AN IMPORTANT THREAD as a semi-new (going on 7 years) member of the hip-hop dance community i felt it was my place to show how black and lgbtqia+ people had an huge impact on hip-hip dance culture.

i have been so generously been gifted the chance to dance with my dance instructors who are somewhat icons in the community. they have not only experienced dancing on the west and east coast (and seen international battles) but they have been instructed by the children of icons

in the community.

what this thread is about is showing how the hip-hop dance community is inclusive and how black and lgbtqia+ people impacted it.

meet the father of hip-hop, DJ Kool Herc. he started by making music on the east coast, more specifically bronx, new york. on august 11, 1973 at 1520 sedgwick avenue hip-hop was born all thanks to him.

meet the inventor of locking, Don Campellock Campbell. he basically invented locking from doing other moves wrong. he had the definition of a “good mistake” happening to him.

lastly there’s waacking. many kids got kicked out of their house by their parents or guardians after they came out to them (which unfortunately has not changed) but then would get invited to go live in houses where they would compete against other houses with waacking.

the houses were very inclusive to members of the lgbtqia+ community because they knew what it felt like to be kicked out. they would go to lgbtqia+ clubs and have waacking battles. after the battles became known almost everyone wanted to be in them.

end of thread ty for reading

i’m aware there are many more styles but these three were important to pride month and blm!