The overlooked contributions of African American women hip hop dancers to breaking and hip hop culture

Abstract

In the late 1980s through 1990s shifts within the aesthetic of hip hop culture helped the sustainability of breaking. When the discussion of hip hop and its major contributors are mentioned, seldom is there any acknowledgement of African American women. Like many art forms, hip hop is male-dominated, which can eclipse narratives about African American women in early hip hop dance circles. African American women practitioners are rarely called upon to moderate panels, write or are acknowledged as true pioneers of the field. Many times, throughout hip hop, African American women kept the dance alive with their resiliency, becoming the catalyst from the streets that help preserve and continue its legacy. The question I ask is: How have these African American women impacted global hip hop culture and why are they unknown to us? The article will examine performance qualities within interdisciplinary practices that forged ahead hip hop culture with these under-represented New York hip hop female dancers. Insights about the experience of these African American female pioneers bring into light historical concerns of exploitation and representation right in time for the introduction of breaking in the 2024 Olympics.