Today’s Salon has an interesting article on hip-hop dancing in Korea. Apparently, in just a short time, Korea’s made a bit of a name for itself in the b-boy dance scene. Once seen as a strange fringe of American dancing and rejected by Korean government and society, it has now started to gain wider acceptance.
Per the article:
Certainly no country takes its hip-hop dance more seriously. The Korean government — through its tourism board and the city of Suwon — invested nearly $2 million in this year’s competition. Two of the most successful teams, Gamblers and Rivers, have been designated official ambassadors of Korean culture. Once considered outcasts, the b-boys now seem to embody precisely the kind of dynamic, dexterous and youthful excellence that the government wants to project.
Nice clip on Korean b-boy dancing here.
62 Comments
But the B-Boys wave is gone, right? It was huge in 2006, I don’t hear/see anything anymore.
Unless “B”-Boys stand for “Beef”-Boys…
didn’t one of them boyz hang himself because he didn’t have enough money to eat or something.
how sad.
another victim of krazy korean kimchi mentality banning u.s. beef and driving up food prices.
those candle zombies should be flogged for diminishing the greatest “cultural contribution” korea has made to the world in the past decade.
Unless “B”-Boys stand for “Beef”-Boys…
Priceless
Yeah..but how is break dancing Korean culture? I don’t see man Americans from Iowa claiming Pansori as American culture for their tourism board. Confusing?
” B(utt) - Boys “
Culture is ever changing. And I for one would like to be able to read a post and comments without hearing about the damn meat.
#5. ugh
Wow… the comment section so far is like an unflushed toilet.
I think the lesson I’ve learned is to stop putting up pop culture postings.
Breakdancing - more, or less retarded than skateboarding? I’ve never been able to decide.
The government backs this type of cultural project with one eye to boosting Korea’s soft power (largely in Asia) and generating export revenue.
#4 is spot on. How is break dancing Korean culture?
Jesus, any of you actually gone and seen these guys? They’re definately worth checking out (even if you prefer line dancing, Johnson;). Kind of like a combination of dance/acrobatics with attitude. Most of the people rubbishing it probably couldn’t scrap their own arse let alone do some of th tricks that these kids can manage.
Good on the gov. for sticking their necks out and supporting something different. When I was in Oz I had young people ask me about dance in orea and b-boys in particular on a couple of occasions, which surprised me. It’s something Koreans do very well and its good they’ve hooked onto promoting it.
perhaps not in the traditional sense, but if there’s enough followings in a given society… is that not a part of that society’s culture?
It’s not like anyone’s declaring exclusivity on it. And I think it looks kinda cool. Saw a small impromptu competition happening at Fourth of July celebration at Tempe Town lake last year.
Lol… I don’t know how beef is relevant to this, but okay. Whatever floats your boat.
Because there’s more to the culture of modern Korea than plastic surgery and candlelit protests.
This one’s done the rounds before, but still worth checking out:
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=M7rma6s1l5w
#9
Sorry, not all of us feel compelled to comment upon those
that others do. If you don’t like it, fine. If you say it to my
face then expect my board in yours. Of course, people like you
never have the balls to say anything to someone’s face.
Get back to the tv and your bag of chips. Johnson.
Skateboarding - jumping up and down on a little board with wheels. For anyone over the age of 9, it’s dumb as fuck. Look past all the clothing and attitude, and it’s still a dude over the age of 9 jumping up and down on a little board with wheels.
Breakdancing: remember in grade 7, when the girls in your class got together weeks before the school assembly and choreographed a little dance by themselves, like to the tune of Mr. Roboto or something? How they made their own little tumbles and spins? Whee! Maybe these guys’ little amateur dances are a tad faster and are “with attitude,” but the big picture is these are guys not smart enough for a real adult life and not talented enough for a real dance company.
Double oregato!
Not a slam on Korea, by the way. Anyone anywhere breakdancing is someone with not a whole lot else to do in their lives….
#16 - another dumb skateboarder. You know, I think the hyper-tough attitude copped by both skateboarders and breakdancers has a common origin: a front least anyone really look at what they are doing and realize “Shit, that’s dumb!”
I’m a big guy, RZO. Never had a problem saying anything to anyone’s face, and I would take your little board away and put your nose on the side of your face if only we were having this conversation off the internet. Don’t you have some jumping up and down to do, loser?
Johnson,
You can say the same thing about any sport. It’s a kids game why do the get a million plus a year and why do people head out in droves to watch them. I did it when I was in 7th grade, it’s nothing special. Almost any art can also join this group. On the other hand maybe when you achieve a true level of excellence in a pursuit that even children can do, perhaps it becomes worth a look.
all i can say is
couldnt someone think of something better to spend 2 million dollars on for the citizens of Suwon?
how about orphange upgrades and programs
charity
helping out poor people
etc
but the big picture is these are guys not smart enough for a real adult life…Anyone anywhere breakdancing is someone with not a whole lot else to do in their lives…
Maybe they just think it’s fun. No harm in that is there?
