"HOMELAND" ... the early 2000s

There was a time when you heard about Homeland by word of mouth. Before Myspace. Before Facebook. Before dance went digital online. The early 2000s was a beautiful, nascent wrinkle in time. If you were new to the scene, you'd ask folks in the general public where you could learn poppin', bboyin', or lockin'. Most would say that those dances were "played out" years ago. "Come on, man, that was in the '80s!" You really had to hunt down sources to train in these styles. Classes weren't readily available in local dance studios either. Remember, this was also way before the explosion of hip hop dance in the mainstream media. It was before You Got Served hit theaters in 2003. So for the newcomer, stepping into the underground hip hop dance scene was daunting and bewildering. Where do you start? Where do you go to learn? The answer, more often than not, was Homeland.

Visitors who went to Homeland those days remember the small library that was in the same community center. Across the street, the new Mark Twain Public Library hadn't been built yet. The hot summer nights in neighboring MacArthur Park were known more for their gang-infested quarters instead of late-night soccer games. Most local kids didn't want to walk home late at night, knowing that Homeland was situated at the border of three different gang zones. Surrounded by mostly a Cambodian and Latino community, it was a rough neighborhood that had seen its fair share of shady activities. Long Beach police squad cars were frequently seen at every other intersection along Anaheim Street.

Out of this boiling pot, Homeland was born. It was first a bboy session spot under the supervision of Mike "Iceman" Rivera. Supported by public funding via the City of Long Beach, Homeland's many dance and cultural arts programs launched at a time when a place was needed for young kids to express themselves. Street styles like poppin' and lockin' had gone way underground in LA through the 1990s. It wasn't "cool" to dance anymore for most kids living in mainstream culture.

But around the late '90s to 2000-2001, a new generation of dancers was coming up in southern California. Some moved from the rave scene into poppin'. Others were drawn to the culture through tidbits of information shared through online forums like Mr. Wiggles' website. There was a small contingent of young dancers, roughly in the age range of 19-23, who were exploring styles like tutting, robot, animation, waving, and boogaloo. The Electric Boogaloos were regarded as the most visible group of OGs who were teaching in actual classes. It was only a matter of time before a session spot was needed for poppers and lockers.

That's how the Monday night sessions at Homeland were conceived. Iceman is credited with helping start the Monday night poppin' and lockin' sessions with the early support of dancers like Waveomatic, Tetris, and Pandora. Tuesday nights became bboy night. But Mondays were for the growing poppin' and lockin' community in greater LA. Many of these dancers were still too young to get into 21+ clubs, so Homeland represented a prime spot where they could get down.

Those days at Homeland were like nothing else because it felt like this was a secret world that no one else knew about. The general public didn't care about dancing or the underground culture because it hadn't exploded into the media yet. Outsiders couldn't copy your style because there was no Youtube. In fact, it almost seemed inappropriate to film any video of dancers at Homeland. The technology wasn't there yet in cellphones and digital cameras to take quick videos. So in this uninterrupted environment, what was brewing at Homeland in those years was a quiet storm that would bring a future renaissance.

For poppers, the major competitive crews in the local scene were Animated Beat Mechanics (ABM) and Motion Sickness (from San Diego). From ABM; Jrock, Popula, Bishop Don, Pringlz, PopNTod, Pandora, and Funktion had captured people's attention through their We Got Next DVD. Their members were spread out over the U.S. Motion Sickness was deep with Junior Boogaloo, Legend, Tempo, the Flash, Popzilla, French Twist and others. Funk Technicians was another crew that had strong dancers like Tetris, Animatroniks, Konfusion, Madd Chadd, with others under the influence of OGs like Tabo. This was a time before Machine Gun Funk (MGF) and Funny Bones Crew (FBC) dominated the local competitive scene.

So at Homeland, you would see many of these dancers practicing, growing, training, and taking creative risks. It was a time when boogaloo was the dominant style among poppers, influenced by the Electric Boogaloos teaching. Skeeter Rabbit and Suga Pop taught in LA while Poppin' Pete and Mr. Wiggles focused on Las Vegas with occasional visits to LA. Every Monday night, young dancers were working on their twist-o-flexes, leg rolls, Roman twists, and fresnos. Meanwhile, a smaller contingent of dancers were finding their voices in the more illusionary styles especially with tutting, waving, and botting (the term we used for robot).

