International Folk Dance

International folk dance is a genre of dance that developed in the immigrant communities of the United States of America during the first half of the 20th century, wherein selected dances from various ethnic groups are done by the same dancers, typically as part of the same event.

It is done for various purposes, typically either for preservation, recreation, or performance. Groups that dance for different purposes tend to do dances differently, and to select different dances. Recreational dancers prefer simple dances, and alter the dances according to their own tastes. Performers typically prefer dramatic or athletic dances, and they often dance with stylized techniques and exaggerated movements.

The creation of international folk dance as such is often attributed to Vytautas Beliajus, a Lithuanian-American who studied, taught, and performed dances from various ethnic traditions in the 1930s. Other prominent teachers and promoters of international folk dance in its first few decades included Michael and Mary Ann Herman, Jane Farwell, and Dick Crum.

Breakdancing

Breakdancing is probably connected to Urban Street Jazz or more likely capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian dance/martial art. Breakdancing as we know it today developed in New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s, although many say that breakdancing was also developing in Los Angeles at the same time.

The pioneers of breakdancing were young and of a lower socio-economic class. The majority of these were male, and most were Black or Hispanic, and lived in dense urban areas (mostly New York). Many of them were members of street gangs who taught themselves martial arts (particularly capoeira) for self-defense. The style was so full of dance-like moves that it was used at to the nightclub, where breakdancers would battle. Breakdancing, both in the nightclub and on the street is competitive in nature, much like the other elements of hip-hop, as well as capoeira.

One story that is common is that Jelon Viera, a widely known master of capoeira, was doing shows in New York City. He then formed the Rock Steady Crew, teaching them movements from capoeira which they then integrated into a form of dance which was to become breakdancing. Whether or not this is true, there is a very strong similarity between many breakdancing moves and many capoeira movements. Capoeira also has the tradition of a pair of opponents trying to show their mastery inside a circle of onlookers who sing and play music.

Breakdancing battles were very common. A breakdancing battle is when dancers 'fight' against each other on the dance floor without contact. They form a circle and take turns trying to show each other up through either better style, more complex move combinations, or tougher moves. Usually, breakdancing battles would take place between two opposing breakdancing crews.

Today serious battles are usually held at organized breakdance events. The battles are usually part of a tournament style competition with cash prizes. The largest competition each year is probably Battle of the Year (BOTY), held in Germany since 1990, and featuring crews from around the world. Despite its name, BOTY focuses on choreographed routines. After judges rate the routines, the final winner, and de facto world champion crew, is decided in a final battle (along with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places). Recent winners have been from France, Korea, Germany, and Hungary. While crews from the USA have won in the past, the claim is that they are not often winners of BOTY, because competitions in the USA are almost exclusively battles, rather than dance routine competitions as are common in the rest of the world.

In the 1980s, with the help of pop culture, breakdancing made its way to the suburbs. Musicians such as Michael Jackson popularized much of the breakdancing style in their music videos. Movies such as Flashdance, Wild Style, Beat Street, Breakin' and Breakin 2: The Electric Boogaloo also contributed to the interst in breakdancing.

Many old school breakdancers prefer to be named b-boys. "B-boy" was the original term for urban style dancers, while "breakdancer" is better known as it has been used more often by the media. Today, the term 'B-Girl' is used as well.