Just out of interest’s sake, what sort of sport and/or dance is acceptable to be “smart” and “adult”, Johnson?
*gets notebook and pen out*
Re: #17:
“…but the big picture is these are guys not smart enough for a real adult life and not talented enough for a real dance company.”
Johnson,
Many sticks-in-the-mud said similar things about Elvis and the Beatles : not talented enough for “proper” music.
I doubt break-dancing will earn a hallowed place in the history of dance like rock music in music history, but the point still stands : what’s seen as “inferior” to some sticks-in-the-mud is by no means a measure of talent or cultural relevance.
So, unless you can come even close to doing what these guys do, you don’t have a leg to stand on when judging their talent or lack thereof.
If I didn’t have a leg to stand on I’d probably be jumping around like these spastic ghetto wannabies too.
Tell those lazy orphans to get off their asses and get to training. As soon as they win a gold medal at the International Orphan Games, they’ll have more Korean government cash flowing their way than they’ll know what to do with.
Mcnut, the money came from the tourism board. The tourism board is not in charge of orhphans; surprisingly, the tourism board is in charge of tourism.
You might just as well ask why 50m in tax money is getting spent on a rainforest in Iowa instead of beefing up the armor on humvees in iraq. (http://www.rd.com/your-tax-money—-wasted/article26729.html)
Both arguments are essentialy just as irrelevent.
Break dancin’ rocks. There is something in watching those b-boys that some of you old fogies don’t get. It’s called YOUTH and ENERGY. If you been to a live B-Boy battle you would know what that means. It’s quite different from sitting your ass on a couch with a beer in hand cheering from some stupid sports game on TV.
About 25 years ago in L.A. there was a club called Radio where I saw rap and break dancing and it definitely had youth and energy.
This ain’t trolling, but I wonder why Korean kids have embraced an African-American dance style, especially so long after its popularity peaked in the States. It seems oddly drained of its original cultural expression, but that’s just my opinion. If anyone has an insight into that I’d like to hear it.
We’ll be seeing a huge Macarena boom in Korea in 2020. Invest accordingly.
tony hawk, making millions off skateboarding. jealous much johnson?
HIP HOP IS UNIVERSAL. so they made it a part of korean culture
# 28,
The article did touch on an interesting thing. Break dancing did eventually die out in the U.S. but for some reason, it was still popular in other parts of the world- Korea, Japan and Europe particularly.
Korea loves being internationally recognized. They may hate navajo basket weaving one day, but if a Korean wins an international competition and get’s a lot of international ink on it then expect to see navaho basket weaving offered as a major at SNU the next day.
also, if you go to the right places, breakdancing is very well alive in the US. just b/c you dont see it on tv, doesnt mean it’s died
I agree with hoju, my nephew (spoiled kid) actually pays for these lessons, and while to me it’s very odd how so much of street culture has gotten commercialized (rap lessons anyone?), there is no doubt in my mind the high talent and athleticism required to perform well.
Some of the stuff they do is just jaw dropping; feats that’d be more in line with gymnastics, but more entertaining…you really should check out some videos on youtube Johnson, although there is also a lot of amateur content. Also, if you are good at this, there is a fair amount of work out there for them (ie music videos, commercials, promotion crews, and athletic sponsorships).
#1, I’m not too sure it was ever huge really, never really heard much about it if it wasn’t for my nephew, if anything it’s only now starting to get more popular. I mean, I never would have imagined there’d be breakdance schools available, let alone a considerable amount of students in’em.
When I was at one of the NB clubs a while back i saw some really excellent breaking, don’t know if it’s the best I’ve ever seen, but it was AWFULLY close. I still find it kinda dubious though how much Korea’s embraced a style of dancing pioneered by black and latin people when they don’t particularly embrace black or latin people. I DO however appreciate excellence in any and all of it’s forms, so um… break on.
and Johnson, nobody likes an internet tough guy. cut it out. Thanks, bye.
I still find it kinda dubious though how much Korea’s embraced a style of dancing pioneered by black and latin people when they don’t particularly embrace black or latin people.
The problem with a lot of you armchair critics is that you tend to think of Korea (or Koreans) as one big undifferentiated blob. Mainstream Korea may not particularly embrace the melanin-undeficient, but b-boy subculture is hardly mainstream despite evidence of commercialization. Korea has its own marginalized elements. These are kids who wont be aceing the soo-nung exam. They don’t want to. If Kim Duk-gu (the lightweight boxing champion who fought Ray “Boom-Boom” Mancini and died) were a 17 year old kid today, he would be a b-bopper.
