![]() In Hong Kong in 1985, where the hip hop craze had caught on earlier, Donnie Yen displayed the connectivity between the two art forms in the movie Mismatched Couples, in which the martial arts master showed off his popping and locking skills. In many ways, it made sense that the hyper physical movements of breakdance connected with Chinese audiences, as in the US prominent early Bboys claimed that they took inspiration for their power moves from kung fu or martial arts. In 1988, the iconic film Rock n Roll Kids (摇滚青年) - directed by controversial fifth generation filmmaker Tian Zhuangzhuang and starring dancer Tao Jin - was integral in bringing a Chinese slant to the new form of creative expression that was taking the country by storm. This enthusiasm for breakdancing also influenced how hip hop culture was depicted in Chinese productions for the big screen, a year after Breakin’ had become popular. The style and movement of breakdancing as portrayed in the movie caught the imagination and inspired an entire generation of Chinese street dance enthusiasts, with 霹雳舞 or “thunderbolt dance,” as breakdancing came to be known in China, catching on with young Chinese people looking for something new to engage with. The arrival of the 1984 Joel Silberg movie Breakin’ in mainland Chinese cinemas in 1987, during a time of cultural opening up in the country, caused a flurry of excitement for China’s youth. Just like rap music, street dance has a longer history in the country than the sudden rush of hype-laden talent contests now putting under the mainstream spotlight might suggest. With massive stars such as Jackson Wang, Lay Zhang and Wang Yibo lending their influence and dance skills, the show has helped boost street dance from a fringe cultural offering to the mainstream.īut how did hip hop dance initially emerge in China? Modern movies like Hustlers have completely reinvented the dance movie genre and injected the world of exotic dance with even more interesting storytelling possibilities.The third season of dance battle TV show Street Dance of China comes to a close on streaming platform Youku this weekend after a run that has proven to be a phenomenon across the country. Though they have never fallen out of style, the popularity of dance films comes in waves, with certain decades and eras being hotbeds of new and exciting examples of the genre. While many dance movies are skewered by critics for their abundant spectacle but thin plotting, some have transcended even the pickiest pundits to become beloved pieces of cinematic history. ![]() ![]() As dance itself has grown across the generations, so too has the dance movie by bringing in every type of the art form, from traditional ballet to break dancing and everything in between. ![]() Though the definition of a dance film has been stretched by the incorporation of other genre tropes, the typical dance movie has plenty of exquisite choreography and manages to tell a visual story through the art form. By capturing the wonderful spectacle on the big screen, dance movies have been a popular genre since the birth of cinema, and continue to enrapture audiences today. ![]()
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