Brooklyn Uprock • Circa 1967-68

Throughout the mid-60's and 70's; Brooklyn was home to many Street Gangs. Rubberband Man and Apache were all too familiar with these violent times as they grew up in the Bushwick area. They often associated with the Devil's Rebels and other local Brooklyn Gangs. Although they socialized within a dangerous circle of friends, getting into trouble was not their ultimate goal. They loved to dance; mainly to Salsa, Soul and Funk music and wanted to channel their energy and talent towards something new. So, they created a new dance-form called "Rocking". Rubberband Man and Apache would dance in public while listening to the radio. They used a mixture of moves from Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Salsa and later the Hustle. As the dance developed, body movements called "Jerks" and hand gestures called "Burns", would be added to imitate a fight against an opposing dancer. Rubberband Man and Apache morphed these dance styles, movements and gestures together to create a unique and original street dance. Many gangs began to perform this dance. It became a commonplace to see gang members hanging out in corners Rocking against each other. Thus, Rocking became a competitive dance that caught on very quickly. By the early 70's Rocking became a true local dance form - not just a "Gang" dance. Continue