Crossfade loves a good laugh at the wonderful, weird range of human expression.
Hence, last week's deep anthropological studies on the phenomena that are these five crazy dances. Or the amazingness that is Mexican tribal guarachero and its related fashion.
But that was just scratching the surface in the contemporary world of strange bodily movement. Here are five more bizarre dance styles of the 21st century.
5. Perreo
Alright, "perreo" is more or less a catchall reggaeton-era term for dirty dancing. Yes, the word is related to "perro" or dog. Or, more specifically, doggy style. Get it, because the girl dances with her rear to the male partner's crotch. In the midwest, this thing is probably shocking. But if you grew up in Miami, it ain't no thang, just another day at the club. Well, when it's done between consenting adults. When teens or children start perreando, especially for the amusement of grown-ass adults, things just get weird, creepy, and flat-out gross.
4. "Moving Like Berney"
We're pretty sure this is not, despite the YouTube label, an actual major "dance sensation." We think it's more like, "This struggling rapper thought he would come up with a gimmick and call it a sensation in an attempt to catch on for five hot Internet minutes." It's also based on a misspelling. The "Berney" in question is really "Bernie," the dead star of the Weekend at Bernie movies. So yes, that means the dance is meant to mimic the flopping of a dead body being taken on wacky adventures.
3. The Pretty Boy Swag
Usually, the increasing ridiculousness of Soulja Boy needs no additional commentary. But the "Pretty Boy Swag" isn't just mediocre and repetitive -- it could actually kill if handled by the irresponsible!
2. Aggrotech
"Goth" as an entire subculture gets a bad rap. Once upon a time, it was an avant-garde post-punk movement that combined punk energy with a certain retro romanticism and sharp style. This was the movement that gave the world amazing bands like Bauhaus, Siouxsie Sioux, Christian Death, and even more Renaissance faire-type outfits like Dead Can Dance. Many are still keeping this spirit alive. Unfortunately, many more in the past 10 years or so took a weird candy-raver, "cyber route" and got into music that basically involves mournful Teutonic men wailing or screaming over what is essentially throwback trance.
This ain't goth, people, and it's not even really "industrial" per se any more. It's some weird offshoot with its own specific dance style, known as "aggrotech" in some circles. And it apparently can't involve too much wide-stance jumping or anything, as it apparently must often be done in garments that chain the legs together.
1. Hardstyle/Jumpstyle/Melbourne Shuffle
These are all styles of movement along the same spectrum, popular in places like the Netherlands and parts of Belgium. Apparently, these are places where any kind of fluid movement above the hips, beyond rigid arm flailing, is discouraged. How else to explain the frenetic, legs-only footwork that would make the Riverdance dude weep with envy? There are even hardstyle battles between crews in public places, like an updated, high-BPM techno version of Michael Jackson's "Bad" video.
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