None of us probably knew how this would turn out. We were just pursuing our passion and finding our creative souls in the dance. Some of us had aspirations to dance professionally. Others simply wanted to enjoy it as a private pursuit. The quiet storm that was brewing at Homeland would echo in the years to come.

"HOMELAND"... a new series of articles about the Homeland movement

Our hip hop dance history in Los Angeles wouldn't be complete without mentioning Homeland. It's a physical place - a community center where hip hop artists of all ages gather and session. But it's more than a practice spot. Homeland, as an entity, represents different things to everyone: family, community, refuge, learning. Since 1989, it's been a stopping grounds for many young dancers entering into our culture. Very little of what's been going on there has been documented, least of all written about. So this is an attempt to capture just a few perspectives of the amazing artistic renaissance that's happened through Homeland.

What you'll find is that Homeland is much more than a place. It's a group of people who are moving together through life, celebrating their victories and supporting each other through their struggles. It can't be quantified, summarized, or wrapped up in a neat little box. It's messy, chaotic, vibrant, and completely organic. We know that any attempt to describe it will not capture every aspect, but it's worth remembering.

Here is a promotional video of Homeland, created in 2009:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLZqkUHcRUk

How times have changed. Why does the Homeland movement hold such a special place in all of our hearts? When you're young and consumed with dancing, you need a place to just be. We're living in a highly categorized society where labels are put on everything. We need a place free from judgement, prying eyes, and pressures from the other areas of our lives - bills, family, school, jobs, relationships. Living this modern life can be an emotional rollercoaster. And the Homeland community is that haven where we can peacefully coexist.

Our society is also achievement-driven where we're constantly under pressure to measure up, to reach a certain status in order to "matter" in this world. That kind of vibe spawns the fear of failure, which makes us more hesitant to take risks. And isn't that what life is all about? Throwing yourself into the fire, risking something deep within yourself to embrace the revelations that only full, uninhibited living can give us. Creativity thrives on risk-taking and it's crucial for a young person to feel free to fail. Especially in freestyle dancing: Breakin'. Poppin'. Lockin'. All three have been at the heart of Homeland's open session culture from 1989 to today. Freestyling flows from inside of our creative souls, so we can't hold back, we can't fear or hesitate or be unwilling to be vulnerable before others when we dance. Risk is at the heart of what we do.

As artists, we're all on soul-searching journeys. Homeland is one stop along that journey, which we revisit frequently. Every Monday and Tuesday nights, it's not just dance practice sessions that are going on there. People, young and old, are working out who they are in that moment. Our dancing represents our collective energies, but more importantly our stories. We're putting words to our experiences but these words are told through movement. And these are still being written.

The Tutting Trend

When performing for a mainstream audience, it seems that dancers must have a sense of what the crowd "understands." For example, most people are familiar with the backslide (aka, moonwalk), the arm wave, the robot, headspins, and windmills. The average viewer has seen these moves performed in commercials, music videos, films, and on TV. Since the late 2000s, it seems that the average audience is now recognizing tutting. Thanks to Youtube videos and tutting routines showcased on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew, there's a newfound appreciation for tuts by the general public. What is it about this style that's catching on with folks everywhere?

Tutting as a style is very eye-pleasing on camera. When it's done well, the patterns have a flow of logic that's like telling a linear story through movement. Their geometric nature is fun to watch as a dancer sets up specific concepts and unravel them like a Transformer morphing into another form. Part of the appeal is that tutting forms shapes that we recognize. It makes use of pantomime by suggesting visual forms that aren't really there but we see them as formed by the dancer. For a viewer who appreciates order and structure, tutting can be a visual delight.

Anyone who's taken a world history class will also see the inspiration from Egyptian hieroglyphics. We recognize those forms. From this precedent, we've come to see foundation established in the tutting style. Once that logic is set in place, it's easy to see how an audience can "get it." And it's also possible for them to distinguish the style from waving, robot, gliding, or bboying.

