What’s That Dance – Krumping
What is Krumping?
Krumping is a highly expressive, energetic form of urban street dance, involving articulated moves throughout the torso, legs, arms and head. Supposedly the term comes from the acronym for Kingdom of Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise.
What are the origins of Krumping?
Krumping first appeared in South Central Los Angeles in the 1990s as a form of social expression, but is believed to have derived from another dance form, “clowning”, which is not as aggressive as krumping. Some believe its origins developed after the beating of Rodney King; its popularity and evolution was seen as an escape for young men and women from the gang and drug lifestyle so prevalent in that community.
What are some of the signature movements in Krumping and what kind of music is used?
Krump is often performed to inter-mixed hip hop beats and is contrasted with fast, aggressive movements that run the gamut from foot stomps to chest pops and arm swings. These fast movements can be interpreted as a release of anger, inner turmoil, and an expression of rage or even frustration. It is often confrontational in nature and to an untrained eye, krumping may appear erratic however there are essential elements to this dance form. Some of these elements include: Sync Moves, Power Moves, Taunts, Puzzles, Chest Pops, Bangs, Stomps, and Arm Swings.
What sort of clothing is worn for Krumping?
While generally hip-hop style clothing is worn ie. loose and baggy trousers and tops, because many of the moves involving chest pumps where a clear vision of the articulation of the torso is desired, some artists will perform with closer fitting tops, or bare their chests.
Where is Krumping seen today?
According to the website dancejam.com, Krumpers are structured in groups known as families, or fams. Each fam consists of a Big Homie, who is considered the leader of the group. The Big Homie is also known to carry the responsibility of being a mentor and teacher. Family members usually hone their skills by apprenticing with their Big Homie. Embraced and demonstrated equally by men, women, boys and girls, krumping continues to grow in popularity.
Much of the social hierarchy in Krumping communities is determined through competition since krumpers face off against each other in battle scenarios. Initially demonstrated as a totally free-form, improvised dance style, krumping can now be seen in choreographed performances on shows such as So You Think You Can Dance Canada.
Where have I seen Krumping?
Krumping became more visible after the release of Dave LaChapelle’s 2005 documentary, Rize. Describing the film’s dance moves in the Village Voice, Ed Halter says, ”Gyrating and popping so rapidly that they seem like break-dancers on fast-forward (opening titles stress that no video has been sped up), krumpers face off with the belligerent bravado of backyard wrestlers, micro-syncopating every body movement in an ever morphing flurry of astonishing corporeal control.”
Videos on You Tube are now places to find examples of this dance style – as well as dance competitions – check out www.dancejam.com for a range of videos showing krumping.