The Official Hip Hop Dance Time Line
Posted on 18. Nov, 2007 by chopper in home
Whats cracking people
So everybody wants to learn how to dance hip hop. I feel that if you want to learn anything in life it’s important to know the history or foundation of whatever it is your trying to learn. Hip hop dance has a great history so I thought I would share a little of it with you to help give some meaning to your desire to learn Hip hop dance.
1969 
- Don Campbell had become a well-known street dancer in Los Angeles and invented a dance called “Campbellock”.
1970-1973
- Hip Hop “Grandfather”Afrika Bambaataa Looking for the Perfect Beat: 1980-1985
(Godfather of Hip-Hop culture, Father of the Electro Funk sound, founder of the Universal Zulu Nation, visionary, historian, and the Master of Records) starts to DJ.
- Breakin’ makes its first appearance in the clubs, Plaza Tunnel and the Puzzle. The earliest moves were the “Drop” and the “In-and-Out” (Top Rocking).
1973 
- Kool Herc, Father of Hip-Hop, aka Clive Campell, deejayed his first block party. He played soul, old funk and R&B records on his turntables. He was born in Jamaica and immigrated in ‘67 (age 12) from Kingston where he brought his knowledge of the Jamaican soundsystem scene to the Bronx.
- Kool Herc played the ‘break’ or ‘getdown’ sections – the part where the break beat or percussion part of the song was played in its rawest form. But because the breaks of the songs weren’t very long, he expanded them by using two turntables with double copies of the record. The “breakbeats” he rocked layed the foundation for the B-Boys (Break-Boys – The dancers who rocked out on the dancefloor during these breaks.
- Official birthday of The Universal Zulu Nation is November 12,1973.
1974
- Afrika Bambaataa reorganized “The Organization” and renamed it to the “Zulu Nation“. Bam, a previous gang leader (Black Spades) and social activist, created a collective of DJs, breakers and graffiti artists to bring social conscienceness to hip hop. Five b-boys joined him who he called the Shaka Zulu Kings, there were also the Shaka Zulu Queens which along side the “Nigger Twins”, were the very first B-Boying crews ever.
1977 
- Rock Steady Crew established by Bronx b-boys Jimmy D and JoJo.
- What “Uprock” was to New York B-Boys, “Locking” had become to the Electro-Boogie LA youth. It was started by Lockatron Jon and Shabba-Doo. Shabba was also responsible for introducing “Popping” to New York, which many claim to be the first, real hip-hop dance. (They even go as far as to say they were performing it in 1969.)
1978
- In New York local dance crews added waves and smoother movements to the “Popping”.
- Charlie Robot who used to appear on “Soul Train” introduced the “The Robot” to the mainstream media.
- Noted B-Boy crews included Breakmachine, Uprock and the Motor City Crew, Dynamic Rockers, Rock Steady Crew, Floormasters Incredible Breakers and Magnificent Force.
1980
- Members of the High Times Crew are arrested for breakdancing at a Washington Heights subway — photos of the incident in the New York Post .
1981
- Dynamic Rockers and Rock Steady Crew battle at the Lincoln Center.
- The Rock Steady Crew appeared in “Flashdance
” the movie. They visited the UK and impressed a bunch of kids in Manchester who later form the Kaliphz crew
1983
- Michael Jackson first performs the moonwalk on Motown 25 TV Special.
- The NYC Breakers were formed by Michael Holman (Manager) in late 1983 adding members like “Flip Rock”,”Icey Ice”,”Powerful Pexter” to the existing “Floormasters” crew. The “Floormasters” crew did many shows like “That’s Incredible”, Merv Griffin and others. The NYC breakers travelled the world performing and even performed for President Reagan as well as appearing in the movie Beat Streat.
- Breakin’ and Enterin’, a documentary about California poppin’ and lockin’ filmed in Los Angeles airs on cable TV, featuring Shabba Doo, Boogaloo shrimp, Pop ‘n’ Taco, Blue City Strutters (aka Boo Ya Tribe), and Ice-T, Egyptian Lover, Chris “The Glove” Taylor.
1984
- Michael Jackson does the moonwalk on the Grammy’s and the whole world thinks he’s a breaker. He actually learned it from some LA poppers.
- Breakdancing (as the media calls it) goes global via Lionel Richie’s performance at the Closing Ceremony of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
- The movie “Beat Street
” by Harry Belafonte is released which features Kool Herc, Doug E. Fresh, Kool Moe Dee. Legendary B-Boy battle at the Roxy with Rock Steady Crew and NYC Breakers is the highlight of the film.
1990
- Return of the B-Boy in the UK. B-Boys are back www.bboychampionships.com. There is massive interest in the dance form within British Hip-Hop culture. The revival here is led by crews such as Born To Rock, UK Rock Steady Crew and Second To None.
1992
- Rock Steady DJs (DJ Qbert, DJ Apollo and Mix Master Mike (USA) take DMC World. (Apollo credited for inventing team battling)
1995
- First B-Boy Summit that is documented is held in San Diego, CA hosted by AsiaOne, RSC.
Random Facts:
- The main elements of hip hop culture are known as MCing (Rapping), DJing, Writing (Aerosol Art), B-Boying / B-Girling (Breaking
- The Fifth element of hip hop: The Beatbox, very often overlooked by the hip hop community but much needed respects due. Some noted beatboxers: Doug E. Fresh (La Di Da Di, The Show), Biz Markie (Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz), Ready Rock C (Human Video Game, My Buddy) of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Buff aka Darren Robinson (The Human Beatbox, Stick Em) of the Fat Boys (RIP) who introduced beatboxing on wax in 1984 with “The Human Beatbox”.
- It was the late 60s and early 70s when people started a sort of b-boying. Their dancing was called “Good Foot” from a James Brown song of the same name. The “Good Foot” was the first freestyle dance that incorporated moves involving drops and spins, and resembled the beginnings of breaking.
- Kung Fu stars like Bruce Lee and other martial artisits had a major influence on b-boy culture. The popularity of Kung Fu films during the mid and late 70s around the world and esp. in New York City, has had a great impact on b-boy styles and moves. For example, windmills originated from a kung fu move which is used to get up from the floor. Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew incorporated this concept into his “dead man freeze” move then decided to make it continuous and by repeating this move, windmills were born.
- Over the years B-Boys have been influenced from Capoiera, an Afro-Brazilian martial art, and have integrated these moves into their routines.
- DJ Kool Herc coined the phrase “B-Boy” in 1969, when he performed at venues, such as the Hervalo in the Bronx, he would shout loudly “B-Boys go down!” and this was a cue for the dancers to go-off. Some suggest B-Boys stands for “Boogie Boy” while others insist it means “Break Boy” or “Bronx Boy”.
- · The “Uprock”, performed correctly, can look very much like a scene snatched from a old Kung-Fu movie. “Uprock” was probably the first form of Breaking.
- · “Locking” became part of the broad disco culture. (remember John Travolta’s “Saturday Night Fever”).
- · James Brown had hatched the “Goodfoot” dance-style which led to “Floating” which led, yes, to the “Moonwalk”.
If you like what you see please feel free to leave me a comment.
