The Influence of Capoeira on Hip Hop Dance Forms - Research Paper Example

The Influence of Capoeira on Hip Hop Dance Forms Hip Hop and its many diverse sub-cultural variants, has infused into the cultural landscape of the United States spreading globally and influencing music, dance, and art. Having begun in the culturally diverse neighborhood of the Bronx, in New York, a variety of influences have affected the development of dance movement that is defined as Hip Hop. One of the influential cultures of movement that has contributed to the development of the style can be found from Brazil where African slaves developed a form of movement that incorporates martial arts, dance and music into a unique choreography set. This Afro-Brazilian form is called capoeira, a game of movement in which the intent is to mimic fighting moves to outdo an opponent. Capoeira is uniquely suited for the origins of Hip Hop and aspects of it can be found throughout the culture. According to Emmett George Price, hip hop evolved in the 1970’s as a reactionary cultural movement based on concepts that evolved from the civil rights movements of the 1960’s (1). Price says that the movement is considered to have begun in the Bronx in New York where the neighborhood had developed into a impoverished, gang based culture that thrived through violence and criminal behavior (9). The gangs provided a sort of “family’ for the displaced youths that suffered from inadequacies of all types from low quality nutrition, poor educational opportunities, and a bleak future outlook. Under the leadership of Afrika Bombaataa who rose to Client Last Name 2 lead a gang named the Black Spades, an alternative to violent conflict between the gangs arose to fill the needs of the adversarial youths. Hip hop developed from a need to find respect and honor without entering into a battlefield of bloodshed. Hip hop culture developed through a need to find a way to save a culture from its own violent destruction. As ‘crews’ developed rap and movements intended to outdo rival groups, the appeal began to spread and become commercialized. Where the origins of the music developed for private purposes, the commercial potential began to find its way into the music industry. With the release of Sugar Hill’s Gang’s work titled “Rapper’s Delight”, the revolution of the music industry began. As the music industry developed, so did the dance associated with the music and the culture worked its way into mainstream American entertainment (Fitzgerald 42). Hip hop is urban and global, a representation from the poor inner city youth that has expanded into a multi-million dollar financial benefit for those who successfully find popularity within the culture. The dance associated with the culture is based on movements that are derived from a variety of sources. African, Latin, and Caribbean influences combine to create a physically active and complex form of expression. One of the profound differences that one can observe in the development of the dance style is in the positioning of the torso. In dance that emerged from Europe, one can observe that “the torso tends toward quietude and verticality, and the pelvis rarely functions as an expressive bodily unit of its own” (Desmond 38). However, in the dance forms that were developed from the influences of Africa and its subcultures that have formed in the America’s, the torso and pelvis are used as expressive elements, where “pelvic articulation features prominently along with polyrhythmic relationships between stepping patterns in the feet Client Last Name 3 and concurrent arm gestures”(Desmond 38). Hip Hop dance is the embrace of the entire body as a tool for expression. One of the more powerful influences on modern Hip Hop is the game from Brazil, developed by African slave communities, called capoeira. According to Nestor Capoeira, theorist on the game, “Capoeira is a “school for life.” It’s a microcosmos, an imitation of the jungle that we call “life” (Capoeira 16). The intent of the game is to imitate the intercourse between fighters as they vie for control. The game was outlawed as subversive within the country of Brazil because of its associations with rebellion. As the evolution of Hip Hop had the intent to suppress the rampant bloodshed, the evolution of capoeira was intended to mimic a desire for revolution disguised within dance and movement (Taylor 48). While according to Gerard Taylor it is not completely accurate to say that capoeira was the influence that began the “breakdance” form of hip hop dancing in the 1970’s, the comparisons allow for generous application of the Afro-Brazilian game of fight and dance to Hip Hop dance. Breakdancing found its martial arts influences among the films that were popularized by Bruce Lee with kung fu and karate for their root movement sources. Two of the most important moves of the breakdance form of Hip Hop, the “headspin” and the “windmill” were developed based on films with martial arts themes that were being released in the early 1970’s (170). However, as the dance became more mainstream and has been embraced by choreographers and commercialized by those who study movement and rhythm, the