Tutting brings out our appreciation for patterns, forms, shapes, quick transitions, and interlocking movements. In an evolving technological society; our eyes are attuned to fine detail as seen in our electronic devices, graphic design, architecture, and information displays. We're primed to take in this flow of structured detail. So on a sociological level, our new appreciation for tutting could be representative of the culture we're living in right now. Who knows where we'll go next with this fascination.

Summer 2010 in Los Angeles

Summer 2010 is gearing up to be a hot one in Los Angeles. There are highly anticipated contests coming up including Homecoming on June 12, BBoy Pro-Am in July, and the Homeland Jam in late July. The dedicated dancers are training hard every week. You can see it at Homeland, Groove Night, and private sessions across the city. There's something in the air. Everyone is itching to break out this summer and make their mark.

This competitive spirit is good for the whole community. We've realized that hip hop dance isn't local - it's global. The winners of the 1on1 poppin' and 1on1 lockin' contests at Homecoming will qualify for the R-16 competition in Korea, one of the biggest showdowns in that country. Going international is the dream of many hip hop dancers. We yearn to teach workshops overseas and to compete with the very best from other countries. There's a mentality that if you can first conquer your city; then move on to your state, then country, and then worldwide. Dancers who go on to compete at R-16, KOD (Keep on Dancing), Juste Debout, or the U.K. BBoy Championships are considered high level competitors. They're the role models for many of the new school.

So there's a lot of hope for the next three months. After Memorial Day Weekend, we're officially kicking into the summer season. Los Angeles comes alive during the summer - with huge contests held every month, bringing in competitors from other states and countries. There's something about being in this city during this time of year. The energy is tangible. And the great weather means you can dance inside as well as outside. It's perfect for cyphers and for that "jam" feeling where everyone is just grooving and having a good time. So, where will you be this summer?

Generation Energy through Body Movement

The LA Times posted a recent article on a U.C. Berkeley research team experimenting with nano-technology and micro-fibers. Their concept: to generate electrical energy through clothing that moves. Sounds far-fetched? Read the article here:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hot-pants-20100520,0,6073984.story?track=rss

It's an amazing concept that has many ramifications for different sectors of our world - from personal computing to fashion to the energy industries. Can you imagine dancers wearing clothing that could generate power as part of a live show? Or it could be as simple as recharging your iPod while taking a dance class.

Hip hop dancers are already role models for fashionable urban wear. So it's exciting to think about what this new technology might entail for us. Imagine a new clothing line that pitches an athletic lifestyle that also involves being your own power source. Would we start looking at fashion in a new way - perhaps one that is more environmentally conscious? You could look good as well as do your part to save the planet.

We'll have to see how this technology develops, especially how accessible it becomes via cost and application to everyday clothing. Sports athletes will likely be the first spokesmodels for this new fashion brand since it's easy to see how their highly physical movements would translate to more energy being generated. But let's not forget about hip hop dancers who have a a high level of movement as well. Maybe this could open up doors for dancers to collaborate with the fashion and tech industries like never before.

Why Gliding Still Amazes Us

You know it when you see it. A dancer magically moves across the floor as if his feet are gliding effortlessly on the surface. Millions have seen Michael Jackson do the moonwalk, or what we know as its original name - the backslide. Usher has dazzled a newer generation with glides like in his "U Got It Bad" video, after being trained by Flowmaster. There's something that catches the eye when we glide. It's a captivating illusion that's a crowd pleaser. A mainstream audience understands glides when they see them because they've seen some form of it in their youth or on television. So why does it still amaze us?

It's not human. We don't naturally travel across the ground that way. But there's deep desire inside of us that wants to believe that we're capable of doing more. Glides are like a superpower. When we do it, we feel like we're flying. We're not restricted by the normal pitter-patter pattern of our feet. And when we fly across the floor, we take the audience with us. It's the kind of movement that is very interactive when performed before an audience. They're vicariously experiencing your moment.

