by R.L Hanlon

Created on: January 06, 2008

Before religiously watching Season three of So You Think You Can Dance, the new style of Krump dancing was unknown to me. Although the Krumping performed on the show was choreographed yet enjoyable, the original and true form of this new dance style is more energetic and meaningful.

At first I thought it was another form of break dance, but researching the history and origin of krumping I soon learned I was way off base. It is a form of dancing that is about self-expression, tapping into inner feelings of angst and emotion and allowing the dancer to overcome their problems.

Although krumping is African-American in origin, it's now becoming a global phenomenon that's sweeping the world.

ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF KRUMPING

Beginning in the 1990's in the African American community in Los Angeles, a form of dancing called clown dancing' originated. Starting with a man named Thomas Tommy' Johnson. After heading off the rails then later cleaning up his act, he was dancing one day and discovered he could make kid's laugh. Tommy began performing his style of dancing at children's parties.

Clown dancing involved and encompassed different moves that made people laugh, from popping to locking to anything that evoked a laugh.
Soon others began to follow Tommy and his style of dancing, and then the neighborhood rivalries began, forming breakaway groups and incorporating different moves into this style.

Soon, the rival groups of dancers began to have dance off sessions, or Battlezones' as they were termed. It offered the youths a non-violent way to express themselves. The competition, dance energy and emotion put into the dance-off's soon incorporated the raw emotion that is found in what is now known as krumping.

Contrary to popular belief and a common misconception born from clowning, those who krump do not paint their faces.

Clown dancing and now krumping offered the youth of LA a healthier alternative to drugs, drinking and gangs. They soon began expressing themselves in dance, relieving their frustrations found in their individual lives, homes and community.

MEANING

Krumping has it's own meaning to each individual who performs it. Using the energetic and sometimes gymnastic maneuvers, an individual can display and rid their selves of inner frustrations and anger. It is the raw emotion found in this freestyle of dance, which allows one to de-stress and avoid using confrontation in a negative way through violence.

SIMILAR STYLES

This new dance craze is known to borrow from so many

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>