Hip Hop Dance and Breaking

Artists: Raphael Xavier (Master Artist)

Jaamal H. Benjamin (Apprentice)

                                Photo by Mike Quain

Description of the Art Form

In 1977 an art form known as Breaking resurfaced in New York City and began to spread throughout the streets, catching the eyes of the public which included photographers and film makers.  By 1983 it was world wide and created great opportunities for the youth involved in the dance.  Although the form has many influences to date it, it began as a limited vocabulary with important building blocks known as foundation.  This foundation that would help the dance form move forward was lost over time due to the overwhelming marketing and commercial opportunities presented to young inexperienced dancers.  The dance quickly lost its momentum and interest in the form was gone. 

Raphael Xavier (Master Artist)

Place of birth: Wilmington, DE                       
Place of residence: Philadelphia, PA and Los Angeles, CA

Artist Statement

As a practitioner of the dance for 25 years, I have learned to re-create that foundation and pass it on to younger dancers so the dance could be learned at a pace that is sustainable.  This allows for the maturity and the longevity of the dance and the dancer to take shape.  At 37 years old, I continue to improve as a Breaker, artist, teacher and choreographer.  olive Dance Theatre, a dance company created by Jamie Merwin and myself, uses this re-developed vocabulary as the only vocabulary of the hip hop form.  It is the result of understanding the form, its history, the technical foundation of creating vocabulary and the capacity to see the future of the form and its possibilities.  With the Master and Apprenticeship programs, it makes it possible to pass down those preserved traditions and foundational elements of the dance.  I am able to set the standard for the future of the dance and its aesthetics.    

My influences as an artist vary.  I am not only a dancer but a photographer, film maker, musician, painter and vocal artist.  I began my journey as a teenager to make friends and also occupy time while my mother, a single parent, worked.  I had to find things to do to stay out of trouble.  As I got older I had those same models to help me focus and I am now able to help others in the same way.  I want to continue this dance form in my life's journey, incorporating all aspects of life.  This only allows me to grow as an artist with maturity and longevity, an historian, and an inspiration to others.

Accomplishments/milestones

Raphael Xavier learned different dancing techniques during his youth. Over time, various influences outside the art form began to shape his approach to the dance. Using these influences as a way to reinvent and add to the existing dance forms, Raphael began to develop his routines in a new and unique way. Some of his accomplishments as a result of training have been:   

• Co-founder/choreographer for olive Dance Theatre located in Philadelphia , PA.
• Partnering and networking with dance and cultural organizations in Philadelphia and surrounding regions.
• Training younger dancers and working with various dance companies as a choreographer.         
• Working with Rennie Harris Puremovment as a principal dancer and collaborator.
• Acting as a panelist for hip hop festivals and a variety of hip hop events.   
• Judging various dance competitions nationally and internationally.  
• Recognized as the 2005 Footwork Champion on the East Coast.                      
• Creating a new form/vocabulary called Ground-Core, which pushes the limits of the dance and practitioner.  
• Teaching the Ground-core course at UCLA and in Brazil .

Jaamal H. Benjamin (Apprentice)

Place of residence: Philadelphia , PA

Artist Statement

My art form is B-boying or Breaking. This art form gives me the feeling of a blank canvas where you can paint your individual picture. Your canvas is the floor and your paint brush is the body and you are in total control. What distinguishes this dance from other dances is its ability to use different levels, speeds, characters and constant drive to develop personally.

Accomplishments/milestones

Jaamal has trained in martial arts for seven year before turning to the art of B-Boying in 1996. After moving to Philadelphia from Clifton, NJ he realized what the art form was truly about and immersed himself in learning the craft and the history of the dance. In 2002, Jaamal began working with Raphael Xavier and olive Dance Theatre and became a core member akin on major solo performances in their productions. He is focusing on the technical skills of the dance to begin mastering the art form. “This experience, performing with Raphael in a theatrical atmosphere, will give me a new vision of the art form as a performer and I’m stronger now than I was before and have a broader look on my dancing and my personal vocabulary.” Jaamal is a member of Breaks Kru, a NYC B-boying crew that has become one of the B-boy community’s premier crews. He continues to work with olive Dance Theatre and looks forward to creating his own work in the future.