Breaking Boundaries: An Urban Dance Center

Breaking Boundaries : an urban dance centermichelle peterson thesis spring 2009

Breaking Boundaries : an urban dance centera thesis by michelle peterson

spring 2009

“Hip hop is supposed to uplift and create, to educate people on a higher level and to make a change”

- Doug E. Fresh

Language of the Beat

Before the introduction of street dance in the entertainment market, it was a spontaneous, un-choreographed connection of steps that embodied the creativity and energy of the dancer. The movement reflected the opinions, hardships, and relationships, of the dancers as an extension of the music and connection to the beat. Unfortu-nately, the music industry has altered the original message and as-sociated the dance with sex, drugs, gangs, and violence.

This thesis explores the spontaneous expression of the dance and urban culture. It aims to change the negative stereotypes and re-turn street dance to a recognized social art form. The Urban Dance Center promotes the accessibility of dance through its communal aesthetic and unites dancers from different backgrounds through the language of the beat.

Table of Contents

introduction

analysis

precedents

process

design bibliography

8 - 12

13 - 26

27 - 36

37 - 48

49 - 74

75 - 79

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Breaking Boundaries : an urban dance center

The definition of an art form has changed in the 21st Century. It’s not limited to the highly refined, stereotypical of beauty define by the classical styles, but has grown to include urban grit. As musician Tupac Shakur once put it, “Roses grow from cracks in the concrete, in this new hip hop world, art appears everywhere.” But unfortunately this openness isn’t shared by everyone. In the art of dance, the separation between the bustling street and the performance hall remains at opposite ends. Jeff Chang explains that, “Concert dance is still an elite art form enjoyed by audiences educated in its language.” One must wonder how this happened in an art rooted in social and cultural forces. Perhaps the concert styles have simply lost their connection with the social issues of everyday life. (Chang, Jeff). There is one form of dance that hasn’t lost this connection and could be a vehicle for change. Street dance has become a publicly recognized art form that reflects the current issues of today’s society. It is a complex system of ideas, values, and concepts that provide a brutally honest view of life. The problem is that the dance industry as a whole is reluctant to acknowledge the style as a legitimate form of dance. Yet Natasha Bunbury declares, “There’s no real excuse for not acknowledging such a phenomenal contribution to the arts and culture of the 21st century.” (Bunbury, Natasha). Street dance began in the 1970’s and 80’s with block parties in the Bronx. Kaitlin Harvey explains, “The style was directly tied to the social hardships of the urban culture in New York City. The dance

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introduction

and music reflect the opinions, hardships, and relationships, of the dancers as an extension of the music.” Through this strong connection to the beat, street dance became associated with the development of rap music. But it wasn’t until the introduction of MTV that street dance found a home in popular culture. Sadly, the industry’s agenda was not to advance the art form, but saw it from a business perspective of selling music and making money. In order to attract as much attention as possible, the music industry repackaged street dance to be synonymous with violence, gangs, sex and drugs. (Bunbury, Natasha). This association has not only caused a huge problem in the art form’s advancement, but it sends the wrong message. These music videos have perpetuated negative gender stereotypes through the glorification of sex and violence. They are attempting to normalize unequal social behavior under the false label of art. “When young girls are constantly bombarded with images and messages in music videos, willing to commit crimes for their men, they are more likely to mistake the violence and abuse committed by their men as a legitimate expression of love,” as Sheng Kuan Chung explains. These overexposed images take away from the fact that street dance is a serious and legitimate art form. (Sheng Kuan Chung) Before street dances’ introduction into the entertainment market, street dance was a spontaneous, unchoreographed connection of steps that reflected the creativity and energy of the

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dancer. For the youth who participated in this culture, every move had a goal and a purpose for its execution as described by Sara LaBoskey. The dancers’ weapons became their bodies and minds through which they communicated a wide variety of emotions and messages. One of the most important features of street dance is the high degree of interaction between dancer and audience. As Halifu Osumare explains, “It is the collective energy of the circle to which each individual has contributed that is evaluated as success or failure. Therefore, this communal aesthetic promotes a particular kind of socialization.” These circles, or ciphers, are entirely unique to street dance. They produce a level of interaction that is absent in concert dance. (Carl and Virgil Taylor). The importance of street dance lies in its integration of everyday activities into an aesthetic form of meaning and its ability to empower the youth culture. This connection to the younger generations makes the style aptly suited to progress the art of dance as a whole. “What was once limited to the urban streets has become a widespread form of communication perpetuated by the electronic age.” Explains Carl and Virgil Taylor. It has grown into a mainstream art form that influences almost every segment of the globe. And, not surprisingly, has influenced an increasing number of teens, regardless of their racial or national background. This form of dance has truly been able to tie the world’s youth together through the universal language of music. (Natasha Bunbury).

