Breakdance

Breakdancing is a form of acrobatic dance that is part of hip hop culture.

It is probably connected to Urban Street Jazz or capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian dance/ martial art. In its early form, breakdancing was divided into three distinct forms of dancing, breaking and popping. Today, each body movement has been classified into a distinct style or genre of breaking and is similar in principle to others but characteristically different.

Other styles of dance associated with (but are NOT the same as breakdancing, though may be minorly incorporated,) include Popping, Locking, Tutting, Boogaloo, Uprock, and Liquid.

Some of the most admired break dancers of today may be found in such crews as Rock Steady Crew (RSC), Style Elements, Ichigeki, Team OHH, Fireworks, Ozone and Turbo, Havikoro, and Airforce Crew, etc. Legendary breakdancing names include Crazylegs, among others.

Prototypically the breakdancer is young and of a lower socioeconomic class. The majority of these are male, and most are Black or Hispanic, although there are breakdancers of all races.

Many oldschool breakdancers prefer to be referred to as b-boys. "B-boying" was the original term for urban style dancers, while "breakdancer" is better known as it has been used more commonly by the media.

A few basic breakdance moves are the 6-step and toprock. To give an example of what a breakdance move looks like, the basic 6-step resembles walking in a circle on the ground. Toprock is the dance you do while standing, and uprocking is doing that dance with someone else, sort of like a fight but no contact and very rhythmatic. Uprocking is often confused with toprock, but the two are completely different dances. Breakdancers "tech" the moves that are most common among breakers, allowing a huge number of variations.