The Knowledge
We'd like to share our passion for and knowledge about this dance with you, and give you a starting point for your own discoveries and experiences.
Breaking?!
Breaking is the original name of the dance, and the one we use on this site. “Breakdance” is a term the media created later. Breaking should not be mixed up with Popping (Electric Boogaloo) and Locking, because these dance styles have their own terms, histories and pioneers.
The dancers are called B-Boys and B-Girls. The “B” stands for Break-Boy and Break-Girl (some also use it for Boogie or Bronx), because they got down to the floor during the extended break sections of records: break on the breaks.
Another explanation goes back to the African word “Boioing”, which means to “hop, jump”. It was used in the Bronx River area of New York City to describe the bouncy style the B-Boys danced, and the ball on their ski hats that went boioing when they danced.
- RootsHow Breaking grew out of New York City in the late 60s and 70s, the first crews, and the media explosion of the 80s.
- UprockingThe battle dance from Brooklyn's Bushwick section.
- CapoeiraThe Afro-Brazilian fight-dance and its culture of resistance.
- ThoughtsQuotes from Hip Hop pioneers, and the essay “What is style?”.
- InterviewsKen Swift, Maurizio, Popmaster Fabel, Paulo Nunes, and Remy of Spartanic Rockers.
- BreaksApache, It's Just Begun, Give It Up or Turnit a Loose: the records everything started with.
- Films & booksMovies, documentaries, music videos, books and magazines.