Styles : Popping - The Rite Of Passage

Hey guys! Its Marzipan here with your style article of the month on Popping!

As you all know, popping has been viewed as rather "solo freestyle"- Thanks to all the hao lian kia around ... hahah you know im just kiddin about that last part right? Dont get offended all you poppers! Freestyle is the main element but choreography or group dynamics dont escape either. But for now, ill just elaborate on one of the main aspects of freestyle : The Dance Circle

Anyways, when we all first started, most of us are pretty scared of the circle. Yea you know which one im talking about, THAT circle. THE Circle. Otherwise known as The Arena, The Cypher, The RITE OF PASSAGE. Im sure you get my drift.

This Circle is an intimidating one, and you find your knees sometimes reduced to agar-agar, the cold wind blowing your teeth to a chatter and you might also end up vibrating into a pop... Haha. But yet, its such a part of our lives like our waistline....Ummm.. Yes the growing circle is good but not a growing waistline :P Anyways back to the circle, it is a place for you to show what you got and to just dance your heart out. Dancers sometimes say they get into the "Zone" where by they just get possessed by the music and everything else just comes subconsciously! Waaaaaay better than drugs dont you think?? Also, the circle is sort of like a platform for dancers to just come out in any situation, formal or informal. Think of it as a Personal Stage. Isnt it nice? A personal stage at almost anywhere with music!

Almost anything can happen in a circle: a callout, a battle, a showcase or just taking turns dancing. But as all dance ethics go, no fighting. The most popular forms are the Cypher and Battle Circles.

Now how do you get those nerves to stop shaking when you enter this nefarious sounding circle? Why, Practice of course! The more you enter the more confident you will feel. It may sound so simple but it really takes alot of time and frequency before you finally find your comfort level in a circle.

This now leads to the question of how to find a circle? Well, the best way is to find out if any poppers around you are going for a "session". Alternatively, you can start your own session and call others down! Sessions are a great opportunity to form a cypher circle and just watch each other dance. Comments and suggestions can come after the dancing is done. This is also one of the fastest ways to improve your dance as well as your circle-nerves. :) Thats why having a community is so important. Sessions also help to keep people together and helps new dancers feel more welcomed. So guys go out there and LET THERE BE SESSIONS!!!

As part of the effort that SGD is putting into growing the scene, we may come up with Session timetables next time. So you guys can find the nearest cypher location and dance! But please try to get this culture going. Its not just popping that has this culture. Every other street dance was born like this!

"When you dream you dance with your eyes closed. When you dance you dream with your eyes open"

-Marzipan