This embracing stuff also cuts both ways. I’ve discovered one of the quickest ways for me to get into an argument with a black guy is to have him listen to some Snacky Chan ( chanhiphop.com )music, who’s a talented mofo in the world of underground rap. Their reaction is like who is this guy? They really dig it. Snacky Chan’s stuff is fresh and different from modern hip-hop because its very reminescent of hip-hop’s early roots, before shit got commercialized and watered down. They think he’s some black artist they never heard of. When I tell them he’s a Korean-American kid named Roy from NJ, their face drops and become indignant. Then they get angry. They can’t believe an Asian guy can spit rhyme like that. Snacky Chan, for all his skill, gets little love from the Black hip-hop establishment.
I might have linked this before but here’s an act that combines breakdancing with the traditional gayageum instrument and Pachebel’s Canon in D Minor.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QcG.....re=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CvkyjR4yk60
Cool link. I always love it when they mix traditional and modern music (ex: funtwo & Pachebel Rock). And a lot of their move does seem to remind me of gymnastic moves…lol maybe in year 2068, breakdancing would become an olympic event
I grew up in the Bronx (the birthplace of hip-hop) during the 80s, when street graffiti was being replaced by rap and break-dancing as the dominant forms of urban expression. Hip-hop wasn’t even a word back then.
Seeing two Jeff Chang articles in the past week or so reminds me that I need to get a copy of his book “Cant stop, wont stop: a history of the hip-hop generation”. I need to get in touch with my culture.
They’re, not just the Koreans either, have a lot of talent. I not into that kind of thing though.
@ 26 youre irrelevant basically and so is b-boy dancing
like i said the 2 million spent on that could have been used for other things and if tourism was the ultimate goal anything but a b-boy competition probably would have been better
I’m pretty sure one of the main attractions to b-dancing (and skateboarding) is that so many adults think it’s stupid and don’t get it.
As this thread proves.
The moves are really great, and the korean b-boys (not the “beef” boys) do them very well.
But my impression is that while in US or any other country they are having real fun when doing it “like just don’t care” (a classic hip-hop verse), it seems that in Korea they are trying to prove a point, like trying to show that they can do that better than anyone. Not for fun, but to prove a point. As many other things/activities in Korea.
If they would relax for a while, would be much more fun (mainly for them).
#31 I think basket weaving is already offered as a full major at one of the SKY schools already.
#30 “HIP HOP IS UNIVERSAL. so they made it a part of korean culture”
Using this “logic”, any country could claim anything popular as their own. Belly dancing, Salsa and the Tango are universal too. Does that mean Korea or any other country can claim it as their cultural heritage? Pizza can be bought on any corner in Korea. Does that mean its a Korean dish? You simply can’t claim something that originated somewhere else as your own culture just because its popular or the latest fad.
# 41,
Then the next natural question… maybe the people who comment on this blog are freak’in old…!
“You simply can’t claim something that originated somewhere else as your own culture just because its popular or the latest fad.”
United States would lose half of its cultural legacy with that statement.
Cultural heritage and culture of the society are not synonymous, because origin of a cultural pattern seldom stay within that geopolitical area. Such statement would assume that culture is static and constant. Even in the days when an average human being would not travel farther than 20 miles of his/her initial residence, cultures interacted, exchanged characteristics, etc. Now what with the global transportation network and the Internet, the cultural exchange is more rapid and in greater degrees.
If there are enough consistent followings of breakdancing in Korean society, then it is not a false statement to say that breakdancing has become part of the Korean culture. The brightline of when a trend turns into a culture can be debated to no end, however.
I say the biggest problem with discussing culture is that the definition is ambiguous as hell.
I have to agree with bum. Breakdancing didn’t originate in Korea, but so what. I don’t recall anyone making that claim.
Rock ‘n’ Roll didn’t originate in Britian, but it’s part of their culture. Beatles anyone?
Maximus, the beef boys joke wasn’t funny the first time, its not going to get any funnier the second. As for your thesis that Americans b-boy for fun, whereas Koreans do it to prove a point - how the fuck do you come to that conclusion? Koreans do it for the same reason Americans do it - and probably with less attitude.
As for the geting precious about whose cultural property it is, who cares? Koreans have their own particular style, and they’re light, fit and fast. If break dancing came from somewhere else, so what? Korea has adapted it and is very good at it. Why rubbish them because they’ve decided to promote it?
I’m with bum . . . cultural heritage and culture are NOT the same, and the fact that it originated elsewhere doesn’t make these bboys contemporary claim to it illegitimate. Should Tsakane Valentine give up opera because she’s a black South African? Heck, DMC himself declared hip-hop universal - is somebody going to take up the argument with him?
