yoko.cool / The balletic nature of jookin (4:11)
Jookin, like krumpin, is a recently evolved dance style, developed as a self-expressive way of releasing the stresses of living in the inner city. But unlike the explosive, wild style of krumpin, jookin is smooth, almost unbelievably smooth.
You may have heard of Lil Buck. He danced to a live cello performance of “The Dying Swan” by Yo-Yo Ma and Spike Jonze caught it on video, which quickly went viral. Pause: if you haven’t seen it already, you need to stop reading and watch it right now (3:45).
This time around, Lil Buck (light-up pants) is joined by fellow jooker Prime Tyme (milk-white kicks), and they slide and step around the grounds of Lincoln Center, home to the New York City Ballet.
While their origins and performers are pretty much entirely the opposite of one other, it is near-impossible to watch jookin and not think of ballet. Look at the turns and the pointe-like balancing! It’s as if a pair of ballet dancers put on a pair of sneakers. Of all of the street dances I’ve seen, I find jookin to be by far the most beautiful.
Bonus: The latest from Lil Buck and Prime Tyme, on a pretty wall (2:49).
Yoko