HIP HOP HEADUCATION - Vol. 1 Breakin THE FOUR ELEMENTS DJ ING - MC ING - BREAKIN - GRAFFITI Introduction This Hip Hop Headucation workbook is designed to be a reference manual for the Arts in Education initiative started by Joseph Adams, also known as Mr. Joe. The primary focus of this workbook will be on the art of Bgirling or Bboying. The intended audience is youth in grades 3-5. You are encouraged to do your own research in order to learn more about Hip Hop culture. You are encouraged to make art, to value education, and to discipline yourself so that you may achieve many successes. Do your best, and add value to our culture!
What Is Hip Hop? Hip Hop is a global culture that began to form in the black and latino neighborhoods in New York City. Much of the culture s beginnings are the subjects of debate, but by the mid-seventies, this culture and its art forms were well established. There are four elements that are considered to be the foundation of Hip Hop. These elements are DJing, MCing, Graffiti Art, and Bgirling or Bboying. There are other elements such as Beatboxing, Knowledge, and Fashion. For now, we will stick to the four primary elements. You can t have Hip Hop without the DJ! DJ Kool Herc is considered by many to be the Godfather of Hip Hop. In the beginning, the DJ would play two records on two turntables. DJ Kool Herc would extend the break in a song - meaning that he played the same song on two turntables and would switch the sound from one turntable to the other. This kept the most danceable part of a song playing longer. The MC, or Master of Ceremony, would help the DJ by speaking to the audience and engaging them. A call and response was an early method of the MC to get an audience involved. The MC might say, I say Hip, and you say Hop! The MC calls the word Hip, and the audience responds with the word Hop. MC s began to Rap to the music provided by the DJ. Rap is the art of speaking with rhythm and rhyme to a tune or a beat. This element is known as Emceeing. Graffiti Art is also known as Street Art. Graffiti is the art of writing, painting, or drawing letters or characters on various surfaces. Graffiti Art gained popularity with artists using spray paint, and was mostly done on public surfaces such as trains, subway cars, or walls. Graffiti remains the most controversial of the Four Elements of Hip Hop because it was often done illegally. However, Grafitti can also be found in museums, and is today a very popular art form. There are many styles of Graffiti Art. Some of the more popular styles of graffiti include bubble letters, block letters, wildstyle, and stencils. Like the other elements, an artist s style is only limited by what they can imagine, and the skills that they possess. 2
Bgirling or Bboying is also called Breakin. The common name for this element is Breakdancing. It is important to know that Bgirling or Bboying is the original name of this dance. We call it Breakin so that it doesn t matter if you are a boy or a girl. When the DJ began to extend the break in a record (the most danceable part of a song), it started a new type of dance that was very energetic! A Bgirl or Bboy is also known as a Break Girl or Break Boy. Bgirls and Bboys do their best to create new movement, and not just copy what other people do. Some people say that the B stands for being your best. In this reference manual, we will go into greater detail about Breakin. You will learn the basics of the dance including: Top Rock, Drops, Footwork, and Freezes. Practice the basics, and create a style of your own! Reading Comprehension Fill in the blank: 1) Hip Hop is that began to form in the black and latino neighborhoods in New York City. 2) DJ Kool Herc is considered by many to be the. 3) The MC, or, would help the DJ by speaking to the audience and engaging them. 4) remains the most controversial of the Four Elements of Hip Hop. 3
5) is the most common name for Breakin. FURTHER STUDY FOR EXTRA CREDIT * Please research further, and answer the following questions: Dj ing, MC ing, Graffiti, and Breakin are the four elements of Hip Hop. What other elements are there in the global culture of Hip Hop? Who is successful or famous in Hip Hop Culture? What skills and types of education were required for them to be successful? Do they need Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts? Why, or why not? 4
THE FOUR ELEMENTS of BREAKIN Top Rock - Drop - Footwork - Freeze REMEMBER : These elements offer four ways to be creative! Add your own style! Basic definitions of these four elements are as follows: Top Rock : Dancing standing up (classic top rock styles have more particular requirements) Drop : transition to dancing on the ground Footwork : Dancing on the ground (often holding yourself up using your hands and feet - typically executing patterns) Freeze : A pose, or a way to demonstrate control Top Rock For basic Top Rock, it is important to start with whatever rhythmic pattern is easy for you to do - so that you can dance on beat. Let s start with a side to side 2-Step! 5
Now, let s do a two step that goes forward. SLOW DOWN BREATHE AND RELAX... Your mind is much faster than your body. Take your time to be sure that you are doing the steps correctly. If possible, watch yourself in a mirror, or make a video and review it later. Breathing will keep you focused, and relaxing your body helps style. 6
MATCHING TERMS AND DEFINITIONS Write the appropriate number in the blank space by the word or phrase that is being described. 1) Inhale and Exhale 2) A simple Top Rock pattern - 1, 2 3) How to transition to footwork 4) Standing confidently while crossing arms 5) To the beat! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 REPEAT! 6) A square has them, and you can use them to create new patterns in Top Rock (and footwork as you will see later) 7) Simply, dancing standing up 8) A tip for how to stand in Top Rock (your heels don t touch the ground) 9) Something that repeats 10) Dancing on the ground 11) I add this because I know the basic pattern. Gotta Be ME! 12) A pose, or a way to demonstrate control. Pattern Personal Style Bgirl/Bboy Stance Top Rock Footwork Eight Count Four Corners Be on the Balls of the Feet Two Step Drop Freeze Breathe 7
Drop There are unlimited ways that you can transition to the ground. Perhaps, what is most important is knowing what you are transitioning into. The easiest way to drop is to simply squat down. EASY! Now drop down into FIRST POSITION! Stay balanced when you drop, and either drop into Footwork or a freeze. 8
