Street Dance's Potential to Transform Museum Inclusivity and Decolonization
On August 26, 2022, at 10:30 am, a masterclass at Amsterdam Dance Center drew forty international students during Summer Dance Forever, where they learned the 'loose leg' dance move from Brooklyn's late 1980s. The global evolution of street dance encompasses styles like hip hop, breaking, and voguing, with studios located in cities such as Shanghai and Los Angeles. On September 25, 2022, at 5 pm, Black teenagers showcased hip-hop dancing outside the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nice, signaling a disconnect from art exhibitions. Additionally, Christelle Oyiri's exhibition at Tramway in Glasgow on August 14, 2022, presented a video essay on logobi, a dance from Ivory Coast, exploring themes of decolonization in art. Street dance fosters cultural connection and inclusivity, promoting respect and sharing.
Key facts
- Forty students attended a masterclass at Summer Dance Forever in Amsterdam on August 26, 2022.
- Street dance includes styles like hip hop, breaking, and house, originating from marginalized communities claiming space.
- Breakdancing will debut as a medal event at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
- At the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nice on September 25, 2022, Black teenagers danced outside while few non-white visitors were inside.
- Christelle Oyiri's exhibition Gentle Battle at Tramway in Glasgow on August 14, 2022 featured her video on logobi dance.
- Logobi emerged in mid-1980s Ivory Coast and spread to Paris suburbs in the late 2000s to early 2010s.
- The Palais de la Porte Dorée in Paris, built in 1931 for colonial propaganda, now houses the National Immigration Museum since 2007.
- Street dance studios have expanded globally, including in Shanghai shopping malls and Los Angeles car parks during COVID.
Entities
Artists
- Christelle Oyiri
Institutions
- Amsterdam Dance Center
- Summer Dance Forever
- Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Nice
- Hong Kong Museum of Art
- Southbank Centre
- Tramway
- Palais de la Porte Dorée
- National Immigration Museum
- Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Locations
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Brooklyn
- Hong Kong
- Shanghai
- Los Angeles
- Paris
- France
- Nice
- Glasgow
- Scotland
- London
- Ivory Coast
- Guadeloupe