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introduction

“This cardboard square became a haven for self-expression and hope, a source of life.”-Sara LaBoskey

“Hip-hop is supposed to uplift and create, to educate people on a larger level and to make a change.”-Doug E. Fresh

“The difference in Street Dance is that creativ-ity starts the process. It’s the urge to project something about yourself that say who you are, a defining moment that say “Look what I can do” or “Can you do it better?” But secretly within you’re challenging yourself to push your own limit of how great you can be.”-Natasha Bunbury

the analysis

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Site Location and Walking Distance

The site is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the west side of the Milwaukee River on Old World 3rd Street. The site is currently part of an undeveloped strip of the city, the remains of the expressway re-moval. There is an eight foot difference in topography from Old World 3rd Street to the river. The majority of the elevation change occurs in the zone along the river walk. The site is 148 feet wide in the east-west direction and 275 feet in the north-south direction.

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the analysis

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History

This area on Old World 3rd Street was originally settled by German immigrants in the early eighteen hundreds. The buildings were as distinctive as the settlers with colorful shutters, half timber construc-tion, and numerous towers. Due to its character and activity, life in Milwaukee eventually revolved around this street. As the Sanborn map shows, the site was part of an old rail yard. A history not unlike the development of street dance.

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the analysis

Historical Images Current Images

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Figure Ground Diagram

The removal of the expressway has left a void through the city’s fabric. The city has an opportu-nity to claim this “no man’s land” back through the redevelopment of these vacant lots. Ultimately, remairing the scar and acting as a transition be-tween downtown and the residential neighbor-hood to the north.

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the analysis

Park East Redevelopment

There are currently many projects proposed or recently built within this void of the city. These projects are all similar in style and function, there’s no real destination within the neighbor-hood. The dance center could provide a destina-tion in the area and along the riverwalk. It’s also an opportunity to extend the entertainment area from the south and create an art’s district in Mil-waukee.

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Nightlife - Bars and Dining

Since street dance originated in the street, it’s important for the dance center to connect to the nightlife and add to the energy of the city streets. This diagram shows the plethora bars and dining within walking distance of the site, especially along Old World 3rd Street and Water Street.

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the analysis

Schools and Bus Routes

The diagram on the left shows the schools within walking distance of the site. A connection to schools is important to provide students with the oppor-tunity for an extra curricular activity. Even though there aren’t many schools within walking distance, the site is located on a bus line and in the vicinity of multiple lines.

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River

The site is located along the west side of the Milwaukee River. The river acts as a boundary physically separating the east and west sides of Milwaukee, resulting in two distinctly different neighborhoods. But the river is also provides a benefit to Milwaukee, of-fering great views of downtown and a connection to water. The dance center would have an opportunity to capi-talize on these benefits, espeically for outdoor performances.

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the analysis

Riverwalk

There is currently a proposal to ex-tend the rierwalk that ends just south of the site. Unfortunately, there cur-rently aren’t many destinations for pedestrians along the walk. Eventu-ally, the dance center could become a destination along the riverwalk, bringing people into the site.

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Access Points

Pedestrian traffic travels from the South on Old World 3rd Street and from the East on Juneau Avenue. These are primarily people who are enjoying the entertainment and-nightlife along these streets. Local traffic also travels from the same di-rection. Faster traffic travels along the northern street, entering the city off the expressway.

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the analysis

Anchor Points

Based upon the direction of both vehicle and pedestrian traffic, the corners of the site become important, but for very different reasons. Signage is key on the northern corner to grab the attention of the faster moving traffic. The entrance should be placed at the southern corner since this is where visitors will enter the site.

the precedents

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From a distance, the structure appears to be just another industrial shed, punctured by a few openings that might be ware-house doors. But upon further inspection the building is not at all what it seems. The structure is clad in semi-translucent, col-ored poly carbonate that shifts between lime, turquoise and magenta. Daylight passing through these walls providing a changing colored backdrop for the dance studios. The windows that puncture the poly carbonate are mirrored glass that reflect the surrounding context and ob-scure views of the interior. By night the glow from the interior displays the danc-ers’ moving shadows onto the exterior.

Laban

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the precedents

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The Walker Art Center has a reputation for its commitment to progressive visual art and experimental performances by emerging artists. Herzog and de Meuron’s addition to the museum acknowledges today’s changing museum culture with it’s unusual geometric forms, high profile, and openness to the exterior.

Walker Art Center

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the precedents

Analysis - Frame and Object

The Walker Art Center’s parti is an example of the idea of frame and object. There is a very clear frame upon which Herzog and de Meuron places several objects. These elements can interact with one another in many different ways, but ultimately it comes down to a question of control. The frame dominates over the objects in one situation where the objects dominate the frame in another. The concept of frame and object comes down to a simple question - who’s in control and when?