Perhaps gliding also underscore the illusional aspect of poppin'. It creates an aura around these dancers making us believe that magic can really happen. It brings out the child-like playfulness in all of us when we see it. And that connects us to an even deeper reason of why we love dancing. It allows us to play no matter what age we are.

"Funk Styles" Terminology

In the 90s, Poppin' Pete of the Electric Boogaloos coined "funk styles" as an umbrella term for styles that would be distinguished from hip hop choreography seen in dance studios. The term was often applied to poppin' and lockin', but not bboyin'. In the early 2000s, even Mr. Wiggles' website forum was considered a "funk styles" forum and it's still used on that site today. But while it was popular ten years ago, we've seen "funk styles" used less in recent years in the LA scene. What happened?

Nowadays, it seems like the term has disappeared from inner circles in the Los Angeles poppin' scene. We distinguish between poppin', boogaloo, tutting, waving, robot, animation, etc. But funk styles is rarely used on fliers for local events. Judges at these contests are differentiated as poppin' judges or lockin' judges. At bboy events, the poppin' and lockin' contests are being called for what they are instead of funk style contests. High level poppers are calling themselves poppers not funk stylists.

In the end, terminology is simply used to communicate an idea. We want clarity. But terms can come and go and are only effective when they're needed. Maybe funk styles had its time in our malleable lexicon, but it's now being put to rest by the current new school. The term may still be used in other circles outside of LA's poppin' culture. As styles evolve, we'll need to reevaluate our vocabulary to meet our changing needs.

Battles vs Contests

Some LA OGs say that judged contests were a rarity in the early street dance scene. When you battled, there were no judges, point systems, or organized face-offs. It was raw. You called someone out. You both went as long as you could. And even if you didn't feel up to it, you never backed down because that's the way it was done. Today's street scene is less spontaneous and more organized in its "battle" approach. And we're seeing that distinction shape the way a new generation understands the dance.

There's different lingo being used now among the new school generation. When you have two or more dancers facing off against each other in an organized match-up evaluated by a panel of judges, then that's a "contest." Usually, there's a time limit and a set number of rounds per dancer. A "battle" is when you have two or more dancers facing off in a cypher where there are no judges, no time limits, and no limits on the number of rounds. What we see on 99% of most advertised events in Los Angeles street scene would be considered contests. Even huge events like Freestyle Session and How Tha West Was Won would be considered contests when talking about their advertised "battles." You'll only see battles happening in the cyphers at these events, at clubs, or other social gatherings.

It's a good thing that there's a linguistic distinction being made. The new generation is re-learning the approach to bboyin', poppin', lockin', and waackin' through this distinction. Contests have their advantage in helping to promote an organized version of the dance that can be marketed to a paying audience. It also helps the debate on what judging criteria to use. Battles have their own place by keeping the raw element of our styles tied to its roots. There's fewer judging politics when you're in a battle as compared to a contest. Being in a battle is truly something that's only experienced by the dancers at war on the dance floor. You can see it in their eyes when they face off.

Whether it's a battle or a contest, the competitive scene for LA's street dance culture is continuing to evolve as we all grow in our skills.

The Challenge of Training

Los Angeles is ripe with opportunities for dancers to train in street styles of hip hop. It's no secret that you can pursue open sessions, private lessons, and classes whether they're at Homeland, Open House, Debbie Reynolds, J.u.i.c.e, Cal State Long Beach, or at other venues. And since there are regular contests being held throughout the year, that's motivation to train and to get better for the next time you battle or step into a cypher. But where does a student who's serious about training begin when they enter the LA scene?

Like many other artistic pursuits, there's no one proven path to becoming a highly skilled hip hop dancer. There may be similarities between people's paths, but we all came into the culture via different means. Perseverance, commitment, and determination are all part of the experience. Patience is a virtue. And humility above all else - the willingness to see others as better than yourself - combined with a desire to improve can make for a healthy frame of mind when training.

Perhaps one thing that can be recommended is for a student to find a mentor. Having someone to guide you along the way is instrumental because that mentor becomes your coach. A mentor brings a second opinion to your journey as you develop as a dancer. A new student can draw on a mentor's wealth of knowledge, personal history, and approach to the dance. We need someone with whom we can bounce ideas off of as we search through the creative wilderness.

