Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The purpose of the study is a comprehensive analysis of the key elements of Oakland Boogaloo and the identification of their influence on the formation and development of illusory dance styles. The methodology relies on three primary methods: analysis – applied when examining primary sources and prior scientific research to extract specific facts regarding Oakland boogaloo, its dance vocabulary, and its impact on the development of illusory dance style elements; comparison – used to juxtapose the performance features of the most common techniques in illusory dance styles, identifying characteristic patterns and developmental trends; and the chronological method – employed to establish the sequence of appearance of dance elements, considering the timeframes of their development or transformation, as well as to compare the historical evolution of Oakland boogaloo and popping. Scientific novelty. For the first time, the performance characteristics of specific movement elements of Oakland boogaloo have been analysed, revealing their influence, similarities, and potential interconnections with the dance techniques of other illusory dance styles. Conclusions. The analysis of the Oakland boogaloo dance vocabulary and its comparison with the techniques of illusory styles, particularly Popping, indicates a direct and indirect impact of the local choreographic trends within the Oakland African American community of the 1960s–1970s on the formation of modern street dance. The examination of the performance features of specific dance elements revealed that the dime stop technique emerged long before popping, originating through the development of one of the Oakland boogaloo elements – freeze. This technique, which represents a simple rhythmic freeze of movement, also catalysed the emergence of the posing element, which later developed into posing hard. At the same time, posing hard shows a distinct visual resemblance to the pop technique, although their execution principles differ. Despite evidence suggesting that pop emerged from the reinterpretation of the posing hard technique, the lack of confirmation or rebuttal from the pioneers of popping leaves the question of their direct connection open.
Author: Vitalii Dubinin
Language: English
Subfield: Visual Arts and Performing Arts
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7225094505