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The Japanese print began in the 8th century when Buddhist scholars used wood cut prints to produce sacred texts and images. But it wasn’t until the 17th century when the middle class created a demand that the prints gained a signifi-cant value.

Early Japanese prints consisted of strong linear black and white images, which were originally colored by hand. As the artists refined their techniques, multiple colors were applied to the wood blocks, sometimes requiring multiple blocks.

Japanese Prints

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the precedents

Ukiyo-e literally means “pictures of the floating world.” It depicts images out-side the mundane world such as the sea-sons or images of geisha. Subsequently, prints were used as a distraction from the harsh realities of everyday life.

The term “floating world” may also be used in the analysis of these prints. The images appear flat as if pressed between two sheets of glass. The artsts purpose-fully place the images on the paper to relate to the edges in a specific way. Sometimes the edge is dominate while other times the images overtakes the frame. All the while maintaing a geomet-rica fluidity to the composition.

“Floating World”

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The Oslo Opera House, designed by Snøhetta, is an example of buildings be-coming topography. It’s an aesthetic of folded planes that transition seamlessly between wall, ceiling, and ground. This idea breaks the stereotype that perfor-mance is an internal and private affair reserved for the elite. Instead the Oslo Opera House creates an unexpected dynamic both internally and externally that becomes a cultural experience for the city.

Oslo Opera House

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the precedents

the process

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City Layers - The Interstitial Space of Dance

Cities are constructed of a series of layers that are stacked one on top of the other. There are the rooftop terraces reserved for the luxury suites in the sky, severed from the street below. An elevat-ed train system might hover between the terraces and the street below. This first level of street is the city proper where trees and planters line the bustle of daily life. The next level of streets is the system of delivery trucks and service vehicles. This level is the

gritty portion of the city, necessary to support the level above. Then below that might be a series of tunnels that support a sub-way system. Street dance is found in the interstitial spaces with-in the city. Dancers are found in the alleys, on the sidewalk, be-neath bridges, and in empty lots. It lives beneath the city proper in the gritty system of services needed to support the city.

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the process

Relationships Between Building and Landscape

Buildings can have many different relationships with the land-scape. The landscape can help form the building, resulting in a gentle merging of the two. The building can also emerge out of the landscape, as if it has been pushed up from the earth. The building can also be inserted or pushed down into the earth. These last two create a dynamic dialectic between landscape and building

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Process

The design process began with a series of clay models studying the overall composition of the site. The goal was merge building and landscape into one cohesive whole, instead of a “toaster in a park” scheme. I wanted the visitor to explore the site and understand the building through their sense of discovery.

This first series of models explored the idea of building as sculptural topography through both fluid and geometric solutions. I discov-ered that the building needed to retain an edgy quality to maintain it’s roots in urban culture.

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the process

Process Continued

The next step was a larger scaled series of iterations that focused on achieving the edgy quality of the streets. At the end of this exercise, I concluded that something missing from all of the clay models.

The building needed to retain a sense of flu-idity within the roughness since the dance is both hard and soft at the same time. But more importantly, I was missing the emo-tion of the dance and passion of the danc-ers. Ultimately, this project needed to be a spontaneous expression of the dance and culture.

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Essence of a Place

After discovering that the emotion was missing from the project, it was necessary to change my approach. I wasn’t going to produce a building that expressed street culture using a standard design process. Therefore, I stepped back from the building to focus on the spontaneity of the dance and emotion of the dancers.

These drawings are five second expressions of the “essence of the building.” They weren’t origi-nally meant to be concrete images of building form or floor plans, but drawings capturing the essence of the place. After completing the exer-cise, I was shocked at their resemblance to graf-fiti art. This was the turning point in the project.

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the process

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Precedents Revisited - Graffiti

I decided to turn to graffiti art as the strongest precedent in the design of the urban dance center. As I stated earlier, it was important for the building to ex-press the culture from which the dance originated. Both art forms portray the struggles of life and reflect the emotions of the artist.

Upon a greater investigation into the art of graffiti, one finds that the images are quite complex. There is an overall form that comprises the image, then ele-ments within the image accentuate the complex geometries.

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the process

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Form Expression and Exploration

Using the graffiti as inspiration in expressing the culture, I investigated a series of options. for building form. I kept in mind the concept of frame and object, where the site’s edges are the frame and the building becomes the object. Since the site is bound on three edges by streets, the only edge I could manipulate was along the river.

The form I ultimately picked is on the following page. This option was both smooth and edgy with a sense of move-ment, just like the dance styles. It also had a sense of be-ing unresolved in the same way street dance is unresolved within itself and within mainstream society.

