Poppn To Funk? Not Poppn to Funk?

[LOBO]

As our dance evolves over time, so does our community, and more specifically...our music. It is seen with the new school generation of poppers, peeps are gettin down to newer types of music, and even unorthodox music , sumone from "back in the day" would never imagine beein popped too (electronica, idm, rock, classical), and we are finding out more and more how complex and intricate poppin really is.

Although with this new stage of evolution, sum peeps are havin a problem with it. Some individuals out ther, even OG's, feel that it is necessary to only pop to Funk music, where this dance was born from - and that we must do everything in our will to "preserve" this dance style in honor of its origins. Some even feel that the only true correct and proper way to Pop is to dance to Funk music- which they say gives you the true essence of the feel.

But then there are others who feel that dancing to other types of music is a good way to evolve our dance and generate new forms and feels of the dance style.

Whats your mind think?

Discuss....

[TETRIS]

word...

I feel different music inspires differnt feel which helps evolve this artform and inspires new movements and concepts and styles.

Understanding and accepting the fact that it was danced to traditional funk tracks is a good thing and understanding history is a must but to specify a guidline on what music to listen to is in my opinion holding your self back from being innovative and takin this artform further.

This dance will always be looked upon as an "outdated" style if we (the new school generation) stay on the same vibe as they did in the 70s and 80s. This is the year 2000, and I feel strongly that we should be innovating and dancing to new styles of music to look and feel for new inspiration.

[Danis Kool]

lol Tetris

Heres how i feel, similar as the other post


I agree that different music inspires different feel (eg Classical compared Gfunk).

But I reckon for people who are starting out it is important to listen (don't have to dance to it) to the original music. I feel that original music is just as important as knowing the inventor of a specific style, when it was created etc... basically it is part of the history.

Dancing to the original music is a good way to get the basic feel of that specific dance style. Then eventually build on from there (ie different music).

Dancing to different music is one way to innovate a style.

Oh, you never know... you might just create a new dance style :)


Dancing to different music other than funk (eg electro) in a battle, is an extra test of skill! Some people may think otherwise

[spacecapital]

I believe that it's not the music that define your skills, it's your practice that make you good. I never believed in all that only dance to funk music stuff. Because I danced to all type of music back in the '80s. If you are a good popper the music doesn't make a different. I also agree that we have to move forward, if we keep on holding on to the '70s we are alway going to look like the '70s. I would love to see the current generation define themselves and evolve this art form. Why not test other music, why not dress different, why not present the dance different. It's 2007, we need more people focus on the current times. Yes, I do like dancing to old funk music, I also like dancing to new hip hop tracks. We have to get with the times, we are not going to go in a party and ask the dj to play some Zapp track today, because most of them don't have it. We have to adjust to time if we want this art form to be around. Look at Tap, Jazz, ballet, why are these art form are still around today? Because they constantly adjust to time. That is the winning formula, and if we don't do it, we want be around that long.

Yes, I'm 41 going on 42 years old, and I have hear a lot of stuff about popping. It's cool to learn on the foundation of funk. It's a different way to dance to different type of music. Different sound brings something different out of you. When I used to dance off of space sounds I danced more space out, when I danced off of electro sound I dance more mechanical, when I dance off of funk, I more funky, see how different music make me dance. This is good for poppers, it challenge you as a dance. Why not be challenge? Why not grow? This is why so many young dancers look so much like they are in the '70s because they trying to re-live the '70s. You can take a move in popping and do it five different ways. Each way could be based on the music.

I truly believe people should do what they like. Yes, Funk does have a place in popping. I think that all poppers should know about this music.
It's part of the history, and it something important for young dancers. I do believe current dance should know about it, but to say they should only dance to it is not right. It might be a good thing to learn off funk music. It's cool to dance to funk, I just don't believe this should be the only music you dance to.

SpaceCapital

[iamPROTOTYPE]

know and respect the history. gotta know where you come from..
SOUL and FUNK music. i even think its helpful to learn how to move/groove/dance to these genres... just to see what kind of music helped inspire the movements that evolved into our artform.
but real poppers? they know this art cannot be contained to only a few types of music...
i saw footage of TACO gettin down to classical music in tha 80s, bheethoven i think... killed it!!
there were still active poppers in the 80s when electro music was comin out.. kraftwerk, egyptian lover, art of noise, etc.. which i believe helped inspire some new styles and definitely helped the progression of this artform.
ya, ive heard some people say this dance is meant to be done to funk music...
but they are just holding themselves back, let em.
even tha EBz have been doing shows and experimenting with all kinds of music.
music is tha fuel baby...
keep pushin, but know where you came from.

p.s. i like soul and funk music... feel good music!

