About two weeks ago, Science Boy came home from breakdance class roundly declaring, “Mom, Imma FREESTYLE dancer! I don’t DO routines!” To which I arched an eyebrow and tartly replied, “Oh yeah? Let’s see who gets enrolled in hop hop class next!”
Science Boy learning a move during breakdance class.
If I’m gonna have any say in the matter—and you bet your ass I’m already hard at work on this—my eight year old is not going to grow up to become your prototypical middle-class suburban American male who has (a) no rhythm, (b) can’t hear the beat and (c) is terrified of the dance floor. WHAT HAPPENED to American boys and dancing??? There used to be a time when dancing was not only a socially-acceptable activity for both women AND men, but it was a skill to actually cultivate and learn. One does not pick up the lindy hop and the west coast swing from an occasional foray onto the dance floor. Back in the 30s and 40s, boys actually spent time rehearsing outside the dance floor, exactly like soccer drills and batting practice. During that time, ALL guys danced, gay or straight, some better than others of course, but it was an activity that everyone embraced if they wanted to be part of mainstream society.
Now, when boys dance, it’s usually at the urging of their mothers (when they’re younger) or as a way to mack on a girl (high school/college/early 20s). Yeah, you know who you guys are. I’ve met very few young men who dance for the love of it. And even then, they don’t take the time to school themselves in the art. They just kind of bop along to the music when the opportunity arises, relying solely on their natural rhythm and nothing else. There’s no practice time, no control, no choreography. It’s all freestyle, with most of it just bumping-and-grinding and jumping up and down with arms flailing. Hell, there aren’t even any new moves these days for boys to pick up. At least in the 80s we had the running man and the snake. I remember some of my male cousins practicing both moves in their bedrooms in front of a mirror. Now? What do we have? This? It’s a routine, not really a move. Quick, somebody invent some new moves fast!
But I digress. This topic is near and dear to my heart and I like to wail and gnash my teeth over it from time to time. How is it that the general population of American men have devolved against dancing? What happened? Was it the introduction of breakdancing, a genre that’s all power moves and freestyle and totally removed from the vocabulary of classical dance? When did being a graceful male dancer = gay? Why has dancing been totally feminized? It hasn’t happened in Latin America (thank God), a place where men can SHAKE their hips (***Karmela fans herself***) without a trace of self-consciousness. What, you think these men were BORN knowing how to shake it? Some of them, sure. But I doubt the percentages are any more or less than it is here in America. It’s the culture down there, the environment that embraces dancing and has it intertwined into the national identity.
What’s the American identity? It’s certainly not dancing, not if we so easily got rid of it in two generations. But I aim to bring it back, one boy at a time, at least with my boy. SB already has the showmanship and comfort on the breakdance floor. And they’re currently working on stomping to the beat.
Now let’s see if he can learn some moves, put them together, and do an actual routine. Edward and Joven and the rest of the Six Step Crew: I’m counting on you guys to school him, okay?
