PUNK DANCE: STREET ART FOR ALL AGES

Punk dance, it is sound so funny, but this is another branch of Punk art along with Punk music. Punk dance commonly performed at punk shows, these dances often appear chaotic or even violent, though they are often not with violent intent, but rather for fun. Unlike Hip Hop dance and breakdancing, punk dances are intended to be performed in crowded place. The dances are such Pogo, Moshing, Stage Diving, Crowd Surfing and Skanking. Let’s we go one by one.

The pogo is a dance where the dancers jump up and down, while remaining in the same location, especially in a common version of the dance, where an individual keeps their chest stiff, their arms rigid, and their legs close together. Although just as often, pogo dancers will wave their arms around wildly while thrashing their bodies about. Occasionally, dancers collide, but this is not necessarily part of pogo dancing. An uninformed bystander might get the impression that the dancers are attacking one another. People sometimes get injured when pogoing, but, more often than not, pogoers who fall to the ground are helped up instead of getting crushed. There is a general understanding that the pogo is fun, not a fight.

Moshing is another Punk art of dance. Moshing or slamming refer to the activity in which audience members at live music performances aggressively push or slam into each other. It is typically done in an area in front of the stage which is referred as the mosh pit or simply pit. While Moshing is seen as a form of positive feedback or reflection of enjoyment from live performances, it has also drawn some controversy over its dangerous nature. However, it is generally agreed that moshers are not trying to harm one another and follow an unwritten "moshing etiquette", or pit hospitality, which promotes safety through behaviours such as immediately helping fallen audience members back to their feet to avoid their being crushed.

On the other hand, Stage Diving is the act of leaping from a concert stage onto the crowd below. Initially seen as confrontational and extreme, stage diving has become common at Punk and rock performances. Many musicians have made stage diving a part of their stage act. Stage diving can cause serious injuries, as the stage diver can fail to be caught by the audience below and hit the floor with some force, sometimes head land first. Stage divers can also injure the people on whom they land, or knock them over to be crushed by the dancing crowd.

Crowd surfing can easily be describes the process in which a person is passed overhead from person to person during a concert, transferring the person from one part of the venue to another. The surfer is passed above everyone's heads, with everyone's hands supporting the surfer. At most concerts and festivals, the crowd surfer will be passed towards a barrier in front of the stage by the crowd, where they will be pulled off and put onto their feet by the security. Then, they will be sent back to the side or rear of the crowd at the end of the barrier or they may be ejected from the venue.

The last dance called Skanking. The dance style originated in the 50’s or 60’s at Jamaican dance halls, where ska music was played. The British Mods and Skinheads of the 60’s adopted these types of dances and introduced it. But, the Punk version features a sharp striking out look with the arms and is sometimes used in moshing to knock around others doing the same. For punk version, it can be seen during Ska Punk band performance.

BY : MIMI FARIZA (A123874)