B-boying, also known as breaking, breakdancing, or B-girling (for women) is a dynamic style of dance and one of the major elements of hip hop culture, commonly associated with, but distinct from some funk styles that evolved independently during the late 1960's in California. It was common during the 1980s to see a group of people with a radio on a playground, basketball court, or sidewalk performing a breakdancing show for a large audience.
. The term "B-boy" originates from the dancers at DJ Kool Herc's parties, who saved their best dance moves for the break section of the song, getting in front of the audience to dance in a distinctive, frenetic style. Hence the "B" stands for break-boy (or girl). According to the documentary film The Freshest Kids, a history of the b-boy; DJ Kool Herc describes the b in b-boy as short for breaking which at the time was slang for "going off" also one of the original names for the dance. However early on the dance was known as the "boiong" (the sound a spring makes). Breaking was briefly documented for release to a world wide audience for the first time in Style Wars, and was later given a little more focus in the fictional film Beat Street. It was then documented properly in the critically acclaimed documentary feature film: The Freshest Kids, a history of the b-boy. (released in 2002).
Breaking began to take form in the South Bronx alongside the other elements of hip hop. The name of the first B-Boy crew was The Zulu Kings.
Breakdancing
