<Walking Apocalypse>
Reg.datum: Jun 2003
Ort: Krampusköping
Inlägg: 19 896
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Skank is a form of dancing found in the ska (or ska-core) and hardcore punk scenes.
Origins
Skanking originated in the dance halls of Jamaica in the 1950's-60's, where it was used to dance to ska music. The mods and skinheads (skins) later took these types of dances and changed them, leading to the current type of skanking, which is an altered version of second wave ska's skank. Skanking is very popular at ska shows.
The Skinhead variation of skank was a lot more violent, however, and shares some influences with mosh dancing (moshing).
When done at hardcore shows, it is often referred to as 'two-stepping'.
There is no proper way to skank, the dance is generally made up on the spot and subject to personal interpretation. It follows no specific pattern other than an on beat "skip". The violence of this dance differs depending on the show or music it is danced to.
Skanking
The act of skanking is very simply a stylized skipping action, and the skanking done at ska shows has a different intention to it, that is to say, less aggresive than other popular dances, such as moshing or slam-dancing. It has been describes as "trying to knee yourself in the face and simultaneously kicking the back of your head". Although sometimes related to moshpits due to the pushing and shoving of the crowd, due to the close quarters (and often smelly, hot and sweaty), its not very common for one to be seriously hurt. Ska concerts feature a variety of types, but more women then one might expect, and except for a few, the crowd is generally very kind. Although uncommon, people sometimes fall in the pit: it is an unwritten rule to immediately pick anyone up who falls.
The signature sign of a Rudie(one who is a big Ska fan) is his or her ability to Skank. 80's, 90's and present day Ska has introduced an accepted form of skanking, but has left room for those who are feeling creative or daring. Think of a march to a beat, albeit those beats are only upbeats. Now, to skank, one "marches" and lifts up one knee, while thrusting forward the opposite arm (left knee-right arm, right knee-left arm), then pulls back back and lifts up the other knee/arm. He or she matches the pace of the song, and often blurs the motions, sometimes thrusting the arms down, or kicking the knees back. Again, there is room for change, and there is no "right way to skank"
At a ska concert, when the music starts, the floor becomes an ooze, rocking back and forth, jumping up and down, screaming the lyrics. In this "pit", Skanking circles form. People push back the surrounding crowd, and several Skanks jump into the circle and start skanking. This circle can collapse as the crowd pushes into the open space, or it could enlargen to encompass more Skanks. Due to the increase in space, it can be more likely for one to be accidentally hit, or kneed, and theres a chance the crowd will engulf whoever jumps into the circle. For this reason, those who are more comfortable with skanking jump into the circle, while the more timid often keep the circle intact (and the jerks who just like to shove and push will try to destroy the circle).
The best way to get practice skanking is to go to a Ska concert, and watch. Watch how the experts form and perform in the skanking circles, and when you're comfortable, jump in.
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