So for a new dancer who comes into the LA scene, take heart that you're not alone. There are people out there who are available to help. It just takes a little initiative to get out there. Stay hungry and don't be shy.

The '90s Comeback

Now, that we're in the second decade of the twenty-first century, is there a '90s comeback in the works? It seems that a brand-new fondness for the 1990s new jack swing movement is brewing in the Los Angeles scene. For young twenty-somethings who were just born in the early '90s, this revival means rediscovering the music, the dance steps, and the style of their childhood. So what does this mean for hip hop dance in this new decade?

We've seen this go in cycles. In the 1990s, there was a fascination with the disco era of the '70s. In the early 2000s, there was a throwback to the 1980s. Perhaps the reappearance of bboyin', poppin', and lockin' in mainstream media culture can be attributed to that phenomenon. It seems that every decade has a revival twenty years later. Time-wise that makes sense since children of that decade will be in their college years. That's a time when young people are establishing their own identities and expressing themselves creatively on their own. It's the epicenter of youth culture.

When you think about the '90s, new jack swing comes to mind. Teddy Riley, Guy, Boyz II Men, Kid and Play, and the whole new jack swing movement are highlights of that decade. We're starting to see street dancers embrace new jack swing even in contests and battles. That's not surprising since there are so many more people training in bboyin', poppin', lockin', and waackin'. You need something in your arsenal that other people don't have. New jack is funky. It uses your whole body. It has big movements and you can travel across the dance floor with it.

And there are dancers who can mentor a young generation in this style. Dancers who were teens or in their twenties during the 1990s are now in their thirties and forties. They're the mentors of today's young generation. These mentors are teaching classes, overseeing dance crews, and choreographing major pieces. There's going to be a trickle-down effect. New jack and the '90s style aren't going to go away anytime soon. And why should it? The music is funky. It's soulful. And young dancers are always looking for something different, even if it means reinterpreting what's been done in the past.

That's where we might see some interesting things develop for today's generation. Young bboys, poppers, lockers, and waackers in Los Angeles have been training in their styles for a good number of years. Their disciplined mentalities could possibly broaden the foundation and feel of new jack swing since it will be approached as a "style." Unlike in the 1990s when the foundation was being developed real-time, we're looking back twenty years and trying to "learn" this style. When you approach a dance in that way, there's an organization to your learning process. It's a little more academic. With that in mind, it becomes easier for a new student to connect the dots between moves, textures, and history. It also makes the style more accessible through teaching, thereby opening up the possibility that it could spread like wildfire.

The next few years are going to be an interesting experiment for Los Angeles dancers with respect to new jack swing. Will there be a full-blown revival of new jack in the competitive dance scene? Let's hope that it opens up a new chapter in the LA dance scene as our youngest generation takes it on.

Talent vs. Character

Why are we so enamored by talent? When we see someone who has an incredible voice or is an amazing dancer, we swoon over them. Our performance-driven society demands a lot out of us in order to be labeled as "special." In a meritocratic environment, our skill set distinguishes us from the next person. Maybe that's why talent is cherished so highly by the masses. But without character, talent is a flame that's easily extinguished. We're living in a media-drenched world that often oversees character in the pursuit of amazing talent. And that may be hurting our future generation of dancers.

Remember how performers got noticed before Youtube and the Interwebs? Talent scouts would pick out a talented artist at a live performance, a club, or the rare occasional demo. It was harder for dancers or musicians to get noticed than it is today. You could even say that it was frustrating to get your work seen. Now, we can go viral and anyone can become a star overnight. The latest Justin Bieber is waiting to be discovered. What does that do to the mind of a young, emerging artist? Is our technology creating a culture of instant gratification that pushes talented people into the spotlight before they have the maturity to handle all the professional challenges they'll face? Probably so. Like supernovas, these bright, young stars could blaze into existence very quickly and then disappear in a flash. This makes it even more competitive for aspiring artists to become famous because anyone can post a video online as long as they have a computer and an Internet connection.

