Sydney Street Dancing Scene
Photography by Manolo Campion | Words by Vanessa Marian
Movement Director & Choreographer Vanessa Marian
Street dance is an umbrella term best describing dance genres born outside the formalised dance-studio context, often by marginalised people respond- ing to their socio-political circumstances. These dances are typically part of a wider culture of music, identity and politics, created on dancefloors and often evolving into battle scenes as a form of escapism, self-expression and political commentary, or as a means of gaining street cred.
So, how does one depict the essence of street dance through a still image, without music, movement or the visceral feeling of being in the charged, riotous room of a subculture?
As a movement director and emphatic fan of Sydney’s various street dance scenes, I was absolutely jazzed to take on the challenge of capturing the essence of these cultural movements for the inaugural issue of A-M Journal.
POPPING with Talia Kuo
Popping is rooted in the rhythmic soul of funk music, evolving from freestyle movements of the ’60s and ’70s in Fresno, California. It involves the quick contract-and-release of muscles to create a jerking effect, known as ‘hit- ting’, and the style rests heavily on the individual dancer’s artistic response to the music.
Talia Kuo is a multi-hyphenate freestyle and commercial dancer and an avid participant on Sydney’s popping scene. When she’s not training or battling, Kuo’s iconic movement style is sought across music videos, commercials and sell-out live shows.
DANCEHALL with Tiara Vella
Originating in Jamaica back in the 1970s, dancehall was initially a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style it developed into. The genre experienced worldwide mainstream success throughout the 2000s and has since influenced established Western artists and producers. As a subculture once considered too crass for the posher establishments, dancehall represents the disenfranchised youth and is recognised for its attitude, feeling and flavour. Its nuanced moves are executed according to gender, energy and era.
Tiara Vella is a founding member of Rituall, a dancehall crew representing the culture and essence of Jamaica’s party movement.
LITEFEET with Kieran Crowe & Mandla Ncube
Litefeet, a vibrant and energetic street dance, sprouted in the early 2000s from the vibrant cultural landscape of New York City. By 2009, it had evolved into a form that centres around battles, showcasing the intricate footwork and artistic expression of dancers.
This dance style has taken hold in all corners of the globe, with Kier- an Crowe pioneering the Australian litefeet movement. Crowe estab- lished Kapow, For the World in Sydney, which has become a hub for litefeet events, training and battles for up-and-coming street dancers such as teen movement prodigy, Mandla Ncube.
NEW WAY VOGUE with Kade Power
Ballroom culture was born in Harlem, New York, in the 1960s by the black and Latinx trans women community, who were seeking a safe space for creative expression. Voguing, named after the iconic fash- ion magazine, is a ballroom-dancing style that riffs off the statuesque silhouettes made by the models within the pages of each issue.
New way is a specific style of voguing that favours angular shapes, flexibility and rigid sculptural movements achieved via arm control and stretch.
Kade Power, of the Kiki House of Cartier, champions new-way vogu- ing and is a formidable figure in the Australian ballroom scene.
AMAPIANO with Migisha
This South African music and dance style builds on a hybrid of deep house, Afro house, Afro tech, jazz and lounge music. Characterised by synths and wide percussive basslines, Amapiano is currently raging through the Tik- Tok algorithms and features soulful footwork, chest movements and iconic facial expressions.
Migisha is one of the founding members of well-known Sydney afro-dance group, Afrokadabra.