or “bad”?

[sarahlset]

A Solo Freestyle Dance Battle

I am first going to share this freestyle hip hop dance battle. This video is a solo freestyle dance battle and looks to have taken place in some sort of basement room. There is a circle of people watching, I don’t know if the judges can be seen or not. These dancers are BlackRuff and Deko Deerockz, I looked them up and they are both a part of two separate German dance crews. This battle was called a “blind date battle”, which I am assuming this means that the two dancers did not know who they would be battling. 

In a more formal setting there are usually preliminaries that take place and narrow down the dancers to two final individuals who face-off. I don’t think that was the case for this battle but I can’t be sure. This sort of battle would be referred to as a “freestyle solo dance battle”, which means that each dancer will come in with any sort of hip hop dance style. They will have a certain amount of time to dance (~5 minutes, although this battle is much shorter) and they will be judged by a person that usually is esteemed and trusted to make an unbiased opinion. Certain dance battles though don’t have appointed “judges” the audience makes the decision. This video doesn’t show who the official winner was, however in the description it says that the second dancer, Deko Deerockz, was the winner. 

Honestly the audience didn’t seem very enthusiastic, they only gave whoops and cheers a few times, but I could see them bobbing their heads along and looking pretty invested. This battle didn’t seem very upbeat or intense, but I really did like the track they used, as well as the attire the dancers wore. They both looked casual in jersey-type loose shirts . This video received 93k views, 848 likes, and 10 comments and most of the comments were just asking what song was used for the battle. I thought this was an interesting first video to look at because of the environment for the battle, and it was so individual with the style of dance, clothing and the solo battle in general. 

[sarahlset]

Taking a Look at Hip Hop Dance Battles: Introduction

Hello Everyone!!

Welcome to my blog! I will be sharing with you what I have learned about hip hop dance battles. I thought this topic would be really fascinating to research because it has an interesting history, and it has evolved and changed in many ways. Although it has changed and become very mainstream through things like big, organized competitions, there are those who still practice the sort of freestyle street-style, underground type of dance battles. 

HISTORY:

Hip hop dance emerged from hip-hop culture which started making an appearance in the early 1970s. There were originally three distinct styles of hip hop dance: popping, locking, and breaking. From these three original styles more and more styles were created through dancers and dance crews. This is where the dance battle comes in. As a way to show off dance moves and talent, different crews would form to “battle” each other in a dance. These types of community of dance help to create more styles of hip hop dance that we know today. As time goes on more and more styles will probably continue to evolve and be created. 

Hip Hop dance is now a major part of hip hop culture, and is appreciated by many different peoples around the world. As a way to dive more into the history and significance of hip hop dance I will take a look at the hip hop dance battle and the prominence it holds in hip hop dance.

[jaye2333-blog]

Hiphop dance

1: The reason I chose this video is that I really like the integration of culture. They fully integrated the elements of East Asian culture and music in this hip-hop dance. They have an amazing sense of rhythm and coordination, which I do not have. Those sharp moves are very awesome and cool and have timing was perfect.

2: I watched a lot of dancing of this team. In their most popular videos which are over a million views usually integrated with Asian culture. I guess I’m not the only one likes this combination of hip-hop and traditional culture. Then I thought what they have in common with Camille Brown is that their dance will make them remember their Asian hometown. But I was wrong. After searching, I learned that this team is actually from Norway.

[keikeikeinishimura-blog]

Hi Jaye, 

I liked this dance, too. Their moves are totally sharp and inspirational to me as well. I also liked how the background music was so suited to their movements; every movement was exactly on the beat.

I have never seen this group of dancers but I see that they are truly high level dancers. 

Thanks for sharing

[sarahlset]

Thank you for sharing this! It was so cool to watch. I found it really interesting that their faces weren’t shown and that they danced in a very limited space of light, I feel like they were conveying something when they did that. They moved so well with the music and were so sharp with all their movements, it is really amazing what these talented dancers can do and it is a true joy to watch them! 