Suwon has actually been very supportive of hip-hop and bboys for a long time. I remember going to events there as far back as 2000. It seems to be doing well there, too - the events have attracted a lot of attention and tourism. It’s definitely on the radar for breakdancing fans. I’d actually say that it’s money well spent.
#46-47…Good points, but where do you draw the line? With this logic, any country can parrot what they choose and claim it as their own. I would say this is a form of flattery, not cultural heritage. Just because Mr. Kim buys a 10 gallon hat and boots doesn’t make him a cowboy.
Britain does have the Beatles, Stones, Led Zep and many other great R&R musicians but they always pay tribute and acknowledge where R&R originate from and who their inspirations were. America is a melting pot of all cultures and nations but I don’t recall a US Cultural or Tourism agency claiming another county’s culture as distinctly American. That is where the difference lies in this instance.
It’s one thing to promote Korean break dancing or the B-Boys as an exceptional talent and tourist draw. It’s quite another however, to claim break dancing as Korean culture and heritage.
The emphasis is mine, and that’s the part that seems to be causing some confusion. Culture and heritage, while related, does not equal to each other. Culture is a present entity, while the heritage is of the past. When someone claims that breakdancing is part of the Korean culture, he or she is claiming that it is prevalent in the Korean society as a cultural entity (and what with gov’t funding and respectable followings, I’d say it qualifies). Heritage is something built over generations and generations, and even those don’t have to be indigenous.
ex:
Pre-teen targeted semi-homosexual boy bands are part of the Korean culture. But I’m pretty sure it’s not part of the Korean heritage.
yay! I graduated html tags elementary school!
Maekchu, the only person talking about “heritage” is you. The b-boys certainly aren’t. Is it a part of Korean culture? Of course it is. Culture’s a fluid thing, you give it, take it and you adapt it. Just ask the Indians about their beloved cricket, or the jamaicans about basketbal et al.
I think everyone’s taking this whole thing a tad too seriously. These guys aren’t sociologists. They don’t give a shit who “claims” it as their own. It’s fun, its cool and they like doing it.
Tsakane Valentine is pretty hot.
Carry on.
“Maximus, the beef boys joke wasn’t funny the first time”
I’m pretty sure some people laughed.
“How the f*** do you come to that conclusion? Koreans do it for the same reason Americans do it - and probably with less attitude. ”
Conlusion = observation. Simple as that. On the attitude, we disagree: I think the k-boys pass that impression. If you don’t think so, it’s your problem. I stay with my pov.
And watch your mouth, the Marmot’s is a family blog!
You’re pretty angry “bloke”, aren’t you? Doesn’t sound like a Hoju Saram at all…
Beef…
…Boys
Clever, insightful, and well timed. Bravo, Maximus.
The meat jokes will never stop unless the protesters stop.
# 46
“Using this “logic”, any country could claim anything popular as their own. Belly dancing, Salsa and the Tango are universal too. Does that mean Korea or any other country can claim it as their cultural heritage? Pizza can be bought on any corner in Korea. Does that mean its a Korean dish? You simply can’t claim something that originated somewhere else as your own culture just because its popular or the latest fad.”
well, i’m not talking about heritage like other people have mentioned. i’m guessing you know nothing of hip hop. it’s ever changing, and #53 got it right. the korean b boys never claimed that they created break dancing. hip hop culture being universal means that it has no ethnic or racial boundaries. dont take things so literally.
I don’t think this “heritage debate” is worth getting anyone’s hoodie in a twist over. It might mean that Korea is taking on part of Japan’s modern historic role as the Eastern filter through which Western culture reaches other parts of Asia.
But I have to wonder how many tourists would come all the way to Korea to see b-boys — notwithstanding the draw Yonsama had on Japanese ajumma.
“But I have to wonder how many tourists would come all the way to Korea to see b-boys”
Hmm… well, if the Korean b-boys get enough recognition within their world, then Korea would be able to host competitions that would draw tourists…
Tourists can mean a lot of things… not necessarily in standard “Mom, Dad, and 2.5 kids” format.
Wow… the comment section so far is like an unflushed toilet.
I think the lesson I’ve learned is to stop putting up pop culture postings.
Let’s face it, Wangkon.
Korean boys doing hip-hop is not going to get a lot of positive feedback here at the Expat’s Hole. That’s a triple negative. You ought to know your audience by now.
Hah! I thumb my nose at Korean hip-hop poseurs. Why is everything turning gay over there anyway? (Not that there’s anything wrong with that)
WonKon, Breakdancing is older than some of writers here. That’s why Asian entertainers are
big their country…they fail if they go to a western country.
JohnT your half right, The Beatles were a Pop group not a rock n roll group.