Breakdancing started in 1969. That was the year that James Brown recorded "Get on the Good Foot," a song that inspired an acrobatic dance based on the high energy moves that Brown performed on stage. Soon, kids in New York were doing the Good Foot -better known as B Boy(short for Break Boy)- which was the direct precursor to the sort of breakdancing we know today.
1969 was also the year that Afrika Bambaataa started organizing ghetto youth into one of the first breakdance crews: The Zulu Kings. The Zulu Kings won contests and talent shows. They performed their moves at dance clubs. Bambaataa recognized the potential for acrobatic dancing, and he encouraged young people to stick with it. But most people thought the Zulu Kings were just another gang.
When the Zulu Kings were challenged by a rival street gang, Bambaataa "called for a break in the usual street warfare and suggested that the two groups fight with steps rather than weapons. Sure enough, the rival gang was just as ready to square off with dance steps as they were with knives and chains." (Mr. Fresh)
Afrika Bambaataa's followers grew into the Zulu Nation -5000 strong. The kids in the Zulu Nation "would rather dance than fight," and breakdancing (a term invented by Afrika Bambaataa) became an integral part of hip-hop.
These dance battles gradually evolved into a highly stylized form of mock combat called "Uprock". In an uprock battle, a dancer would lose if he actually touched his opponent. A BBoy named Rubberband is credited with developing Uprock.
Breakin' was originally known as "Rocking". "Old Style" breakin' and B Boy'n consisted only of floor work ("Floor Rock" or "down rock") and "top rock" (dancing on two feet, like the Moonwalk). Acrobatic moves such as the headspin had yet to emerge. Floor Rock involved complicated leg moves. Athletic young men found it was a good way to win dance contests. Soon, dancers began engaging in dance battles at places like Harlem World. B Boy'n was especially popular in the South Bronx, where rival gangs would battle over turf, or just to gain each others' respect.
"Sometimes they would make a contract that the loser would not go around the winner's neighborhood anymore...Unfortunately, these Breaking battles did not always stop fights. In fact, they often would cause a fight, since dancers would sometimes get physical when they couldn't win dancewise." (Mr. Fresh and the Supreme Rockers, p. 20)
Breakin' remained popular until 1977, when a dance called the Freak took over.
Meanwhile, another dance was catching-on...one which would lead to the development of the Electric Boogie. This dance was called the Robot. People started doing the Robot as early as 1969, but the dance really took off after Michael Jackson danced the Robot while singing "Dancin' Machine" on national TV.
In 1972, Soul Train started featuring a group of dancers called the Lockers. 16 year old Shabba Doo (who went on to star in the movies Breakin' and Breakin' II) was a member of the Lockers. The Lockers helped to popularize acrobatic dancing.
In 1977, a pair of mimes named Shields and Yarnell were discovered performing in San Francisco's Union Square (ibid, p. 23). Soon, the mimes landed a gig on television, where they performed a crazy version of the Robot. The new version was fast -not slow- and the dancers feet seemed to glide across the floor. The mimes only moved one part of their body at a time, and would end each move with a tick or pop. Shields and Yarnell also did comedy skits as a part of their routine.
Shields and Yarnell made many appearances on television, which gave dancers time to study their moves. The new version of the Robot was called the Mannequin. Within a few months, Mannequin battles were being staged at clubs.
One of the groups who paid especially close attention to Shields and Yarnell was the Harlem Pop Lockers (formerly known as the Electric Boogie crew). The Harlem Pop Lockers first formed in 1972, and are credited with inventing the term "Electric Boogie." Al Boogie, Bruce Loose, Yogi and Michael studied mime at the library. They videotaped Shields and Yarnell and studied their moves. The Harlem Pop Lockers were discovered on their way home from a movie -they were just playing around. Their routine is best known for its comedic aspects, such as pretending to be a team of robotic baseball players eating a meal with their bats.
The Harlem Pop Lockers went on to film a video for German MTV. They were regular fixtures at the Roxy.
Other moves were added to Electric Boogie, such as Back Floats (aka the Back Slide) which was popularized by Jeffrey Daniels of Shalimar on Soul Train; the Lock It -a dance based on the character Rerun from "What's Happening"; the Pop (imported from Southern California); the tick; and the now-familiar Wave, in which a dancer creates the illusion that a wave is passing through the body.
The King Tut began when Steve Martin did a King Tut comedy routine on Saturday Night Live. Originally the King Tut was a dance unto itself called Egyptian Style (ibid, p.24). Dancers point their arms and head in different directions in an imitation of ancient Egyptian paintings. Of all the moves associated with Breakin', this dance seems the most dated and silly.
In 1979, a new breakdance crew was organized called Rock Steady Crew. These dancers were very talented, but breakin' wasn't as popular anymore. People said that Rock Steady were old fashioned.
One person who encouraged Rock Steady Crew was Afrika Bambaataa. The kids in Rock Steady Crew were all original members of Bambaataa's Zulu Nation. Bambaataa told them to stick with it.
The Rock Steady Crew started performing at New York punk clubs, including the Mudd club, and the Ritz.
"When Rock Steady Crew performed with Malcolm McLaren and Bow Wow Wow at the Ritz, people started to take them seriously. Breakdancing was in again."
(ibid, p. 21)
Rock Steady Crew invented many of the "power moves" that made breakdancing famous. Crazy Legs and Frosty Freeze (who specialized in "freeze" moves) practiced in Central Park and on the streets until they had perfected their routine. They added a lot of acrobatic moves such as the headspin, handglides, backspins, and "the Continuous Backspin" (better known as the Windmill).
A former roller rink called the Roxy also played a crucial role in developing the breakdance scene. In June of 1982, Pat Fuji turned the Roxy into a dance club on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
"It soon became THE hip-hop center."