[thelmakerry]

Emotions through Social Dance -Hip Hop Assignment 1

1. I chose the Turfing video because the dance moves were very raw and beautiful. I read that the brother of one of the dancer’s in the video was killed in a car accident on the same street. So the video and dance was a tribute to him. You can feel this emotion through their moves, and also in the beginning when one of the dancers get close to a car and you are afraid that he might get hit. I think that is very beautiful and moving. Plus, I also picked this video because I find the Turfing dance very cool and interesting and the moves and gliding are done effortlessly. According to Wikipedia “Turf dance also includes “story telling” which is a style based on pantomime “life stories” or “everyday activities”… Turf dance is an improvisational, free-flowing form of dance that is based on the idea of pure cause and effect but focuses on storytelling, the creation of optical illusions, and the display of distinctive personal style.” And I feel this video fits the definition of turfing perfectly and is turfing that is done exceptionally well. As the dancers are telling a life-story and paying tribute to his brother. Plus each dancer is improvising and all communicate and add to the story. Plus the viewer is also able to feel the passion and understand what the dancers are feeling.

2. I think this video fits the TED talk video perfectly, as it fits the idea of social dance, with the steps that are agreed on but it was also about the individual and their creative identity. As there are many steps that involve turfing that are agreed on, such as the gliding and the locking etc. But each dancer created their own piece and included their creativity behind each of their dance. Also the video states that it’s about community and connection. This relates to the Turfing video as the dancer is dancing and paying tribute with his friends, in his local community. She also describes dances such as the Charleston and Lindy Hop or Swing which were about improv and musicality is similar to the Turfing video, where most of the moves are improvised and follow the flow and rhythm of the music. The Turfing video expands on the TED talk video and answers the question on why we dance, as the dancers show why they were dancing without saying any words. They danced to heal, and let their emotions out and to feel a sense of community.

[sarahlset]

I really love the video you chose. I can see the emotions of the dancers to cleary. Sadness can be expressed so well through dance and music and I think they really did that here. The tribute that they paid is beautiful, and I reallt think it captures the true meaning and beauty of dance. I love this style of dance, I never knew it was called turfing so I'm really glad I learned that today!

[sarahlset]

“Dance Battles” in relation to Community Dance.

Video #1: The History of Social Dance

Video #2: Step Up 3 Dance Battle Scene *skip to about 0:45 this is when the dancing starts*

1) I chose this video from the movie Step Up 3 mainly because as a kid Step Up was my favorite dance movies, and these movies are what introduced me to hip-hop dance. I have very fond memories of watching the dances in these movies with my siblings, we would try to replicate the dances ( and fail to do so). Mostly, these dances we just so much FUN to watch and dance along with. The context of this dance is a dance battle between two seperate dance groups. In a way, this is two seperate dance communities coming together and showing their skill. In another way though, this “dance battle” is like a community of dance in it’s own way. Even though this dance video was made for a movie, I like that you can see see the intensity and passion that each of the dancers have. I feel connected to this dance and the dancers when I watch this because it was a big part of my childhood and my enjoyment of dance. I also love the aspect of the water and what it adds to the dance.

2) In a way these videos could be seen as complete opposite ideas, but I think there are several similarities. Even though these dancers may not be in community when they are dancing against each other, in a sense they create a community of competition. Competition exists in every form of dance, and this type of “dance battle” shows just one type of competition that can exist in hip-hop. A difference that exists between these two videos is the context and music. Camille Brown’s video is informative and gives explanations as to what certain dance moves are and what social dance is, with a steady beat and drums to accompany the dances and talking. In the Step Up video there is an upbeat popish song with vocals, and that adds a different twist to the dancing and the way that it is performed. I would not say that these videos are in complete opposition, they present two different types of ideas of what hip-hop dance is, but they do it in an almost common way, that is showing these dancers in community with each other.