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the process

the design

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Axon from Southeast

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the design

Axon from Southwest

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Axon from Northeast

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the design

Axon from Northwest

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Site Plans

The urban dance center will become a des-tination for the neighborhood and along the riverwalk. It is a sculptural beacon for the arts that is an expression of the dance and culture from which it originated.

Since the site is bound on three sides by streets, the “object” building breaks the “frame” along the river’s edge. A pedestrian bridge links across the river to a future site. This other site could also become a dance oriented site completing a destination along the river.

There are two exterior performance spaces on the site, a highly public space on the southwestern corner and a more private space in the middle. The public is encour-aged to explore the site in order to fully un-derstand the building.

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the design

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Second Floor Plan - Street Level

The urban dance center is entered on the second floor. This level hous-es a moveable cafe where dancers can grab a snack between classes or interact with the public after a show. The audience can also use this space to view a performance taking place in the space below. This floor also houses the center’s offices for management and mar-keting.

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the design

First Floor Plant - River Level

The first floor, or river level, hous-es the studio spaces and “perfor-mance space.” These performance spaces are non-traditional in that the audience travels from space to space to experience multiple performances. This allows a great-er degree of interaction between dancer and audience and actually includes the audience as a part of the performance.

There are glass panels comprising the northern and southern walls of the studios. These panels can be rolled back allowing a flexible dance environment able to suit the needs of the individual per-formance or class. These panels have images of the dance and graffiti that act as an expression of urban culture.

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River Elevation

The river elevation consists of glass that has a gradient from translucent to transparent as it moves from the outter edges in to the middle. This will allow the building to glow the colors of the performance lighting taking place inside, acting as a

beacon for the arts. The gradient also plays with different lev-els of visibility, from a full view into the dance center to merely moving shadows on the glass. This further challenges people’s perceptions of the building.

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the design

Street Elevation

The street elevation shows the sculptural quality of the build-ing rising up out of the topography, then slopping back into the ground. The site cast concrete walls facing the street are available for graffiti artists to “tag” the building. This

connects the building back to the art of graffiti and culture from which it originated. These murals could also be changed depending on the particular performance or message of the artists.

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the design

Structure is the steady “beat” upon which everything else riffs.

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Structure

The structure of the urban dance center con-sists of a two way concrete waffle slab. The walls along the street side are site cast con-crete while the wall along the river is an an-gled glass. This glass wall is used to take ad-vantage of the city and river views. The glass extends past the structure to become the railing above. This wall is supported by glass fins which allow an unobstructed view while keeping a consistant structural rhythm.

The building is undercut at it’s base where it meets the water.. Lighting is placed along this edge to make the building appear as if it’s floating on the water.

The floors of the dance center are sprung wood topped with marly. This is used instead of concrete to reduce the chance of injury to the dancers.

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the design

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the design

bibliography

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Bibliography

Bunbury, N. (2006). Does Street Dance Need a Formal Curriculum? Retrieved September 8, 2008, from The Association of Dance of the African DiasporaWeb site: http://www.adad.org.uk/metadot/index.pl?iid=22866

Chung, S. (2007, May). Media/Visual Literacy Art Education: Sexism in Hip Hop Music Videos. Music Education. 60(3), 33-38.

Harvey, Kaitlin. (2008). Personal Interview.

Herzog and de Meuron 2002-2006: the monumental and the intimate. (2006). El Croquis no. 129/130

LaBoskey, S. (2001/02, Winter). Getting Off: Portrayals of Masculinity in Hip HopDance in Film. Dance Research Journal. 112-120.

Osumare, H. (2002, Winter). Global Breakdancing and the Intercultural Body. Dance Research Journal. 30-45.

Sommer, S. (2004, July). Prophets in Pumas: When Hip Hop Broke Out. DanceMagazine. 78(7), 30-32.

Taylor, C. & Taylor V.(Winter 2004). Hip Hop and Youth Culture: Contemplations of anEmerging Cultural Phenomenon. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 12(4), 251-53.

Thomas, Safi. (2008). Personal Interview.

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bibliography

Wisner, H. (2007, October). Crash Course: Hip Hop. Dance Magazine. 82-84.

http://www.city.milwaukee.gov/MapMilwaukee3480.htm

http://maps.google.com/

http://ridemcts.com

www.oslooperahouse.com/

http://www.wired.com/culture/design/magazine/16-12/pl_design

Special Thanks To:

My Committee: Don Hanlon, Jeffrey Ollswang, and Iain Court

My Advisors: Christopher Klein, Kristi Jacobs, and John Wroblewski

And my family

Thank you for challenging me to step outside my comfort zone while continually believing in me. I couldn’t have done this project without your support.

Documents

Breaking Boundaries: An Urban Dance Center