[funkjuice]

I dance to every kind of music !!!! its a good thing to have a wide range of musicality or w.e 8)

[t0xic]

i think it is very important to know your history...but i mean its that persons choice to dance to whatever music they want...but when you go to a session or enter a competition.. and all they are playing is funk, then its your loss..

so i mean i guess its important to know your funk..even though you may not dance to it...

ALSO


wtf why isnt electro ever played at battles -_-

electro pwnes all (yes even gfunk im sorry)

[TETRIS]

the reason why they dont spin electro as much at events??

a "certain someone" will usually get pissed , threaten, or make a fuss about electro being played and will usually harass the DJ to not play it at jams.

they bully the DJ to make them play strictly funk. Ive seen it done w my own eyes.

when its a non politically correct jam, then thats when you hear electro and many other mixes like Gfunk etc, being played.

its funny cuz they dont even like Slick Doggs beats and told the DJ to not play that either.

thats their way of controlling the minds and ppl in the scene so they will always be on top.

:shock:

[andrewSEATOWN]

DNB

[t0xic]

maybe if wcp ever throws a jam, it will be politics free..with all types of popping music played at random, with no song changing :]

[spacecapital]

I have to agree with all the above about music. You all are very open minded and that what it takes, see for your own self. I have traveled to various events in the '90s. This is the reason that I don't travel outside of Chicago as much anymore because it too much politic that is controlling this scene, and I have to be honest with myself and others. I dance because I love doing this dance, I don't do it for the money or the flame, it's the soul I'm feeding inside.

When you get to a point in life that you only doing something because you really enjoy it, you know when people are BS others. I always believe that the truth will set you free. I don't say much as I used to, but I know that once someone see the truth, things will change. I have seen some bold stuff in this scene, and I had some bold stuff done to me. I just believe that the laws of the universe with check all wrong doers. This is why I believe you should always ask questions. We are all part of this scene, and it take all of us to create this scene. So enjoy this scene and enjoy being you. Don't let no one put you in a box.

You young dancers are the future of this scene. You are the new trend setters. You are the ones that is going to push this dance to new heights.


SpaceCapital

[juggaloG421]

maybe if wcp ever throws a jam, it will be politics free..with all types of popping music played at random, with no song changing :]



that would be dope!!!!
id be so down for that..

on a side note i agree fully that you must know your roots and should know how to dance to the original style of music that the dance spawned from.

on the other hand its incredibly valuable to be able to respect other types of music and go with the flow.
i love learning to old school funk because its great for practice.
but i also enjoy poppin to lots of other types of music because you can express the musicality differently and create a new rhythm depending on what your listening too.

my mind is straying now so ill stop before i botch this any more than i have already.

know your roots. but dont be afraid to try new things to new tones.

who knows we might see tetris gettin down on tuts one day to some classical Beethoven... which would be hilarious but still...



alright im out for now.
peace.

[G]

Wait, are you guys trying to tell me that there is OTHER music besides funk in the world? No way!!!

[Graph]

Garrett....don't let these open minded people fool you...there is funk and ONLY funk!......


na but for realz, I find it difficult sometimes to get down to funk. At this stage in my dance I don't feel funk caters to me. This is obviously not to say that funk isn't dope, but it makes me function differently than say electro, IDM or dnb. I practice a lot to underground hip hop and dubstep, both of which i feel have played big roles in the progression of poppin for me.

I think its crazy when you can go to raves and places similar and get a big circle of poppers. The circle draws in so many candy kids, e-tards, rave-poppers, liquid heads blah blah blah...but these are the people that really enjoy what they are seeing with open eyes. While at funk events the minds don't seem as opened, not to say that they aren't, but its all about WHO IS THE BEST. Who is the best popper? Its subjective but I don't like being caught up in the spot light of contests in this type of event.

Places like Focus do poppin competitions every now and then and I have a blast in them! Its all just people getting down to house music cause they love getting down. I don't feel the judgements at events like that like I do at our typical "funk events." I can't even hate on the funk events though because I love going to them and kickin it with all the homies and seeing people get down that I haven't seen in a minute.

