House dance
Encyclopedia
House dance is a social dance
primarily danced to house music
that has roots in the clubs of Chicago
and of New York
. The main elements of House dance include Footwork, Jacking, and Lofting. House dance is often improvisational in nature and emphasizes on fast and complex foot oriented steps combined with fluid movements in the torso, as well as floor work.
"House Dance is an amalgamation of the post-disco era. A lot of their movements and what took place in certain key places, the Loft and a number of clubs after that. It was a community based dance so vocal points were surrounded by music and dj's, but many of the dancers who were not looking to create, ended up becoming a part of that dance vocabulary."
One of the primary elements in house dancing is a technique called jacking that came from Chicago and involves moving the torso forward and backward in a rippling motion, as if a wave were passing through it. This movement is repeated and sped up to match the beat of a song. This technique is the most important movement in house dancing because it is the foundation that initiates more complex movements and footwork.
Other than footwork, jacking, and lofting, house dance has grown to include variations of dance steps related to other dance styles such as vogue
, waacking, and hustle.
In house dancing there is an emphasis on the subtle rhythms and riff
s of the music, and the footwork follows them closely. This is one of the main features that distinguishes house dancing from dancing that was done to disco before house emerged and current dancing that is done to electronic dance music
as part of the rave culture.
Major contributors to the house dance scene in the USA include Ejoe Wilson, Brian "Footwork" Green, Tony McGregor, Marjory Smarth, Caleaf Sellers, "Brooklyn" Terry Wright, Shannon Mabra, Tony "Sekou" Williams, Shannon Selby (aka Shan S), and Byron Cox.
Many others before them danced at places such as The Warehouse
in Chicago
, Paradise Garage, Red Zone and The Loft
in NYC.
Many international urban festivals or competitions feature house dance as a major and essential part of the event like e.g. House Dance International
, an annual event based in New York City
, Juste Debout
, an international urban dance competition and festival in Paris
, France
, which was first held in 2002 and SDK Europe, based in Jedovnice
in Czech Republic
.
Competitions and festivals:
Social dance
Social dance is a major category or classification of danceforms or dance styles, where sociability and socializing are the primary focuses of the dancing...
primarily danced to house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
that has roots in the clubs of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The main elements of House dance include Footwork, Jacking, and Lofting. House dance is often improvisational in nature and emphasizes on fast and complex foot oriented steps combined with fluid movements in the torso, as well as floor work.
Characteristics
House Dance includes a variety of techniques and sub-styles that include skating, stomping, and shuffling."House Dance is an amalgamation of the post-disco era. A lot of their movements and what took place in certain key places, the Loft and a number of clubs after that. It was a community based dance so vocal points were surrounded by music and dj's, but many of the dancers who were not looking to create, ended up becoming a part of that dance vocabulary."
One of the primary elements in house dancing is a technique called jacking that came from Chicago and involves moving the torso forward and backward in a rippling motion, as if a wave were passing through it. This movement is repeated and sped up to match the beat of a song. This technique is the most important movement in house dancing because it is the foundation that initiates more complex movements and footwork.
Other than footwork, jacking, and lofting, house dance has grown to include variations of dance steps related to other dance styles such as vogue
Vogue (dance)
Vogue or voguing is a highly stylized, modern house dance that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene in the 1960s. It gained mainstream exposure when it was featured in Madonna's song and video "Vogue" , and when showcased in the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning...
, waacking, and hustle.
In house dancing there is an emphasis on the subtle rhythms and riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s of the music, and the footwork follows them closely. This is one of the main features that distinguishes house dancing from dancing that was done to disco before house emerged and current dancing that is done to electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
as part of the rave culture.
Major contributors to the house dance scene in the USA include Ejoe Wilson, Brian "Footwork" Green, Tony McGregor, Marjory Smarth, Caleaf Sellers, "Brooklyn" Terry Wright, Shannon Mabra, Tony "Sekou" Williams, Shannon Selby (aka Shan S), and Byron Cox.
Many others before them danced at places such as The Warehouse
Warehouse (nightclub)
The Warehouse was a nightclub that was established in Chicago, Illinois in 1977 under the direction of Robert Williams. It is today most famous for being what many consider to be the birthplace and heart of "house music" under its first musical director, DJ Frankie Knuckles...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Paradise Garage, Red Zone and The Loft
The Loft
The Loft is the location for the first underground dance party that was created by David Mancuso on February 14, 1970 in New York. Since then, the term The Loft has come to represent Mancuso's own version of a non-commercial party where no alcohol, food, or beverages are sold...
in NYC.
Many international urban festivals or competitions feature house dance as a major and essential part of the event like e.g. House Dance International
House Dance International
House Dance International is an annual street dance festival based in New York City that highlights the art forms of House dance, Vogue, Hustle, Waacking and Experimental, all of which are performed to house music or derivatives of electronic dance music...
, an annual event based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Juste Debout
Juste Debout
Juste Debout is an international and annual dance competition founded in 2002 by Bruce Ykanji in France which focuses on street dance styles. The four main categories are hip hop new style, house, locking and popping.-History:...
, an international urban dance competition and festival in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, which was first held in 2002 and SDK Europe, based in Jedovnice
Jedovnice
Jedovnice is a market town in the Blansko District of the South Moravian Region in the Czech Republic. It has a population of 2,657 . Jedovnice lies near the Moravian Karst nature reserve. The parish St...
in Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
External links
- The House Dance Project comprehensive guide to House Dance
- House History at Homestead history retold by some of the founders
- MindBodyFLO.com some of the House Dance culture in the San Francisco Bay Area
Competitions and festivals:
- House Dance International international competition and festival focusing on House Dance - USA
- Juste Debout urban dance competition and festival, including House Dance as one major part of the event - France
- SDK Europe competition focusing on Hip Hop New Style, House Dance, Popping and Locking - Czech Republic
- House Dance Europe - Italy
- WDC (World Dance Colosseum) - Japan
- HOUSEDANCEFOREVER international House Dance battle - Netherlands
- House Dance Conference USA