This is dangerous for our youngest dancers who haven't experienced the world in any other way. To them, talent becomes the most important currency for their artistic survival. They'll think they need it. And that they must hold on to it in order to stay in the spotlight. But talent won't help them make the most important decisions that define a person's path. Only character does. It's the old familiar story that we hear in other stories. Athletics. Politics. Even academics. What we do and how we act is often motivated by forces within ourselves. We make decisions based on our character. And we reap the outcome.

Not enough of this dialogue is happening with our youngest generation of dancers. There's always talk about talent and skill level. But character is never discussed as a priority. Maybe that's because character is so much harder to refine and work on than talent. It's not as instantaneously gratifying. And it doesn't catch people's attention. Our youngest dancers need to know that our art form can be taken in many directions, including financial benefit if they choose. But they'll need character when their talent is no longer valued. It'll be their lifeline in their darkest moments.

Broadening the Local Scene

Open House on Tuesday nights is quietly becoming one of the strongest session spots to broaden the LA house dance scene and the local dance culture in general. House dancers aren't the only ones showing up. Poppers, waackers, bboys are coming through to learn house foundation. Maybe they'll mix it in their main styles. Or they simply want to learn house as a separate style. We love how the community gathering at Open House on Tuesday nights is exposing new heads to house music, dance, and culture.

You can check out a site for Open House here:

http://openhousefamily.com/

Here's the myspace site for Open House:

http://www.myspace.com/openhousefamily

And here is a live streamed clip from last night's session:

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6852493

One thing about Open House is that it underscores the need for our local culture to keep growing - to keep broadening our horizons and be open-minded about dance styles that originated outside of LA. As a city, we can stay competitive and cutting-edge by excelling at our craft but also exploring other people's ideas and bringing our own interpretation to it. Have you tried waacking to house music? Or what about popping to a house song? Give it a try. You may discover something new.

The Revival of The Music Video

A few years back, it looked like the era of music videos was over. MTV hasn't played music videos for many years. Napster eroded the music industry's control over pricing. And music artists found new ways to gather a fan following via social networking and web-based grass-roots outreach. But music videos aren't gone. Bands like OK Go and MGMT have made it fun again by using unusual home-made approaches to their videos. Lady Gaga roped in her videos as part of her performance spectacle. And dancers with fanbases are popping up in videos again, generating buzz for the music artists in return. Case in point: Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston released their "Eeenie Meenie" video with dancers like Pandora, We Are Heroes, and numerous others.

You can check out the Justin Bieber "Eenie Meenie" video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prmmCg5bKxA

The "Eenie Meenie" video may not be novel in its content or approach as compared to music videos we've seen in the past. But what's cool is that dancers and crews are using their media exposure to get these gigs. We Are Heroes have spun off their ABDC success into appearing in a few music videos. Music promotional execs and managers will look to these crews to bring some new faces to the scene. And since any buzz is good buzz, you can bet that fans are twittering about who's appearing in the next Justin Bieber or Snoop Dogg video.

Music videos usually don't have large budgets. So the financial benefits for these dancers won't be huge. But every gig is currency - it's one more step to the next gig. So we applaud these dancers for being proactive in furthering their careers. If they can bring their fanbase into watching these videos, perhaps more money will be pumped into videos as advertising pieces.

The question becomes then - will we see a revival of the music video? Today, there isn't one single way to advertise a music artist. A music video is just one prong in a multi-pronged marketing strategy. But we'd love to see music videos treated as art pieces, perhaps even platforms for dancers to really shine again.

One thing for sure is that high profile dancers are not only being seen as bringing their dance skills to a video project, but they're bringing potential new fans to a music artist. Today's generation of music fans are operating in different ways from ten to fifteen years ago. Connection, discussion, information sharing is so important. Music execs have to realize that dancers are bringing this network of communication, and it's worth investing in.

