Dance Cyphers are for showing up and showing out. They are for a shared connection in so many forms.
Cyphers are Whack when they present as "one dancer after another" all with their individual performances. This isn't a showcase, it's a cypher!
They are not a place for practicing. That time is long gone. We are hear to rock and dance with one another. Do not practice during the cypher. This is a place to freestyle.
And Don't stretch on the sidelines either... Cyphers originated from jams and party's. No one wants to see someone stretching at the club, your bringing the vibe down. Take it elsewhere.
Each dancer builds off of one another and shares their ideas in a live format. Dancer A ends with a movement and Dancer B picks it up. It's common place for dancers to commando each other if they see someone rocking the sidelines during their round.
Cyphers are a good place to expand your horizons in a way practice never can. Sharing ideas with one another via movement to inspire your own dance!
Cyphers are places where the REAL battles happen. The bracket is often randomized, but the Cypher is intentional.
They are a place for Callouts. When you have issue with a dancer, it is often times improper to stop events for your selfish reasons. It's lame to ruin social outings or damper the mood at the session. The cypher is THE SPOT for leaving it on the dance floor. No words are needed. Direct your energy and your dance and let it happen live in front of EVERYONE. Cyphering means sharing both positive and negative energy. This is a TRADITION.
It's a Call Out! No judges, no time limits, no rules. You know who wins via the energy in the circle. This is tradition, this is RESPECT. Even when the skill level is lopsided between the dancers, it is about standing up for something. Loosing can sometimes be inevitable, but stand your ground and earn your respect!
Before battles went to the stage, they happened in the circles. Never forget!
The most whack thing of all is the single large circle and dancers throwing out rounds on the sidelines. We here to connect with one another and to dance. It is natural for large events to have 3-5 active circles with the sizes changing as people come and go. Each circle with it's own unique flavor and presentation.
STOP DANCING on the sidelines. Groove and vibe to keep the energy up, but don't throw rounds. If you want it so bad then force your way into the circle or go make another one.
If you rock with a dancer then rock with them. If there are no cyphers at the jam then MAKE THEM.
Cyphers were originally spontaneous. Anytime there was music... rather it be at a jam, a battle, or in the wild... The cyphers were bound to emerge. We may create events specifically for the cypher nowadays, but never loose that initial feeling.
Keep the tradition alive.
What is HipHop Dance?
Let's talk about it.🧵
・HipHop use to be called "social dancing" It came out of block party's with the attendees moving with one another. This developed alongside breaking and was eventually influenced by MCs. (this is important, we will refer to this further below)
・The main elements of HipHop (dance) are all tied to the groove style. Without the groove, it is not considered hip hop. While there is a large list of "moves" associated with HipHop. Zero of them are foundationally required.
・This groove is the Bounce, Rock, and roll. ANY movement that incorporates these three can be considered HipHop. This makes the possibilities vast
・With the large amount of freedom this gives, it has caused misconceptions to form. Hip Hop is one of the easier styles to blend with others. It is also one of the easier groove styles to learn at a basic level. This ease of use and freedom has caused dancers to loose the original "feel"... even when adhering to the basic rules of hip hop. The closer you are to the source, the easier it to feel, even for those who can't articulate it. To use a famous American phrase, "I know it when i see it"
・As the years go on and Dancers push the artform, how much groove is required to still be considered HipHop adapts. In places like America, the birthplace of hip hop, We require it fully. In places like Europe, it is a much different story. Those finding the most success are doing more popping then hip hop. Large competitions are booking dj's who playing popping beats for half the rounds. Summer Hip Hop forever, one of the largest hip hop events in the world, was a victim of this. (we will talk about this more in-depth at a later date)
●That was a lot... but it seems pretty simple right?
As long as I have a Rock, Roll, or Bounce, I'm doing HipHop! While this is mechanically true, as stated before, The "feel" is important!
・What gives off this feel? Non American hip hop dancers tend to struggle with this more then Americans. Is it just a coincidence? I have seen plenty of dancers without the "feel" take rounds off others that do have the "feel" at all styles events. So this isn't to say dancers without it are objectively worse. That's not true at all~! However, it's different when it comes to a HipHop only events and what makes it HipHop dance.
●The secret to the "feel" is the Culture
・The four elements of HipHop Culture are
The MC, DJ, Breaking, and Graffiti.
・There is HipHop (dance) and then HipHop Culture.
・In America, Breakers and HipHop Dancers will rock with each other at events. While the differences do increase with every year that passes, the roots will forever stay.
・If you were to search up the old school moves, you will find them all tied to songs. MCs use to incorporate movement into the lyrics. The MC would say "now everybody do the Biz Markie" and the crowd would do as such. This created a shared feeling cross the entire crowd.
・ This is a large component to the enjoyment of HipHop. In it's base form EVERYONE can do HipHop. It was simple on purpose.
・In breaking, a lot of the common poses we use comes from Graffiti artists first. They were the inspiration behind our initial shapes. It was all about giving off a style that everyone rocked with. This naturally extended to hip hop. This is where the "swagger" came from *Don't laugh at me for making that as white as possible*
●All these shared experiences, from the parties, to the dance, struggles, good times, music, the art, it all lent to what HipHop is. Our HipHop (dance) is a natural extension of that. This is what lends to the "feel"
For Americans, we are naturally close to the source. Even if a dancer can't verbally share these ideas, they can still feel them. It is in the core movement passed down from what we can see looking at the older generation. This is why other countries can sometimes lack that "feel" it's because they lack the original culture.
Now with all that being said... I don't think this inherently makes anyone better or worse. Information is king however! An informed opinion is a good one, regardless of end result.
What should we chat about next? Feel free to ask questions in the comments or drop ideas. Let's talk about!