Footwork We will take a look at a few different footwork positions and patterns. It takes practice, and sets of repetitions, to master these skills. Keep trying, and ask for help when you need it. Remember that Breakin is all about style, and that you are expressing yourself through your own ability. It is most important to only do what you can control. You will gain more skill over time, and hopefully create new movement and patterns. *MAJOR TIP : Your mistakes, or missteps, are your natural body movements. Do two things. Discipline yourself to get the steps correct, but also fix and repeat the mistakes you make. Fixing and repeating your mistakes means that you just altered the pattern and made up your own! Now, let s begin with an easy way to start dancing down on the ground. Have you learned how to do a Kick-Out? Kick your feet out, and bring them back as quickly as you can say the word Kick-Out! Also, to Shuffle, create simple patterns in which you just switch feet, or go back-and-forth (front to back, or side to side - using opposites). Shuffles can be done from any of the three positions, and Kick-Outs are usually done from First Position.. 9
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Rhyme and Remember the six-step pattern. In front, straight back, to the side. In front, behind, unwind! Try it standing up (without hands)! 11
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Freeze It s all about control and style. When you do a freeze, think of it like someone is going take your picture. You want to aim the freeze in their direction, give them the best freeze you can, and time it so that you execute the freeze on beat! 13
1. Sit on the floor with your right knee bent, and your right foot either under your body or out to the side. Cross your left foot over your right knee. 2. Twist your upper body and place one elbow in your hip, and the other elbow in your knee. Square up and create right angles with your arms and hands (these are called stabs - stab your elbows into your body). 3. Rock over just enough to put your hands on the ground. Allow your weight to rest on your elbows. Your head should still be raised off of the ground. 4. Extend your head out, so that you gently tip over. Your head and hands create a triangle that balances your weight. 5. Extend your feet apart, and push through your heels. Try different leg positions! 14
CIPHER Now that you have skills, put yourself to the test! In a cipher, we circle up and take turns (one at a time) displaying the moves that we can control. Dance on beat, and express yourself! Be sure to watch as others dance, and cheer them on when you see something you like. Keep the energy up in the cipher! Use a soul clap to energize and involve everyone in the circle. Have lots of fun, but always remember to stay in control of yourself. A Message From Mr. Joe First of all, I would like to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for taking the time to learn about Hip Hop culture, and for doing your best to learn the basics of Breakin. I am excited to share what I have learned with you, because this art form has taught me a lot about being my best self. Also, we are in the era of Hip Hop. That is very exciting, because we get to determine how Hip Hop goes down in history! I hope that you have enjoyed this workbook. As you gain skill, try using this workbook as a manual that helps you to teach others. Teaching is one of the best ways to learn, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to teach you. I want you to know that it doesn t matter to me who the best dancer is, or how many people will love Hip Hop as much as I do. What matters to me is that you do your best, that you are kind to others, and that you develop a skill set for how to learn. Start with the basics. Eat well, get a good night s sleep, drink plenty of water, exercise, breathe, and stretch. If you lose focus, or if you are feeling any way other than how you want to feel, just pause for a moment and take a deep breath. When you are calm, you are best equipped to make good decisions. There are many opportunities to learn everyday. Hip Hop and Breakin are awesome in my opinion, but there is nothing more awesome than getting an education! 15
Now For FUN and Further Learning 1) Go back through the workbook and circle any words that are new to you, or that you don t understand. 2) Look those words up in the Dictionary. 3) Go back through the workbook and underline anything that you found helpful 4) Look closely at any pictures or drawings in this workbook. Draw, or color in, the shapes that are being made. 5) Make your own workbook about a different art form or subject. Start with just one page that describes something you really care about. 6) Create your own patterns! Draw in hands and/or feet in the squares! Use a pencil in case you need to make some changes. 16
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This isn t easy, so here is a list of the words being described: momentum, traction, gravity, force, balance, energy, flexibility, repetition, speed, stretch, rotate, center, c orner, experiment, line, opposite, right, similar, square, triangle 18
Across 2. how fast or slow you go 3. a repeated action, do sets to practice footwork 4. a form of exercise that maintains flexibility, do it after warm up and cool down 5. speed in a direction 9. a polygon shape with three sides, helps balance in freezes 10. a push or pull on a body or object, in Star Wars they "use the 12. friction of a body on some surface (rhymes with action) 13. a test that is used to find something out - in breakin, you are free to do this 14. the place where two or more edges meet - squares have four 16. equal distribution of weight, ability to maintain equilibrium - to not fall over 18. heaviness or weight, the law that makes things heavy Down 1. something that is totally different, or the reverse of, something else 4. the same, but different - when things are somewhat alike 6. two pairs of parallel sides, with four equal sides, and four right angles - a shape 7. an angle that forms a square corner (when you get the answer, you will be the opposite of wrong) 8. a point in the middle of a circle that is the same distance from anywhere on the circle 10. the ability of your joints to move through a full range of motion, how much you can bend 11. move in a circle around an axis or center, spin 15. the ability to do work; eat sleep, and stay hydrated to have more of this 17. a straight path; in the two step, step in a straight 19
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21 Patterns Repeat! Can you color this in to create a pattern?
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