This project facilitates cultural engagement and free expression by taking waacking, a 1970s
freestyle street dance created by the queer community, and placing this art form in an
unexpected theater setting—thereby making it accessible to a broader population. The mission of the work is to promote equity in the concert dance space and raise awareness of a style centered around liberated identity. Waacking is a style that arose out of marginalization. Originally known as “punking,” a subversion of a derogatory term for gay men, this dance allowed queer folks to freely express themselves within the shelter of underground clubs at a time when it was not safe to do so in public. Characterized by rapid arm rolls, striking motions, and dramatic poses, the powerful and unrestrained aesthetic of waacking is directly linked to the liberatory origins of this dance.
This theater production is a rare opportunity for waackers to have our art witnessed on a larger scale. Within the already-marginalized umbrella category of street dance, waacking is often overlooked by event/show producers in favor of more “masculine” styles like breaking and hip hop, and there is very little awareness of this form. Presenting this work in a theater rather than the traditional avenue of a battle offers the public a chance to learn about this style in a more relatable context. At the same time, the show disrupts norms around what types of art and artists are “deserving” of presenting in a concert setting.
