UNDERGROUND DANCE MASTERS: Final History of a Forgotten Era - SIGNED

Hard cover book and autographed by the author Thomas Guzman-Sanchez
Availability: 7 in stock
Delivery date: 3-5 days
$35.00
"Innovative, informative and intriguing—this is a unique history of urban dance, and a must-read for all concerned with cultural creativity and social networking in America." 

Joan L. Erdman, Professor of Anthropology and Cultural Studies, Columbia College, Chicago
 
This book is a comprehensive, historical bible on the subject of urban street dance and its influence on modern dance, hip-hop, and pop culture.

From Michael Jackson's unforgettable step that became known as the moonwalk, to the dance moves of today's pop stars like Usher and Justin Bieber, all aspects of modern pop dance—and consequently pop culture—are derived from the inspired, unsung heroes of an underground urban dance movement that dates back to 1967.

Underground Dance Masters: Final History of a Forgotten Era is a comprehensive history of urban street dance and its influence on dance, fashion, and pop culture. It is the first—as well as the definitive—history of urban dance. The book features famed director/choreographer Kenny Ortega and the collective of legendary dance masters of urban dance. The renowned groups Chain Reaction, Black Messagers AKA Mechanical Device, Electric Boogaloo, Lockers, Rock Steady Crew, Starchild La Rock, and Granny & Robotroid Inc. are recognized for their historical contributions.

Urban street dance—which is now mistakenly referred to across the globe as either "break dance" or "hip-hop dance"—was born 15 years prior to the word hip hop ever existed. Unfortunately today, the dance innovators from "back in the day" have been mostly forgotten, except when choreographic echoes of their groundbreaking dance forms are repeatedly recycled in today's media. Those moves were honed by urban dancers from the late 1965 into the 90's on the streets of Reseda, South Central Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, Fresno, Hollywood, the Bronx, and Brooklyn.

In Underground Dance Masters, Thomas Guzman-Sanchez, a legendary urban street dancer who was not only witness but a key part of the street dance scene since 1973, sets the record straight, blowing the lid off this uniquely American dance style and culture. This text redefines what is referred to as "hip hop dance" and the origins of a worldwide dance phenomenon. It exposes for the first time the origins of the classic urban dance forms of Funk Boogaloo, Locking, Crossover Locking, Popping, Roboting, Zig-zag, Punking, Posing, Krumping and B-boying—the most important developments in dance history that directly affect today's pop culture worldwide.
As per PRAEGER/ABC-CLIO Publishing 2012

 

 
   |  



About the Author

THOMAS GUZMAN-SANCHEZ
Author, Filmmaker, Urban Street Dance
Historian/Anthropologist, Dancer, Choreographer &
Musician.

 
Thomas is a California native (SoCal Latino) born in 1958 and raised in Reseda. Thomas is an OG (original generation) dance master and a co founding member of the legendary dance group Chain Reaction. Since 1973, he has been both an originator and pioneer of the dance forms of Crossover Locking, Zig-Zag, Popping, and Funk Boogaloo, which have influenced millions worldwide in what the many refer to as Hip-hop dance. He has choreographed and performed in countless TV shows, videos, commercials, and feature films. This includes choreographing James Brown in the Heroes of Rock’n Roll and a featured dance performance with Gene Kelly in Olivia Newton John’s 1980s classic Xanadu. In 1984, he formed the United Street Force and became the only urban street dance company to have ever performed at the White House. Numerous universities have adopted his study, which began in 1993, as the accepted authority on Urban Dance Studies in the late 20th century. He is a proud member of the board of advisers for the American Heritage Dictionary, responsible for 23 new words and definitions in the new American vernacular. In 2008 he was the recipient of the prestigious Christena L. Schlundt Lecture Award in Dance Studies at U.C. Riverside and honored as a key speaker and presenter at the Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association PCA/ACA conference in San Francisco California. Thomas who has taught outside studies for UCLA, Cal Tech is the only resource since 1996 for all academics and non-academics that teach or lecture about the history Urban Street Dance. He has continued touring the world teaching and inspiring young dancers as a leader in the future and perpetuation of Urban Dance.

Written by Robert Kubilos

Thomas Guzman-Sanchez IMDB
Product tags