A-Z of Dance
- Text by Alex King
- Photography by i-D and Diesel
Dance has always pushed people to express themselves, innovate and be creative. It can unite a community, or start a revolution. From the Mods and Rockers, through B-Boys and Freestylers, to London’s recent “shuffling controversy,” the way you dance has always been how you announce who you are, and who you are not.
The A-Z of Dance, a collaboration between i-D and Diesel, looks at the talent and imagination of dancers around the world. The video brings together young stars making waves in the world of dance to throw down a different style for each letter of the alphabet, from Northern Soul revelation Levanna McLean to Atlanta’s Twerk Team of Mizz Twerksum and Lady Luscious.
The second part of the project invites dancers all over the globe to take part in the follow up film. Diesel and i-D are calling out for online footage submissions across social media using the hashtags #joggjeans and #iDdance. Or you can strut your funky stuff in person. The London casting call is Thursday 10th April 2014, 2-4 pm at Diesel’s Covent Garden Store, featuring performers from the original video.
We scoured the Huck world for a few styles of our own to get you inspired.
F is for Footwork Japan
Japan’s Footwork scene traces its roots to Chicago’s West Side, through Juke, Old-School House, and eventually all the way back to Ghetto House. While the tempo of house music is usually 120-135 BPM, footworkers chase beats of around 160 BPM and beyond. After taking a lead from footworking battles posted by Chicago kids on YouTube, the Japanese scene has evolved all on its own. It has inspired musicians from a variety of genres to produce footwork tracks and attracted dancers from a range of backgrounds to challenge themselves against the exhausting tempos and experimental rhythms.
Read the full story from Huck 36, the Nas Issue.
K is for King of Baltimore Dance Battle
To step up in B-More’s fiercely competitive shakin off scene, you’ve got to master the basics, such as the crazy legs, the spongebob and the cherry hill, then throw it all together with some tight freestyling. Baltimore photographer Jonathan Hanson has shot some amazing photo stories of the city’s underground music culture and we’ve been fans of his work for a while now. He made this rad video of the King of Baltimore Dance Battle with Daniel St. Ours and he’s also photographed its female equivalent, the Queen of Baltimore.
Check out more of Jonathan’s awesome work at his blog.
S is for Spike Jonze
Hucks’ favourite son Spike Jonze certainly has the moves. In the guise of one of his many alter egos Richard Koufey, leader of the Torrance Community Dance Group, Spike filmed himself dancing to Fatboy Slim’s Rockafeller Skank on Hollywood Boulevard, which led to him performing in character at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards. In this mindbending video for The Pharcyde, he had the group perform their moves backwards, then played it back in reverse to produce the gravity-defying effect.
Check out more of our love for Spike.
Think you bust bigger shapes? Head down to Diesel and i-D’s London casting call to be part of the second part of the A-Z of Dance project. The event takes place at Diesel’s Covent Garden Store this Thursday 10th April 2014, 2-4pm. Or you can take part on social media by submitting your own footage with the hashtags #joggjeans and #iDdance.
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