JabbaWocKeez "Mus.i.C" in Vegas

May 7 marks the opening night for the JabbaWocKeez's Las Vegas show, "Mus.i.C" at the Hollywood Theater in the MGM Grand. There's a lot of excitement among industry insiders and the hip hop dance community who are attending tonight. This show is a significant step since it's a high profile hip hop crew marketing themselves on the same level as other big-name Vegas entertainers. Vegas is known for entertainment spectacle, ranging from Broadway musicals to magic shows to cabarets. It's a milestone for the JabbaWocKeeZ to take this stage, especially after these past two years since they won America's Best Dance Crew season one. So now, we'll see if the mainstream public is willing to pay top dollar for a show from one of the most recognizable dance crews in recent years.

You can find ticket information for the show at:

http://www.mgmgrand.com/entertainment/hollywood-theater.aspx

Chances are that this opening weekend will be packed. Friends, family, and dance enthusiasts will probably flock to the show during the next few days. The big test will be towards the middle and end of the show's run. Will people who've never heard of the JabbaWocKeeZ be willing to pay for tickets to this show? If so, then this could be the beginning of more hip hop theatrical shows at major entertainment venues. More performance opportunities. And a wider perception that dancers themselves can be the focus of a storyline or show.

Will this bring us back to the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals when Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly were top entertainers of their time? Probably not, but we could be moving into a new era when dancers are able to carve their own specific niche of entertainment. If Cirque Du Soleil can unite the circus arts into a marketable form of public entertainment, then it will take a unique group of minds to bring hip hop dance to that level or beyond. We might be starting that journey right now.

Leaving A Legacy Media-Wise

What will we leave behind for future generations of street dancers? Today's new school learns through classes, sessions, online videos, and archived footage from personal home videos, films, and TV shows from the '70s and '80s. Is everything that we create today boiling down to what we can search on Google, Youtube, and Wikipedia? This is a compelling question because video and film recording was not as accessible thirty years ago. Now, there are a plethora of digital camera phones at every jam and contest. There are more people taking pictures, documenting personal stories, and writing about hip hop dance culture on a larger scale.

So what does this mean for the long term? Maybe it will be easier for a future street dancer to access material about this culture. Anything that can be captured audio-visually or in textual information can easily be distributed online. Powerful search engines are at our disposal and we just need the right keyword or tag. Now, we're going wireless and today's youth are chatting on their smart phones while watching clips. The web - as our matrix of interpersonal communication - is changing too even if Facebook's recent push to personalize the Internet through "like" buttons on third-party sites. With a more personalized web, will that shape differences in how individuals view hip hop dance culture and history?

If the web of the past and present was defined by structured websites, then our surfing experiences are really going to change if we experience a more personalized Web. We already have glimpses of this through extensive Facebook use. If you're familiar with this social network, you may have already discovered new information in pictures, text, and videos through what your friends post on their walls. Facebook has certainly united local dance cultures in a way that public forums never could. If people like to share with people they know, is it possible that pictures and videos of some dance subcultures will only be shared in closed ranks and never with the general public? With a personalized Web, we could see some things fall through the cracks.

And who will future generations look to as inspirations if there's so many dancers posting content online? Rest assured, no matter the social pressure, the dancers with the most impact will be those who have trained in correct foundation and have matured in their craft. These often aren't the ones with the most views in their Youtube videos. We can worry about the glut of dance material cluttering online video channels now, but there's something about true artistic craft that stands the test of the time. Perhaps the legacy that will have most impact are the dancers who have grown up in foundation and are adding their unique spin on the dance. Just as trends come and go, there are some "hot" dancers that will make a big splash and later disappear.

We're hoping that the legacy we leave behind is more than just what's hot now. It's got to be a little more universal, something that stirs each of our souls regardless of our backgrounds. That's when we know that an artistic form has translated across cultural differences. It becomes something we all can share in.

House Dancing: Open House Session

Tuesday nights in downtown LA are becoming an epicenter for house dancing in southern California. One of the best spots to get down is Open House, which runs in a small loft area from 9pm-12midnight every Tuesday. If you love house dancing, you have to check it out.

Here's a brief clip from a recent Open House Session:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cjzYLmFHxc

Going to Open House is like stepping into a vibrant zone where men and women are just grooving late into the night, enjoying movement in its purest form. It still has that intimate feel, like only a close-knit group of friends know about it. It's a session spot that you can enjoy without suffering from overcrowding.

