Recently, I had a marvellous opportunity to take part in a dance class at Westlake Dance Center and this experience has left me with the overwhelmingly positive impression. I was truly fascinated that hip-hop nicely embraces the preservation of cultural values and offers the room for artistic development. After participating in this hip-hop dance class, I have become familiar with unique ethno-cultural layer of this dance that is reflected in a range of dynamic movements.
Traditional hip-hop culture has a tendency to be rapidly developing. When it comes to its uniqueness, it is worth emphasizing the language of the balanced representation of feelings and emotions through the array of rhythmic movements. Moreover, the hip-hop culture is the reflection of contemporary creative language and the lifestyle of African-American society. It is should be noted that modern black rap continues the tradition of folklore and musical heritage of black Americans (Defrantz 64-65). Thus, the popularity of black rap artists along with the hip-hop dance is the unique process of penetration and borrowing of behavioral patterns and lifestyle from African Americans. Perhaps it is the desire to express oneself that was the first impetus to the creation of the style of hip-hop in America. It was a typical street dance, which is sometimes associated with hooliganism and swagger as well as graffiti and wide pants. Gradually, hip-hop culture developed into a powerful youth movement, thus hip-hop dance appeared at competitions and various festivals. According to Defrantz, the vitality of hip-hop is inextricably related to its commitment to inter-ethnic dialogue and international openness as a way of overcoming cultural contradictions. Artistic interest and values of hip-hop are represented in the creative, spiritual, moral and social self-realization of the young generation, as the search for ways out of youth ideological crisis. Mass international succession of hip-hop as a phenomenon of African-American culture, is owing to its artistic appeal and creative activity.
Hip-hop is a mixture of energy, enthusiasm as well as vibrancy, and interestingly, this type of dance is open to various improvisations. During the class, the rhythmic music made me bounce and find the balance between sharp movements and undulating. Besides, it is worth noting that the dance requires softness, as it is crucial to dance to the beat, not the tune. Learning to hear the bit and find it under thousands of sounds seems to be the first step towards understanding the hip-hop style. In order to express the feelings, a dancer is supposed to have plastic motor skills of arms and legs, ear for music, and sense of rhythm. The training program entailed stretching, so that the body could be freely felt in a vigorous dance. Interestingly, hip-hop encompasses movements from a range of styles, since modern hip-hop is amazingly versatile. Movements can be soft and sharp, slow and fast, relaxed and tense, along with wavy or sharp accents. This dance seems to have no restrictions, but improvisation and expression of originality.
Through artistic preferences, hip-hop dance unites people who have heterogeneous ethnic and national roots, as well as cultural traditions and values. The hip-hop style exhibits the ability to prevent manifestations of deviation among young people, offering an alternative embodiment in the creative activity and social self-realization. Even though hip-hop tends to have distinct masculine features, a number of females demonstrate openness to interethnic interaction.
Works Cited
Defrantz, Thomas F. “The Black Beat Made Visible: Hip Hop Dance and Body Power” Of the Presence of the Body: Essays on Dance and Performance Theory. Ed. Andre Lepecki. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2004, 64-81. Print.
