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The acrobatic dance style known as “Breaking” started almost a half century ago with the hip-hop culture on the streets of the Bronx. Among its most enduring features is the influence of powwow fancy dance steps. Breaking’s debut at the Paris Olympics propelled awareness of the current skill and athleticism that goes into it. We’ll talk with noted Native b-boys and b-girls about the origins and future of breaking.
GUESTS
Lunacee (Cree, Frog Lake First Nation), BGirl
Ken Fury (Indigenous Genizaro descendent), artist
Artson (Tarahumara descent), rapper and B-Boy
Break 1 Music: Focused [Feat. MC Redcloud] (song) Artson (artist) Brave Star (album)
Break 2 Music: Ancestors (song) Mike Bern (artist) Ancestors (album)
Thank you for this generous conversation. As I listened to each of the artists, I imagined the similar posture a pow wow dancer has while doing footwork and focusing on the ground, and how a hip hop dancer’s stance leans forward preparing to go down onto the floor before a spin or balance. Both dance forms seem intrinsically and energetically in alignment with multiple forces of nature.