I really enjoyed the video we watched of the turf dancing
in Monday’s class and I began to look up pictures and videos of hip hop dance
because I realized I have not been exposed to much of it.While searching, I happened upon this picture:
I really enjoy this picture and I think it speaks
volumes.Right away I was struck by the
three layers of dance moves and how the eye is drawn to each individually.I like how each level utilizes a different
form of strength with each of them and within this picture, it shows the
diversity of the dance genre.Also, they
are all wearing the same outfit: white pants, sneakers, and no shirt.This allows for the layers to become cohesive
and to allow the eye to go throughout the picture effortlessly.I feel that this picture would not have a
strong presence if it was just one of the dancers; with all three, it places a
sense of communality within the picture as well as within the genre of music and dance.
I hope you enjoy this picture as much as I do.Let me know what else you see.
Ran across a couple of things today that I felt was completely necessary to share with the class. When I stepped into my REST Senior Capstone today, we were talking about Macklemore for whatever reason. Our teacher didn't know who he was so we decided to play a couple of his videos for him. For those of you who don't know who Macklemore is, he is a brilliant white hip hop artist from Seattle. He raps about injustices, human rights, etc. One song in particular fits in with our discussion about commodification perfectly. It's called Wings.
I love everything about this song. His words are so powerful, the rhythm, the video, the message, just everything. It gives me chills every time I watch it. But basically the message is about commodities, consumerism, how we're all slaves to brands. So much so, that it's possible for a person to kill another over a pair of shoes.
The next thing I wanted to share with you all is this crazy awesome photo taken by a man named Brandon. He runs his own photo blog called Humans Of New York (HONY) and on facebook. And he is absolutely brilliant and takes stunning photos of the people he sees in his surroundings. He posted a new photo today which directly coincides with our discussions about space, turf dancing, and the subway trains. This photo is a homology in itself because it contains all of these aspects, including youth!
HOW GREAT IS THIS PHOTO?! Here's the caption for it: "Honestly, I don't care what they're doing/selling, if a kid is trying to make some honest money, I am paying up. Entrepreneurship takes a lot of courage, and I think it's a civic duty to support a child with ambition. On the flip side of that, there comes a time when you are too large to attempt backflips on the subway. Not everyone realizes this. "
Anyway, I'm in love with his photos and you should be too. So follow now for endless amounts of awesome.
Also, even though sexuality isn't really a topic we've covered and this video has nothing to do with anything, it's equally wonderful and by Macklemore. It's called Same Love. Enjoy. Weep. Be merry.
I’m really interested in the class’ thoughts on this video. (Try watching in full screen and with headphones).
It seemed to fit
in with our discussion of Austin’s definition of “space.” Videos like this, and
many like it, are on YouTube exhibiting all sorts of Turf styles and
intentionalities (some are to honor a friend who has passed away while others
act in more of an aggressive way: battling other crews in other genres of the
dance).
The second shot, four seconds in, is of a police car as it stops and rounds
the corner in front of the first dancer (No Noize). Whether it was an
intentional cut by the director or not, the presence of the police in the first scene sets a tone for the rest of
the video. Rather than using graffiti, these dancers Turf as a means to
re-claim their space.
Though, I do not want to discredit the initial intention of the dance (a
salute to a fallen friend), I also can’t ignore the theoretical discourse that
is also taking place (perhaps even unconsciously). The dancers have re-appropriated
both public street corners as spaces of their own. East Oakland is a heavily
policed space in Oakland, ruled by “adult distrust of the ‘younger generation’
[often who associate them with gangs], increased surveillance of youth, and the
expansion of economic and social dependency on adults” (Austin 240). Though,
Austin is speaking more to the presence of graffiti in New York City, the same
narrative can be applied here, “Writers made a place for themselves in New York
City by selectively appropriating existing institutions and spaces and
rearticulating these into a new physical and cultural network of their own”
(Austin 245).
Stylistically, though Turf dancing seems almost smoother of a dance than
breaking, one can easily see the parallels between the two. As Tricia Rose
writes:
…these snapping movements take place in one joint
after the previous one—creating a semiliquid effect which moves the energy
toward the fingertip or toe. In fact, two dancers may pass the popping energy
force back and forth between each other via finger-to-finger contact, setting
off a new wave (Rose 81).
One doesn’t need to strain their imagination to see the “sampling” and bricolage Turf
utilizes. Elements of break dance, Soul (think: James Brown), and even ballet can be seen as the
dancers glide in the rain. These elements of the dance were all drawn upon to create something new and relevant to Oakland youth.
Ultimately, apart from a piece of evidence in a
theoretically argument, I see the above video as a work of art. I think it’s
beautiful in more ways than I can seemingly articulate in this blog post. DJ Justice could you perhaps provide additional insight into Turf Dancing's origins and background?
