terminology

So most of you have been coming to The Workshop for awhile now, and all of you are coming along very well so far. Some come to learn something new, some come to learn specific moves and there are those that come that want to truly be part of the b-boy culture. For those that want to be part of this wonderful culture and artform known as b-boying I thought I'd throw out some terminology out there.

B-BOY: (also B-GIRL) Those devoted to the culture and artfrom of b-boying or more commonly known as breakdancing. There is also a very distinct difference in the term b-boying as opposed to breakdancing. Breakdancing was a label given to the dance by the media in the early 80's when "breakdancing" was at it's supposed peak. B-boying goes as far back as the mid 70's. The term b-boy itself describes dancers who would dance and take it to the floor during the instrumental parts of music known as the "breaks". The term had originally come to existence by DJ Kool Herc although some people may claim that b-boy means beat-boy or bronx-boy since it was a dance that had originated in the Bronx. Some people can get lightly offended by being called breakdancers or having their dance called breakdancing. This is a lifestyle and true artform wheras breakdancing is just a dance. B-boying is one of the four elements of hip hop, the other three are Graffiti, D.J.'ing, and Rapping.

TOPROCK: The first element in the foundation of b-boying. Refers to the upright dancing, shuffling of feet etc. when entering a circle. Also may be refered to as an Uprock.

DOWNROCK: Refers to the actual dancing on the floor. This is the second element in the foundation of b-boying. Downrocks consist of going in circles on your hands and feet while shuffling back and forth. Also refered to as floorwork or shuffles. The basic move for downrocks is the six-step.

FREEZES: The act of posing after a set. Can be done using hands, head, elbows etc. Usually done as a punctuation to a set. This is the third element in the foundation of b-boying. Also referred to as Poses.

POWER- The fourth element in the b-boying foundation. When people think of breakdancing it's these moves that come to mind first. Power consists of spinning motions using the hands, head, elbows, back, and shoulders. Some common power moves are windmills, flares, and headspins.

CYPHER: The battle or circle, where a crowd congregates. May also be called a session either in b-boying or rapping.

SET: Choreographed or freestyle moves done in a sequence a set starts the moment you enter the circle and ends when you get out. Usually consists of a toprock, floowork, and a freeze.

CREW: Any number of b-boys/b-girls representing a specific group. Some of the best members may also branch out with other crew's best members to form a "super" crew, this usually occurs for large events especially international battles.

BATTLE: A showdown of two or more crews to see which has the better style. Battles can or are judged on cleanliness, technicality of moves/sets, choreography, difficulty and sometimes even crowd reaction.

These are just some of the basic terms I know there are plenty more. Maybe soon I'll put together a list of moves. I honestly didn't think this article would've been so long and detailed and I'm sure I may have left out a few things inadvertently so I aplogize if I did. I hope you all got something out of this and I hope you all now have a better understanding of these terms. If you want in on this awesome culture the best way is to dive headfirst, live it, love it, do it. peace