Tokyo Krumping?

[L S]

Man I am feeling old...I come back to the US and I hear about some clown dance craze. I'm thinking "ya, right whatever...", but holy shit it's real! It's called krumping and getting mainstream attention in the US because of the documentary movie Rize. All kinds of web refernces says it is a craze in Japan but I dont remember seeing or hearing anything on krumping...obviously I wasn't tuned in as I thought. Anybody know if this is a up and coming thing in the Shibuya barrios or elsewhere?

Krumping all over the world:Along with the face-painting aspect, the energy and grace of the dance echoes back to long-buried roots in African tribal dance, although that was unknown by the Los Angeles youth who started it. Today krump is a craze in Japan, Europe and all across the world.

[Charles]

It's not even an up and coming thing in the USA.

[L S]

I gotta disagree Charles...this is taking off for sure...

[Charles]

Sorry, that movie is a year old and nobody even noticed it existed. You can believe whatever hype you want, but it just isn't happening.

[L S]

If it's emerging out of the west coast hot bed for hip hop, South central LA, if it is being features in mainstream videos by MTV loved groups like Black Eyed Peas, Missy Elliott, and even Christina Aguilera, if it's being written about in the Times, Boston Globe New York Times, the Evening Standard and every major newspaper, if a film about it gets raves at Sundance, if it has spread out of LA into NY, SF and other major cities with strong hiphop cultures...then I woudl have to say, that is pretty much the start of a trend. You are just getting old like me Charles.

[Charles]

When you get older, you're supposed to become LESS susceptible to bullshit hype. Commercial interests are slinging the hype, but nobody's buying. You know what people ARE buying? Barry Manilow records.

[GuyJean]

Today krump is a craze in Japan, Europe and all across the world.

Maybe it's called 'Koranpu' in Japan.. Or goes by the medical term, 'Gran Mal, Yo!'..

Hhhmm. Looks interesting; interesting as in 'Oh fuck! My back!'..

GJ

[American Oyaji]

*sigh*

Charles, maybe the reason you haven't noticed krumping could be due to your age, but it IS increasing in popularity. It has even hit mainstream media in some places.

Just because it hasn't crossed YOUR radar, doesn't mean it isn't gaining in popularity.

[Socratesabroad]

[American Oyaji]

SA, that figure doesn't mean much.

Look how long flamenco has been around.

[Taro Toporific]

[dimwit]

Ahh the fun you can have dancing with clamps



Just tell me this isn't suggestive!:-D

[Kuang_Grade]

if it is being features in mainstream videos by MTV loved groups like Black Eyed Peas, Missy Elliott, and even Christina Aguilera, if it's being written about in the Times, Boston Globe New York Times, the Evening Standard and every major newspaper,

With all this mainstream coverage, the odds are that it is near peak or just past it....ie, it is just a matter of time before its in a Sprite commercial or becomes the focus of 'you got served 2' which serves is "popular" death knell. Features in the NYT magazine usually signal the end of street cred phase of most trends and it is not like there are TV ads selling videos on how to learn to Krump.

However, I'm not surprised that J teens might find this of interest...it probably appeals to the same coordinated dance gene that makes some of them interested in cheerleading competitions.

[Mulboyne]

Anytime people find some inspiration to dance then it's a good thing. The world's top dancers come through ballet, contemporary, tap or flamenco training but their desire to take that training can come from anywhere. We lost the last of the finest dance duo I've ever seen when Fayard Nicholas passed away last month. Together with his brother Harold, the Nicholas Brothers showed how to dance with style irrespective of background or training. They only managed to get "specialty" roles in the Hollywood films of the day but the film record they left behind is astonishing. The AP report on Fayard's death said "Their dancing betrayed not only creative genius but the athletic marvel of what no one else would dare attempt".

They would both have loved the idea of "krumping" and any effort to promote it.

[kamome]

I've never heard of this, but the tribal face paint looks really cool.

[Charles]

Anytime people find some inspiration to dance then it's a good thing.

You've never seen ME dance.

[Socratesabroad]

SA, that figure doesn't mean much.

Look how long flamenco has been around.

Beg to disagree.

The original assertion was that kramping or krumping or whatever has some huge ground swell of support in Japan. It doesn't. In fact, it barely even registers; heck, outside of mentions in reference to the niche movie Rize it's pretty much nonexistent.

