House Music is one of the most popular genres of music to dance to. Its origins can be traced back to the 70s. Its sub-genres include Footwork, Jacking, and Lofting. Read on to find out more about this amazing dance form.
Footwork
In the United States, footwork is considered an important part of house music dancing. It’s one of the fastest and most complex components of the genre. Footwork is a blend of acrobatic moves, shuffles, jumps and rolls, all derived from afro dances and b-boying.
The origins of footwork can be traced to the West Side of Chicago in the 1980s. House music was the driving force behind the creation of new Black youth dance groups. Dancers gave feedback to producers on what they wanted in a track. These feedbacks led to the development of footwork.
Footwork began as a means to defy ghettoization. House music, a genre spawned in Chicago and New York, provided a crucial context for the growth of footwork.
House music dancers were able to learn basic footwork movements, such as the “running man”, “shuffle”, and “swirl”. More advanced house music dancers could progress to more complex steps. However, the fast pace of footwork tracks made it difficult for those who lacked the requisite skills.
One of the first dance moves to emerge from the ’80s was the “holy ghost”. This move was choreographed by Elvis “Bo Dollar” Chatman. DJ Dike brought reggae into footwork, and Boogie Mann brought acid house into the mix.
By the mid-1990s, footwork was a full-fledged dance style. The West Side and parts of the North Shore of Chicago became the launching pad for a movement that would travel across the country and around the world.
House-O-Matics brought footwork to Chicago parades and stages. A younger generation of the Teklife crew added elements of hip-hop and jazz to the mix.
Today, footwork remains a fierce expression of the Windy City’s counterculture. It continues to define the evolution of sound.
Jacking
House dance is a complex form of performance that includes many elements. Jacking, for example, is a popular technique used to match the rhythm of the music. It is a fast jerking motion of the arms that moves the torso.
There are three primary components to house dancing: jacking, footwork, and vogue. These elements are used to make the dance as exciting as possible.
Jacking is a popular dance style that originated in the 1980s. It is a combination of several different styles, including afro dances and b-boying.
The most important component of house dancing is jacking. It’s a “rippling” movement of the torso. The dance form was inspired by the beat of Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles’ music. In the late 80s, it started to become popular.
Jacking was also associated with disco dancing, as it has been described as a sex-driven form of dance. However, it is more freeform than formal disco styles.
House music, on the other hand, was created with dance in mind. As the culture of dance was evolving, dancers gave feedback to music producers. This led to the creation of a variety of dance forms.
Jacking is one of the earliest examples of a dance style that was influenced by house music. Jacking was originally used as a sexualized partner dance. Although it has since evolved into a more freeform dance, it remains a significant part of the house music genre.
Jacking has a long and colorful history. It likely originated from the multicultural roots of the early underground Chicago and London house scenes. By the late Nineties, jacking had made its way around the globe.
Jacking is the most obvious of the dance forms, but the footwork and vogue are also very important.
Lofting
House dancing is a style of dance that combines different types of dance. The main components of house dancing are improvisation, creativity and a smooth body movement. Usually, these are combined with footwork movements that are taken from afro dances, b-boying and tapping.
“Lofting” is a term that originated in New York’s Soho neighborhood. Lofting is a dance in which you gracefully ride a melodic tune while making graceful moves in and out of the floor.
Although the name of the “Loft” club in NYC sparked the phrase, it wasn’t the first time it was used. In fact, it was a fairly common term in the early 1970s.
One of the reasons for the Loft’s popularity was the music and the sound system. The quality of the music was top-notch. Also, the sound system was state-of-the-art. And, the best part was that the dancers didn’t have to be partnered.
David Mancuso, the owner of the Loft, began hosting parties on Valentine’s Day in 1970. This party attracted a variety of people, including record aficionados.
As the popularity of the Loft grew, more and more DJs attended. At one point, the Loft was a weekly event on Saturday nights, from midnight until 6 a.m. Guests paid $2 to attend.
It was a raucous affair. But, despite its fame, there was also an element of decency to the party. Guests were expected to sign an IOU before leaving the venue.
The loft was more than just a dance club. For many, it was a time to escape everyday routines and celebrate. Some even traveled to the loft from other parts of the world to see what the party was all about.
Sub-genres
House music is one of the original electronic music genres. Originally it was an underground sub-genre, but it has gained recognition and has been incorporated into popular mainstream music. It has also developed into a multitude of sub-genres.
There are a number of different types of house, and it is important to understand the various sub-genres of house in order to properly understand the style. Each sub-genre has its own unique characteristics.
One of the most recognized sub-genres of house music is big room house. This sub-genre originated in the Balearic Islands in the late 80s. Initially, it was a mixture of deep house and non-electronic music. As a result, it is ideal for peak-time events.
Another major sub-genre of house music is bass house. Bass house is a young sub-genre, but it has taken from several other house sub-genres to create its own distinct sound. In general, bass house features a heavy bassline, as well as “eccentric” fills and sound effects.
Funky House is another sub-genre of house that emerged in the late 1990s. The sub-genre combines disco and funk to create an upbeat, positive sound. A common feature of the sub-genre is vocals by female singers.
Afro-house is another distinctive sub-genre of house, combining African percussion and deep house. Some of its influences include jazz, soul, South African music, and rap.
Afro-house is usually played at a slower tempo, around 110 to 125 BPM. Many artists in the sub-genre use indigenous drums from around the world.
Ghetto house is a sexually explicit sub-genre of house. While there isn’t a specific definition for the genre, its main features are repetitive sexual lyrics and high-pitched, breakneck beats.
Origins
House music has roots in the Chicago nightclub scene in the early 1980s. It has evolved into many electronic dance music genres. In the mid-90s, house music enjoyed a period of mainstream success.
The music spawned numerous hit songs. The music itself was a fusion of elements of disco, funk, and electronic music. These were often augmented with bass drums and off-beat hi-hats.
In the late 80s and early 90s, house music was popular in Chicago, New York, and London. A DJ named Frankie Knuckles helped to bring the genre to the public. He had a residency at the Warehouse nightclub and had already experimented with disco tracks.
As the music gained popularity, it influenced the pop culture of the era. It was also the precursor to the underground nightclub scene. Nightclubs allowed people to escape the stresses of their everyday lives.
Many marginalized groups came together to form a community around a common love for music. This included Black and gay communities. During this time, law enforcement unfairly associated these clubs with crime. They also forced LGBTQ+ individuals into these clubs.
Several DJs had a hand in bringing house music to the mainstream. Some of them include Marshall Jefferson, Larry Heard, and Frankie Knuckles. All three have their own stories to tell.
Deep house and acid house were the most popular forms of the genre during this time. Acid house began as DJ Pierre’s experiment with the Roland TB-303 Bass module.
House music eventually became the world’s most popular genre. It has spread to countries throughout the world. Most people are familiar with popular DJs like Avicii and Swedish House Mafia.
Although White DJs became more prominent in the house scene, there are still a number of Black electronic dance music artists. Honey Dijon is a prominent one. She is also a historian of Black musical traditions and has been a mainstay on dance floors for decades.