I think i have strayed off topic, or maybe i haven't. All i mean is that I agree that we should all branch out or open our minds more to other musics. It helps some of us create other styles (look what dnb has done for some tutters, what IDM has done for some wavers...etc..) Lately I have noticed that we can get pretty damn large crowds at electronic music events. I mean just look at EDC last weekend. We had poppers from Seattle, Las Vegas and all of us down here in So. Cal. All of us with pretty much the same common interest....getting down to alternative types of music because thats what the fuck we do! Dubstep, IDM and underground hip hop for the lifes!!


Graph

ooh yeah....Garrett...there still is only funk, everything listed above is just a figment of my imagination!

[G]

^^^ Thank god it was only my imagination, I was starting to panic there for a sec!

[hokiruu]

like many people have already said, i think it is important or at least beneficial to recognize funk as the original inspiration for much of what we do today, but limiting oneself to just one type of music to dance to, or listen to for that matter is selling yourself short on experience and possibilities.

in many cases, i feel this diversification has benefitted the dance style(s) greatly. e.g. hip hop, electro, and electronic, may have stimulated progression and growth for certain funk styles like waving and tutting etc. HOWEVER
1. sometimes it get abstracted (or even bastardaized/watered down) until it's something different that is no longer truly the same funk style that inspired it.
2. more often than not, someone who discovers funk styles through one of these "alternative" (non-funk) types of music/subculture, scene etc. and is really serious about it, they almost inevitably turn back to study the original FUNK tradition of it to understand it. this seems to be true for at least most of the really GOOD dancers who truly understand a funk style, regardless of how they were introduced to it.

speaking for myself, i have kind of "stumbled" upon funk music, funk dance styles, raves, on accident in my search for hip hop. i had seen popping briefly and far between in music videos and in the occasional street performance, but that's it, and didn't think it was something that was accessibile or obtainable for me.

when i moved to nm i was seeking out bboying and hip hop. it was really hard to find here, almost entirely inaccessible. instead i ended up at the next closest thing: raves, which were in abundance. at first i thought they were "gay" but went anyway because it was a way to find bboying, and eventually, i saw popping/funk styles and was fascinated with it even more than bboying. this did mean, however, that i was learning them to electronic music, and as a result ended up taking a kind of roundabout or maybe even backwards road to studying funk styles and how to dance to different types of music with them. it's worth it in the end, and i hope that anyone coming from the opposite end also does the opposite and expands their musical repertoire.

another thing: i don't know about the rest of you, but sometimes finding good funk to dance to in public can be very hard. if you just want to get down and dance out, you end up making due with whatever is remotely danceable.

also, you really have to look hard for any really good NEW funk these days. the classic jams will always be classic, but it's kind of limiting for a dance to be based on the same 250 or so funk hits from 30 years ago. of course with funk styles, musicality and personifying the track is such a part of it that this makes it easier, but also a challenge to come off original to the same song everyone is and has been getting down to.

/rant

[astro]

sorry ma,
i thot that popping came up from the roboting
what was done whitout music and speciale the pantomimic parts
not needs music, i think.
And many of the old schoolers get there inspiration from
cartoons, where the music dont mathers anyway.
I think that this is more a discussion about commercialising of that think
,what becames now a scene and what was`t before.
And all those who dances for third, must sell it in anotherway.
Check Boogola Shrip Colgate commercial(80

[hokiruu]

[quote=astro]sorry ma,
i thot that popping came up from the roboting
what was done whitout music and speciale the pantomimic parts
not needs music, i think.
And many of the old schoolers get there inspiration from
cartoons, where the music dont mathers anyway.
I think that this is more a discussion about commercialising of that think
,what becames now a scene and what was`t before.
And all those who dances for third, must sell it in anotherway.
Check Boogola Shrip Colgate commercial(80

[astro]

sorry my folt,i mean no Colgate ... show in japan ... just check da link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXYYi2kaA7g

dancing is an art form (if it is for you !) and does arts can only evolve which has practicaly no ruls.
With no rules i mean a kine of free structure, ist like with human rights
in the USA ... sometime it`s good and some times it isn`t.
So back to the music, popping came up in the late 70`s when this
music was popular and many of the dancers form the good old time
maybe grows up with this sound to.
So many of them associate there part of life or there youth in where
there begun to dance whit it, kann be also clich

[LOGiC]

Ah

[astro]

:oops:
thanx ma and sorry for may bad english