An excerpt from the upcoming book SHOCKIN' THE HOUSE The History of American Street Dance
A Street Dancers interpretation of the music when improvising.
Its a three principal idea about music for us. The first is being on beat. And it's just the simple cadence of dancing (his finger snapped).. Then we have riding the beat. Which is what Boogaloo Sam does best "|which you ride the sounds from the music..So not just the beat..you ride all the sounds the horn hits the base drumb "| the kick drumb ah..Gutar licks "| the base.. any sound that comes out.. minie mogue what ever "|.So that's called riding the beat "|.and then the third and the most difficult is freekin the beat "|.. Now Freeking the beat is what you do inbetween the sounds to land on the beat..so you don't have to be on beat.. you have to land on beat "|so you have "|. on beat "| ridin the beat and freekin the beat.
Steven Nicholas AKA Skeeter Rabbit , Electric Boogaloo 1961 to 2006.
Shockin' the House is a book I've been writing on the History of American Street Dance. It will trace the evolution of this great American art form and will include pictures and interviews.. Toni Basil
Aug 2 2009 Toni was presented with
Hip Hop International's LIVING LEGEND OF HIP HOP AWARD click to view