Korean B-Boys and Advent of AUDIENCE 2.0

WOONG JO CHANGThe Ohio State University

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Background Facts #1

In many of the world-levelbreak dancing competition events,Korean B-boys have cutbrilliant figures since 2002.

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Background Facts #2

Korean B-boys are leadingKorean performing arts scene

andKorean government takes it seriously.

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Background Facts #3

Long beforethe introduction of MySpace and Facebook,

South Korea already had Cyworld, a social networking site launched back in 1999

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Korean B-Boys

Successful Story of

Today, I will talk about

• B-Boying? B-boy?• B-Boying in US and Europe• Korean B-Boys in the World• Korean B-Boys in the Arts Scene

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WHY? • The Internet and IT in Korea• Institutionalization in the Virtual World• Web 2.0 and Audience 2.0

Today, I will talk about

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B-boys?Coined byKool Herc.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

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B-boying?B-boying or Break dancing is called so becausethey dance to the break part of music.

In late 60s and early 70sAfrican Americans in Bronx New York, started a sort of b-boying.

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Dancers, B-boys, began tomove up and down and pop up again on the beats.

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D.J.s developedvarious skills to emphasizebreak beats in their music.

B-boying in US

In US, B-Boying became popularized throughout the 70's and 80's.

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After late 80's,

B-boying was

losing

Its popularity.

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Image fro

m Amazon.com

In late 90's,B-boying gained its popularity again.

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This time, not only in USbut also in Europe and Asia.

“For just as b-boying was fading here [in the U.S], teenagers in Europe and Asia, who had watched the Rock Steady Crew and other greats on video, started forming their own crews.”

- Julie Bloom in New York Times

Battle?Head to head confrontationsbetween individuals or crewstrying to out-dance each other

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Battle?

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Korean B-Boys in the World

Korean B-boys have wonthe championship titlesin many world-level competitionssince 2002.

Image from www.redbullbcone.com/download1616

In BOTY,

2001 Visual Shock: Best Show

2002 Expression :Finalist

2003 Expression: Finalist

2004 Gambler: Finalist

2005 Last For One: Finalist

2006 Last For One: Finalist

2007 Extreme Crew: Finalist1717

In Red Bull BC One,

2005 Hong 10: Finalist

2006 Hong 10: Winner The End: Semi-finalist

2007 Hong 10: Semi-finalist

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In UK B-Boy Championships,

2002 Project Soul: Winner (team battle) Hong 10: Finalist(Solo battle)2003 Project Soul: Finalist (team battle)2004 Project Soul: Winner (team battle) Physics: Winner (Solo battle) Hong 10: Finalist(Solo battle)2005 Project Soul: Winner (team battle) Hong 10: Finalist(Solo battle)2006 Drifters: Finalist (team battle)2007 T.I.P: Winner (team battle)

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Planet B-boys (2008)

In the Movies

Hype Nation (2009)

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B-boying has become one of the notable materials inKorean Pop Culture.

In Pop Culture

Imag

e fr

om B

BOYS

TAR

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In the Arts

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a B-boyingmusical performanceas one of the6 Koreanrepresentative NonverbalPerformingarts

In the Arts

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Last Feb,in the inauguration ceremony forPresident Lee Myung-bak in Korea,

A B-boying performance by Last For One was heldas well as other Traditional percussion and opera performances.

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R-162727

B-boying was introducedin earnest to Koreain late 90's or early 2000's.

Korean B-boys are sweepingKorean Cultural Scene.and are leading the World’s B-boying Culture.

Now,

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“South Korea is at the forefront of the new wave of break-dance, or b-boy, artistry.”

- Julie Bloom in New York Times

&HOW? WHY?

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One Explanation

Similarity ofBeats and Movements

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Another Explanation

Examination Hellin Korea

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A Very Miscellaneous Explanation

A Comic Book

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Explanation for Today

The Highly Developed

IT Environmentin Korea

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Some Facts of IT Environment in Korea

Over half of South Koreans have migrated their cell-phone to 3G.

In 2006, 57% of South Korea's music sales were digital.

South Korea became the first country to launch DMB to cell phones in 2005.

From Tomi Ahonen's book, Digital Korea

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Some Facts of the Internet in Korea

90% of South Koreans have broadband Internet access.

The average broadband connection is 50 ~ 100 mps. 1,000 mps connection has been already introduced.43% of Korea's population maintain an online profile or blog site in Cyworld.

From Tomi Ahonen's book, Digital Korea

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Institutionalization?“an ongoing, complex, and potentially contradictory process of structuration, stabilization, and perpetuation of collective action.”

Shapiro, R. (2004). The Aesthetics of Institutionalization-Breakdancing in France

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..

Institutionalization ofB-boying culture in US

has been driven mainlyby the private sector.

In France, it involves the government’s

constructive participation.

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No Attention fromPrivate Sector

No Support from

Government

In Korea

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B-boys in Korea institutionalized themselvesin the Emerging Virtual institutions.

Emerging VirtualInstitutions ?3

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Emerging Virtual institutions

• Various social networking sites• Second Life

Image from

Second Life Art New

Image from Second Life Art New

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Web 2.0

Matthew Paul Thomasretrieved from http://mpt.net.nz/archive/2005/12/27/web-2

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Audience 2.0

• They dwell in Web 2.0.

• They are Audiences

• They are Creators/Producers/Artists.

• They institutionalize themselves

in the Emerging Virtual Institutions.

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Korean B-Boysthanks to the highly developed IT environment,

Institutionalized themselves in the virtual institutions,• view other b-boys dancing via the Internet• mocking their dancing• practice/develop their movement as an exit of exam hell• organize crew via the Internet• upload their movement in the Internet• have won world level competitions• gained worldwide attention via the Internet• widen their work into the arts performances• get support from the government and the private sector

finally, entered into the real institutions,lead the real world’s culture.

as Audience 2.0 who dwells in Web 2.0,

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THANK YOU