We're hoping that the folks behind Open House continue to grow their tight family. Definitely a wonderful spot that makes our city a great place to dance in.

Our Desire To Belong

If you were at Homeland in Long Beach last night, you would've been treated to a special performance a la Homeland's Disco Night presented by the lockin' and waackin' class. Led by Tiffany "Jimini" Bong from Syrenz Crew, several of the students dressed up in trademark disco outfits and Afro wigs. They even plugged in portable party lights into the walls to set the mood. Needless to say, the lockers and waackers got down for the enthusiastic crowd. It's rare to see something like that at a session. Usually, folks go to a session and practice individually, in pairs, or may even try a routine with a few other students. Rarely is there a performance. But at Homeland, we're seeing community in full force when we have students sharing what they've learned in a playful performance. That just goes to show how special Homeland has become to many of the dancers currently practicing there. It's their family, their community, their second home.

You can see a clip of Homeland's Disco Night here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_mA7FCMFss

As dancers, we're often drawn to each other because it's rare to find friends who share a common passion like ours. Most people are afraid to dance because of being self-conscious. But when we find other dancers, we want to spend as much time with them as possible - practicing, going to clubs, competing with and against each other. We desire community in its rawest, most intimate form. We want to belong to something greater, bigger than ourselves. And that's where a place like Homeland has offered these opportunities for over a decade for street dancers of all ages.

Why is it so important for us to want to belong? American culture celebrates individual achievement and strength. We are a nation of cowboys and cowgirls. But that individual greatness is missing something vital when it's done outside of community. As humans, we're hard-wired for relationship. We're inherently built to communicate and relate with different degrees of success. The very nature of our dance allows us to open up to each other, to share our true selves in a conversation informed by movement and musicality.

It's a beautiful thing, realizing our desire to want to belong. Maybe that's why there's so much emphasis within progressive hip hop culture about the "community" and the "culture" as a whole. We're thinking about the future and how later generations will be connected to what we're shaping. Even as the years pass by, we'll all belong to this community we're creating right now.

Fusion: Dancing to New Music

So we're starting to see a lot more experimentation with hip hop dance performed to non-hip hop music. We've seen this before but the difference today is that it's being conveyed at a faster rate through online media. What was once perhaps an experimental idea among a few circles is now being broadcasted more widely and inspiring more dancers worldwide. A recently posted clip of poppers Tempo (G-style) and Frantick (Funny Bones Crew, G-style, LXD) freestyling with a live band - James Weston & the Shackles, with Sebastian Leger on the trumpet - is starting to make the rounds online.

You can check out the clip of Tempo and Frantick here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bil-GxY8Ppc&

What makes this example so compelling? For dancers, they will appreciate the poppin' technique and execution that Tempo and Frantick showcase in their freestyles. For non-dancers, it will be a visual treat to see one genre of music matched with a dance style that's not usually seen in the same context. Maybe this clip highlights the breaking down of borders that we're seeing between artists from different worlds. We've seen that happen between mainstream music artists in the public spotlight. It's not unfamiliar for a high-profile rapper like Jay-Z or Kanye West to experiment with producers who bring a different sound to their album. There is an artistic freedom that happens when we're able to let go of preconceived notions and start exploring new territory.

The future of hip hop dance may lay somewhere along this path. While the traditional foundation for our styles will be preserved, we need new music to inspire new movements and concepts. The ears of a future generation will be attuned to different sounds as cultural tastes change. What can still remain is the spirit of the dance in a new form. Every breaker has that bboy flavor that they'll apply to their sets. In twenty years from now, it'll be exciting to see how tomorrow's youth are redefining what it means to be a bboy.

Fusion allows us to break down those borders because an artistic exchange between different mindsets is essentially a communication of our deeper selves. When we dance, create music, paint visuals, or express our desires in an artistic medium; we're sharing a part of ourselves in a conversation with others. There are enough boundaries that separate the human race so why not embrace fusion as a solution? It's not the end of all solutions but it's one step that we can take.