Contrast that to traditional forms of dance like flamenco and ballet that are also Western and yet 1) immensely popular and 2) frequently taught in Japan.

[GuyJean]

To me, Krumping looks like a spastic, African version of Hip-Hop.. And I'd venture to guess Hip-Hop has about the same number of followers in Japan as Flamenco..

Actually, I think I know more women who dance Hip-Hop, rather than Salsa or Flamenco..

GJ

[Mulboyne]

Well, you are both right. Dancers who want a professional career in Japan will generally try to get ballet and jazz dance training (the latter covers dances seen in Broadway shows, MTV videos, concert dance companies, street dancers, drill teams, and tap dancers - oh, and Takefuji CMs). So more career dancers will know hip-hop rather than flamenco. There are, however, around 500 flamenco schools and up to 50,000 students in Japan according to some estimates. EsFlamenco website reports the claim that "there are more flamenco teachers and schools in Japan than in the rest of the world". These dancers are, in large part, hobby dancers like those who take salsa or ballroom classes and they are probably greater in number overall than career dancers. I would venture, though, that bon odori dancers top the list overall.

While there is a large audience for dance in Japan, there aren't many regular jobs going. The first public contemporary dance group was only set up a couple of years ago so many dancers aim for work with overseas companies and shows. There aren't many genuine stars (we've been here before in this thread) but Japanese dancers generally make reliable company members and also are useful to have during a tour of Japan. There would also probably be more of them in the big musicals around the world if they started earlier with singing lessons. A number of dancers routinely breeze through the dance auditions only to fall down with a reedy rendition of "Memories".

[L S]

On a kinda related topic...
It's from last May, but was surpised to stumble on this...pretty cool considering the competition in the US...

THREE CHEERS FOR THE CHAMPIONS!Japanese Team Wins US Cheer and Dance Championship (May 30, 2005)

In April a Japanese cheer and dance team won the Chick-fil-A Cheer & Dance Collegiate Championship in the United States. This victory makes the Julias - the dance team of Tamagawa University - the first collegiate team from Japan to win a cheer and dance championship in the United States.....

apologies if this was already posted back last Spring...

[Big Booger]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2422453847554676031&q=krumping


Looks like someone got caught with a icyhot coated dildo in their ass and started gyrating...

Someone break out the cardboard, it's time to get Krunk while dis nigga do the krump.

This retard:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5689799220765807596&q=krumping

Got inspired by "Rize" LOL

[Mulboyne]

Invitation to Bon Dancing

...Bon Dancing is a folk art which has 500 years of history. Songs and dances distinctive to each locality has been highlighting the summer of Japan. Let's approach the attractive and diverse world of Bon Dancing from various angles...

Blurry video clips on this page

[omae mona]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2422453847554676031&q=krumping


Looks like someone got caught with a icyhot coated dildo in their ass and started gyrating...

Someone break out the cardboard, it's time to get Krunk while dis nigga do the krump.

This retard:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5689799220765807596&q=krumping

Got inspired by "Rize" LOL

If those guys just stop by the Ministry of Silly Walks, there's no doubt they'll be able to secure a large government grant. No surprise... this dance style literally started as a birthday clown act.

Krumping, from Wikipedia

Using the dance to enhance birthday party clown acts and to advertise his business, Tommy the Clown gained notoriety in the area. Soon significant numbers of the area's youth grew interested in the dances he performed and he was able to focus on teaching dance solely. Johnson began teaching parts of his style to local youth and gained many followers who were dubbed the Hip Hop Clowns. He would perform publicly with the most adept children or dancers (the age span ranged from 6 into the 20's) and eventually was able to use profits from this to open a school/academy in South Central Los Angeles. This underground movement soon spread beyond South-Central L.A. and Compton to the rest of California and beyond.

About 50 clown dancing groups exist currently and krumping has entered mainstream hip hop culture through its performance in various music videos.

So don't take Krumping so seriously. It's SUPPOSED to look stupid.

And to answer your questions:
1) Yes, I DO believe everything I read on Wikipedia.
2) No, I am not sorry for reviving a month-old discussion, because it's funny. (hey, Mulboyne is the one who bumped the thread anyway!!)