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The terms "hand glide" and "back slide" are classic moves from the dynamic street dance style that exploded in popularity during the 1980s. The hand glide involves a dancer spinning on one hand while their body is low to the ground, while the back slide is a foundational footwork move where a dancer appears to glide backward smoothly. This latter move is often considered a precursor to Michael Jackson's famous moonwalk, which he popularized a few years later.
This acrobatic art form originated in the Bronx, New York, during the 1970s as one of the four key pillars of hip-hop culture, alongside DJing, MCing (rapping), and graffiti art. Dancers, known as b-boys and b-gurls, would perform their most impressive moves during the percussive, instrumental "breaks" of funk and soul records, spun by pioneering DJs like Kool Herc. This is how the dance style earned its name.
The dance reached its peak mainstream consciousness in the early 1980s through films like Flashdance and Breakin'. Dance crews would gather on street corners, often with a piece of cardboard or linoleum as their stage, to engage in "battles." These competitions showcased skill, creativity, and athleticism, featuring a dizzying array of power moves like windmills and headspins, cementing the dance's place as a defining cultural phenomenon of the decade.
This question is part of: 80s trivia questions and answers
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