The New Secret Underground

A new dancer can introduce himself to the rest of the world by uploading a video on Youtube. A new crew can do the same. What effect does that have on street dance culture as a whole? Before the rise of Youtube in 2005, you earned your name by competing in contests, stepping into cyphers, showcasing, or battling. There are many talented dancers who have never appeared in a Youtube video to this day. Some have never been talked about on online forums. They're an invisible part of our history whether by choice or circumstance. So for those who self promote, are they more relevant to our culture because they're "seen" online?

Online video sharing hasn't encouraged a deeper understanding of foundation in street dancing. There are many self-labeled poppers online who don't show hitting technique, clean isolations and dimestops, groove, or even the feel of the different sub-styles. Plus, we now have a seemingly larger viewing audience online who watch these videos, comment on them, and share them with others. A large portion of this new audience is not informed of true foundation. They appear to not have a deeper understanding of poppin' technique. This is understandable because widespread teaching of concrete foundation isn't happening as fast as these videos are being circulated online.

And now, new dancers can hype themselves by posting a video and promoting their image by getting as many views as possible. It's a popularity contest that runs along the same mentality as PR firms in Hollywood and Madison Avenue. In the long run, this had to happen. With the recent explosion of dance in mainstream media, it creates a herd mentality for aspiring performers to capitalize on their dance when money and fame are involved. Sad, isn't it? Now, that doesn't mean every dancer online is seeking those goals. But suddenly, we have to become more wary of our own intentions and to cross-check our motives.

Perhaps all this attention-seeking online will lead to a renaissance in street dance. It may create a "secret underground." Much in the same way that grunge rockers reacted against the corporate culture and rock n' roll of the '80s. Online videos, social networking, and forums are our media landscape for dancers. Those who shun this kind of spotlight may start to move away from seeking exposure. This might spawn a movement of new ideas and encourage dancers to return to the pursuit of purely developing their art form without financial gain. A reactionary movement seems imminent since street dance is becoming more over-exposed in online media.

We're waiting for a revolution. Already, there are circles within Los Angeles that know what concrete foundation is and they're continuing to train and teach it. They're innovating on top of foundation. These dancers will emerge as the most highly skilled, along with those world-wide who are on the same page. No amount of video views will take away from their raw skills. And those who are just hype will fade away in time.

A reactionary movement needs to happen. We're dying for authenticity in a dance culture that is struggling to maintain its soul.