Grinding (dance)
Encyclopedia
Perreo is a Puerto Rican
dance associated with reggaeton
music, that focuses on grinding
, with the man facing the back of the woman. The word 'perreo', meaning dancing doggystyle
, derives from the Spanish word perro, meaning "dog
". This is also known as "booty dancing"
or "grinding"
in the United States of America. There was also an associated Puerto Rican music genre called perreo, which was the precursor to reggaeton. In Puerto Rico, youth perreo parties are a common part of regular nightlife.
s. They can be seen in music videos and night clubs.
Perreo was also the first type of back-to-front dancing seen in Cuba
. It is also common in the caribbean and is the primary form of dancing at clubs and parties.
It is a rare form of dance in which the woman takes the lead. The idea of being in charge of the sensual experience of both parties was appealing to some women. Drawing on research conducted in Cuba by ethnomusicologist Vincenzo Perna (see his book "Timba, the sound of the Cuban crisis", Ashgate 2005), author Jan Fairley suggested that this style of dance, along with other timba moves such as despelote, tembleque, and subasta de la cintura, in which the woman is both in control and the main focus of the dance, can be traced to the economic status of Cuba in the 1990s and to the choreographic forms of popular music dancing of that period, particularly in relation to Afro-Cuban timba. As the US Dollar (which functioned as a dual currency alongside the Cuban Peso until 2001) became more valuable, women changed their style of dance to be more visually appealing to men; in particular, to yumas ("foreigners"), who had dollars. This tension between use of the female body as both an objectified commodity and an active, self-created persuasive tool is one of the many paradoxes reggaeton dancing creates in Cuba.
According to an article about reggaeton in Cuba, some youngsters see this risqué dance as a way to grow and learn about sex. According to the article, the main reason why perreo is so popular among people aged 12 to 22 years, is that it radiates something "forbidden" and "wicked". Some people claim this may be harmful for childhood.
, was an attempt to call out and control what was seen as deviant and transgressive sexual behavior. It speaks to the importance of themes of sexual politics both in the production of and reaction to reggaeton music, especially since the music and the accompanying dance styles are strongly tied to American hip hop
and Jamaica
n dancehall
reggae.
Perreo has also been much criticized in Cuba. Part of the criticism may be due to its association with reggaeton, which, while very popular in Cuba, has also been heavily criticized. Perreo has been seen as a departure from classical from front-to-front dancing (salsa
etc.) to back-to-front dancing. Some Cuban dancers argue that this puts women in control
. Others have argued that it is un-Cuban, and the Cuban government seems to agree.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
dance associated with reggaeton
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...
music, that focuses on grinding
Grinding (dance)
Perreo is a Puerto Rican dance associated with reggaeton music, that focuses on grinding, with the man facing the back of the woman. The word 'perreo', meaning dancing doggystyle, derives from the Spanish word perro, meaning "dog". This is also known as "booty dancing" or "grinding" in the United...
, with the man facing the back of the woman. The word 'perreo', meaning dancing doggystyle
Doggystyle
Doggystyle is the debut album from American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic , to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. His musical stylizations for the album...
, derives from the Spanish word perro, meaning "dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
". This is also known as "booty dancing"
Grinding (dance)
Perreo is a Puerto Rican dance associated with reggaeton music, that focuses on grinding, with the man facing the back of the woman. The word 'perreo', meaning dancing doggystyle, derives from the Spanish word perro, meaning "dog". This is also known as "booty dancing" or "grinding" in the United...
or "grinding"
Grinding (dance)
Perreo is a Puerto Rican dance associated with reggaeton music, that focuses on grinding, with the man facing the back of the woman. The word 'perreo', meaning dancing doggystyle, derives from the Spanish word perro, meaning "dog". This is also known as "booty dancing" or "grinding" in the United...
in the United States of America. There was also an associated Puerto Rican music genre called perreo, which was the precursor to reggaeton. In Puerto Rico, youth perreo parties are a common part of regular nightlife.
Origins
Perro is a front-to-back dance, that is, the man faces the back of the woman. The moves focus on grinding and pelvic thrustPelvic thrust
The pelvic thrust is the thrusting motion of the pelvic region, which is occasionally used in sexual intercourse.-Dance:Pelvic thrusts can also be used as a dance move, often as part of bump and grind. It is explicitly referred to in the song "Time Warp" from the 1970s The Rocky Horror Picture Show...
s. They can be seen in music videos and night clubs.
Perreo was also the first type of back-to-front dancing seen in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. It is also common in the caribbean and is the primary form of dancing at clubs and parties.
It is a rare form of dance in which the woman takes the lead. The idea of being in charge of the sensual experience of both parties was appealing to some women. Drawing on research conducted in Cuba by ethnomusicologist Vincenzo Perna (see his book "Timba, the sound of the Cuban crisis", Ashgate 2005), author Jan Fairley suggested that this style of dance, along with other timba moves such as despelote, tembleque, and subasta de la cintura, in which the woman is both in control and the main focus of the dance, can be traced to the economic status of Cuba in the 1990s and to the choreographic forms of popular music dancing of that period, particularly in relation to Afro-Cuban timba. As the US Dollar (which functioned as a dual currency alongside the Cuban Peso until 2001) became more valuable, women changed their style of dance to be more visually appealing to men; in particular, to yumas ("foreigners"), who had dollars. This tension between use of the female body as both an objectified commodity and an active, self-created persuasive tool is one of the many paradoxes reggaeton dancing creates in Cuba.
According to an article about reggaeton in Cuba, some youngsters see this risqué dance as a way to grow and learn about sex. According to the article, the main reason why perreo is so popular among people aged 12 to 22 years, is that it radiates something "forbidden" and "wicked". Some people claim this may be harmful for childhood.
Controversy
Perreo was the subject of a national controversy in Puerto Rico as reggaeton music and the predominantly lower class culture it derived from became more popular and widely available. Velda Gonzalez, a well known senator and public figure in Puerto Rico, led a campaign against reggaeton and specifically attacked the perreo style of dancing, which she marked as overtly erotic, sexually explicit, and degrading to women. She attempted to regulate reggaeton lyrics and videos, which she also implied could lead to criminal acts. Implicit in her campaign, which she outwardly described as related to women's rightsWomen's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
, was an attempt to call out and control what was seen as deviant and transgressive sexual behavior. It speaks to the importance of themes of sexual politics both in the production of and reaction to reggaeton music, especially since the music and the accompanying dance styles are strongly tied to American hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
reggae.
Perreo has also been much criticized in Cuba. Part of the criticism may be due to its association with reggaeton, which, while very popular in Cuba, has also been heavily criticized. Perreo has been seen as a departure from classical from front-to-front dancing (salsa
Salsa (dance)
Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...
etc.) to back-to-front dancing. Some Cuban dancers argue that this puts women in control
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
. Others have argued that it is un-Cuban, and the Cuban government seems to agree.