"How Hip-Hop Dance Groups Have Helped Asian Americans Find Belonging"

[Buddy]

This is an interesting article as it touches on two important ideas. 

1) The importance of dance as a peaceful, positive approach to social interaction and entertainment. 

The importance of popular dance as a means of expressing one's self, forming one's identity and sense of self-worth, being part of something 'meaningful', being part of the larger community and being with friends.  

2) How an originally African-American dance form has been taken on by other cultures, very enthusiastically and successfully in such Asian countries as Korea, or by the very successful and popular Asian-American Jabbawockeez, relates to the African-American roots and meaning of the dance form.  

"Creating community and finding release in hip-hop are beautiful things—but that doesn't excuse us, as Asian Americans, from engaging these conversations or finding ways to offer respect. There's an endless amount of work that can be done to help honor the communities at its origins, starting with the knowledge that Asian American hip-hop dancers only exist because hip-hop culture does too."

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ne8yxg/how-hip-hop-dance-groups-have-helped-asian-americans-find-belonging

(thanks to Balletco. Forum for posing this)

Edited November 11, 2019 by Buddy