“There Were Females That Danced Too”: Uncovering the Role of Women in Breaking History
In the first-ever article written about breaking, performance critic Sally Banes (1981) characterized the dance as “a celebration of the flexibility and budding sexuality of the gangly male adolescent body.” The “macho quality” she found embodied in the form was highlighted in terms of its “ritual combat,” its “sexual braggadocio,” and the “physical risk involved” in executing movements. Although, at that point, she had only witnessed the dance performed by a single group, the Rock Steady Crew, and admittedly knew little about its history.