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The News Argus, February, 2004 HIP MOVES New movies are reflecting the influence of urban dance By Marian Liu Knight Bidder Newspapers (KFTT) SAN JOSE, Calif. - Hip-hop dance is infusing pop culture as never before, moving from street corners and music videos to fitness centers, dance studios and tele vision shows. And now Hollywood has noticed. "Right now dance is the key focus, the main focus of every thing going on," says Shane Sparks, a choreographer from "You Got Served." "Honey," another hip-hop dance movie, opened late last year. The hip-hop dance of today is a more choreographed form of street and club dancing, as opposed to the more free-form moves of earlier styles, such as break-dancing. "Each move now that Britney Spears or Justin Timberlake does takes a little bit of this and that from breakdancing _ locking, popping moves _ and blends it all in," says Beto Lopez, a hip-hop dancer from Stockton, Calif. The choreography also has become a mainstay at concerts. "If you eliminate all the dancers and keep the artists ther^ 1 don't think the shows would be as incredible," says Shane Sparks, choreographer for B2K, IMx, Ginuwine and Brandy. "There's a definite surge in the white neighborhood that wouldn't necessarily be exposed to hip-hop in their everyday life," says Keith Pinto, an MC and hip-hop dance teacher at DanceAttack in Los Gatos, Calif. "They watch MTV, see other kids doing it and want to be a part of it. You can pretty much go to any dance studio in the Bay A rea and they'll have a hip- hop class." To see how hip-hop dance is being mainstreamed, look no further than high schools and fitness centers. "That's the music ... at school dances, so we want to learn how to dance to that," says Diana Schnabel, a 17-year-old junior from Willow Glen High School in San Jose. Her high school's drama shows once showcased mostly singing and skits, but recently they have been taken over by hip-hop dance routines, she says. Fitness centers are also tak ing advantage of the trend, cit ing it as the newest fad in exer cise after yoga and Pilates. Amanda Arnold started teaching hip-hop in June at three24 Hour Fitness Centers in San Jose. She said that even aercbics conventions have started to include hip-hop in their repertoire. "I grew up when hip-hop was pretty popular, and as I got older, I went to the clubs where we danced to rap and hip-hop," says Arnold, a San Jose resident. "But now I’m 26 and it's old school to go club bing, so this is what I want to do when I work out." People like Arnold have grown up with hip-hop and now are old enough to pro mote it. "We're in control of it now," says Lopez, director of a break- dancing documentary called "The B-boy Connection" set to be released in time for the next year's Sundance Film Festival. "We may not have Hollywood power or money, but we can promote our own events and sell our own clothing." Yet, even as hip-hop dance and fashion are becoming more pervasive, some say it comes with a downside. Aiko Shirakawa, a hip-hop dance instnrtor at San Jose's Roosevelt Community Center, says that although this trend has paved the way for many dancers, it also has fostered more suggestive dance moves. "The young new generation is getting out there and feeling eneigized and inspired, but girls are left with the dances that are slutty, like striptease dancing," says Shirakawa, 35. "As a parent of a 5-year-old daughter, I would be horrified and would never leave her side. I would let her take everything: jazz, popping. Join the News Argus Interested in ... WRITING? GRAPHIC DESIGN? PHOTOGRAPHY? Join the staff at news meetings each Tuesday at 11 a.m. The A E The Student Newspaper of Wffiston-Salem State Unn/ersity Hip-Hop Dance Glossary Get your groove on with these moves ■ Battling: competitive dancing ■ Break dancing; acrobatic danc ing ■ B-boy or B-girl: a break dancer, now in more general use for any member of the hip-hop culture ■ C-walk: the Crip walk, or foot shuffle, the name for this popular move comes from the street gang the Crips ■ Drop: the transition between upright or standing moves and break dancing or moves done on the ground ■ Footwork or freezes: break dancing or ground moves that you hold or “freeze” ■ Locking: locking the body into different poses ■ Popping: flexing and releasing the muscles really fast to create popping movement ■ Power moves: movements that are used to show the power of the competitor, such as continuous back spins (called a “windmill”) ■ Top rocks: shuffling around and doing footwork, what the B-boy does before hitting the floor for ground moves ■ Up-rocks: upper-body dancing that includes arm movements that mimic fighting or combat (Sources: Jennilee Gomez of B- syde, Keith Pinto of Felonious: One Love Hip Hop, and Jorge “Popmaster Fabei” Pabon of the Roclsteady Crew-Universal Zulu Nation) locking; everything but hip- hop." And some hip-hop dance pioneers like Ralph Casanova, who launched moves in Brooklyn as King Uprock, are disappointed that they aren't getting recognition for their contributions. Many plan to boycott "You Got Served" because it does not pay tribute to the history of hip-hop dance. Yet Dave Scott, choreographer of "You Got Served" and of artists including B2K, Tyrese, Brian McKnight and ice skater Tara Lipinski, says the movie "shows some rawness and is a little diluted to appeal to every artist. It does not really get into the back door of everything. "I've seen hip-hop dance grow and kind of get drowned out by a lot of things such as stage shows, pop crews and pop," says Scott, who also judged the Wade Robson Project, a hip-hop television competition. "There are different ways to represent hip-hop. It's like a big bowl of gumbo." Visit these Web sites to learn more about the history of break dancing: www.jam2dis.com / j2dbreak- dancehistl.htm Physical Graffiti: The History of Hip Hop Dance: www.daveyd.com / history physicalgrafittifabel.html ^msung has just put you in the running to carry the torch. Write an essay and you codd be a torchbearer for the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay. Just visit www.samsungusa.com/olympics Sansung is you one step closer to the gkxy and o( Die Olympic Qai«s. Just Mite a simpte 50-woiTj onSne essay at vKww.satisungusa.coni/otymplcs explaining txw you embody ttie Olympic spirit. If your submission wins, you couU tiave tt» tionor o( being an Ofympic torchbearer as the torch goes on tour. It's your chance to potentialty share In a unique moment of Olympic history for all the wortd to see. Samsung. Share the experience. Samsung x426 Wreke Phone Pass tt)6 fianw, unite the wortd. www.thenewsargus.com Please call (336) 750-2327 or e-mail newzargus@yahoo.com C00( SarsLTig Eectrcncs Anenca, *nc. Kopi^d'aMn«c«8saf>.'7>iskacontaatofULOMnU>iBgal '«uMnts9ftMSCl'ntadS»es&DC. 14 or outer. Void vnmprohfctod.CofltasttfKK 2/28^. 'yAcdfutoaridcorpleeerxiy d*hvelw\Mr.si3TBungusa.ccnVDjyiT|*u
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