natural application of capoeira moves emerged. One of the more predominant features of capoeira movement is the use of the feet over the use of the hands. According to Robert Hill, the West African belief is that the hands are to be Client Last Name 4 used for creation and the feet for destruction (124). The development of capoeira has focused on the use of kick and lower body movement. This same kind of emphasis on the lower body can be seen in the movements within hip hop that utilize the feet and hips to express emotion and intent. As the movements within capoeira are based on theories of combat movements, the use of capoeira injects a very aggressive athletic quality to choreography. The beginning movement in capoeira is the ginga, a movement that has the player or dancer rocking back and forth, preparing for the battle of the dance. One foot steps back, then is replaced to its original position, then the other steps back, all the while the dancer is calculating where to move, how to attack and defend (Taylor 56). Soon, sweeping kicks and artful handstands are being indulged by both dancers in order to show off greater prowess. As the dancers move forward and back, in and out of each other’s space, the “battle” becomes one of skill, wit, and athletic strength. However, the connection between capoeira and hip hop runs deeper than the mere association with combat and the influences of movement that has emerged. Both styles were developed through a need to express frustration at a set of circumstances. As the gang members in the Bronx vied for superiority and control of territory, the slaves in Brazil had sought to rebel against their captivity, to make a statement without a war on their oppression. It is the spirit of oppression that fueled the combative dance styles, allowing for the conflicts of culture to overwhelm the artistic expressions that would evolve. The dance style itself is characterized by separations of the body parts into individual elements of emphasis; a pop of the head, a lock of the arm, or a stomp of the foot all express the rebellion against life. According to Capoeira, “capoeira is exactly the thing that fools the ego. You think the guy is going to kick you in the head, but he sweeps your feet from under you; you think he is Client Last Name 5 going to face you, but he runs away” (30). It is the aspect of the unexpected that defines high quality hip hop choreography, and the interjection of capoeira theory allows for an extension of this aspect. The way to win a battle of any kind is to strategize with a greater degree of the unexpected. Therefore, it is the unexpected that capoeira enhances in hip hop. The way in which movement expresses frustration and oppression is then broken free by the unexpected elements that create a superiority of one dancer over another. While commercialization of the form has diminished the need for witty and creative improvisation, a dance that can be defined as hip hop must still reveal the energy, intensity and aggressive nature of the origins of the culture. As the need for battles that are based upon dance has diminished, what remains is a need for a continuing social commentary that is provided by the artistry of the dance. When capoeira was outlawed by the Brazilian government, it was recognized as a form of rebellion that expressed what the players and dancers were feeling. While it is considered a game, or a dance, the subversive message was made so undeniably clear that the government viewed it as a threat. As well, the message that was developed through the use of dance for battle between the varying gangs in New York spoke to a need for awareness of the strife suffered in those areas. As hip hop has become mainstream and generally accepted across racial and ethnic lines, the true definitive quality that exists is to youth and rebellion. The clear voice that cries out from within the dance, from within the music, and from within the art is that as the young approach adulthood, they will assert themselves so that they stand and be counted. At the core of hip hop, it has always been the culture of youth rebellion and frustration that drives the movement. As the young attempt to stand and be counted, the combative nature of the dance allows for an expression of the reach for superiority over the others. Client Last Name 6 Works Cited Capoeira, Nestor. Capoeira: Roots of the Dance-Fight-Game. Berkeley, Calif: North Atlantic Books, 2002. Desmond, Jane C. Meaning in Motion: New Cultural Studies of Dance. Post-contemporary interventions. Durham: Duke Univ. Press, 1999. Elam, Harry Justin. Black Cultural Traffic: Crossroads in Global Performance and Popular Culture. Ann Arbor: Univ. of Michigan Press, 2005. Fitzgerald, Tamsin. Hip-Hop and Urban Dance. Chicago, Ill: Heineman Library, 2009. George, Nelson. Hip Hop America. New York: Penguin, 2005. Hill, Robert. World of Martial Arts. Manchester, Kentucky: Lulu Publishing, 2008. Price, Emmett George. Hip Hop Culture. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, 2006. Taylor, Gerard. Capoeira: The Jogo De Angola from Luanda to Cyberspace. Berkeley, Calif: North Atlantic Books, 2005. Read More