Smithsonian
·Before Tik Tok taught us the latest dance crazes, people had to get a bit more creative.
Breakdancing, a style of dance at the center of hip-hop culture, was on the rise in the 1980s. This pack of View-Master 3D reels from 1984 in our Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture collection, features 21 pictures to create a how-to-guide to some of most popular moves of the time including the moonwalk, backspins and windmills.
Alongside the pictures, the reel for breakdancing lists the following instructions:
With ease you’ll slide like skating on ice.
Muscles made tight
To make it look twice as nice
Like a robot, keep stiff.
Arms lift while legs shift.
Slow or fast beat, keep your pace.
Move around or stay in one place.
If you need us, we’ll be practicing these moves.
