Expose Dance Fest Presents

Punking An American Classic

West Coast US Culture Meets West Coast Of Sweden

Sweden's First Event Dedicated To Punking/ Posing /Wh/acking

Celebrating 50 years of this birth of the dance

Organizer : Alyssa Chloe
DJ : Loffe Beats (SWE)
Host : Mike Gamble (US/SWE)

Judges : Viktor Manoel (US/MEX)
Dee Dee Duran (UK)
Lorena V (MEX/NL)

Locations: Various
Ticket Price: TBA

READ CAREFULLY BELOW

In addition to the competition, we will also have panel discussion and film screenings, workshops with our special international guests.

Competition Format:
Gino's was the legendary club from LA where Punking/Whacking was experienced and where the style reached its zenith under the mastermind of original Punker and DJ Michael Angelo. In honor of this, this competition will follow the original structure, and context established in Ginos to introduce how the dance was originally experienced while creating space and encouraging representation and participation of the styles from the evolution (whacking, waacking, Shway Style, etc)

Categories Are:
! vs ! Wh/acking
Group Showcase
Punking Dramatics
Punk Pop/ Lipsync Performance

What is Punking?

Punking is a street dance from the underground BIPOC Gay community of Los Angeles that was created in the early 1970s.

The word "Punk" was a derogatory term for gay men in the 1970s, that was reclaimed and transformed into an art form that, in the words of Viktor Manoel became" Expression out of oppression"

The dance borrows inspiration from silent films, movies, film stars and starlets (a la Greta Garbo, Fred Astaire, etc.) Musicals, Hollywood, Dramas, Cartoons, the photography book The Four Fabulous Faces, and other specific pop culture references and music of the era. The dance is characterized by acting/behavior, sharp striking movements and posing, extreme usage of space, athleticism, intricate musicality, and complete dominance of the music.

Whacking / Waacking

Whacking is the evolution of Punking that was adapted by dancers who learned the dance outside the originators of Punking. The word "Whack" inspired from the 1960s Batman Series, means to strike with force. The name was inspired the words the originators of Punking used to "loosely" describe their movement.

The spelling was changed to separate from the negative connotations of the word "Punk" and the original culture and references established in Punking.

The notable characteristics of the dance is an emphasis of the arm movements, inspired by original Punker, Tinker Toy as well as other influences within other styles of dance such as locking, jazz, soul dance, and more.

Many styles and variations have emerged as part of evolution.

To read more in detail about this dance
Check the links below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punking

https://www.latimes.com/.../viktor-manoel-and-lorena...

Note To Spectators :

If you are not an active representative of this style or the community, please be mindful of the space you take. If you would like to participate, please take the time to study and learn, including the nuances in the names, spellings, and styles. Any questions you have, please don't hesitate to ask the organizer, so you are not misled or misguided.

No racism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, body-shaming, or any kind of discrimination

See you in GBG !