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“There Were Females That Danced Too”: Uncovering the Role of Women in Breaking History

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2020

Serouj Aprahamian
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Abstract

The dominant narrative regarding breaking history is that the dance developed as an “exclusively male” expression of inner-city “machismo.” In this study, I challenge this narrative by bringing in the voices of breaking's often-neglected founding practitioners. By juxtaposing primary testimonies with mainstream representations, I aim to show how women have histoirically played a critical role in the dance, and how hegemonic discourse has obscured our understanding of hip-hop's beginnings. I also consider how uncovering the role of women in breaking's history reframes prevailing conceptualizations of its gender performance.

Keywords

b-boyb-boyingb-girlb-girlingbreakdancebreakinggenderhip-hoprapurban dance

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Articles
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Dance Research Journal , Volume 52 , Issue 2 , August 2020 , pp. 41 - 58
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 Dance Studies Association

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References

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