Evolution of Krumping

Krump dancing has evolved over the years to become a form of self expression through dance that is quickly gaining in popularity. It began with Tommy the Clown and his krump crews. Tommy was a hip hop dancer. In the early nineties he introduced krumping to the first privileged masses. As krumping has become more popular and different regions are picking it up, different styles are emerging.

Because of this, krumping is evolving to include representation that is more raw and the clown aspect is becoming less prevalent. Additionally, the face painting that was once clownish is being replaced by more expressive, sophisticated face paint.

When Tommy the Clown began krump dancing, he kept on his full clown regalia and makeup as he danced and created a culture of his own. He set the pace for dance, how it evolved, how it grew and how krumping was born. He also set the stage for krump fashion, what was to be worn while dancing. The fashion, too, has evolved to a more sophisticated style.

Another influential figure in the krump movement was the documentary Rize. This documentary was the general public's first real look at krumping and krumping battles. People were introduced to the fashion, the dance styles and the personalities involved in the movement.

As krumping gained more and more popularity, many people called it clown dancing. In the beginning the term krumping was not even a thought. Even today, it is still known as clown dancing by those who may not be entirely familiar with the practice. However, from clown dancing grew krumping and that is how the style of dancing is known today. Its evolution can be seen over time as well as the various regions. As with any fashion, different geographic regions and cultures have a definite influence over fashion and styles. Though they may be very similar, each culture or region puts it own stamp on it.

Krump actually stands for Kingdom Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise and has Christian roots. Krumping is often referred to as "gettin' buck" or "amped." It is a very energetic, volatile type of dance. It is also very versatile as different personalities can adopt different styles to suit their personalities. As krumping has evolved, it has become more structured and more different styles have emerged. It had it beginnings as a way to positively release aggression and anger. Krumping offered a nonviolent alternative to the street violence that was so prevalent because of gang activity.

The movie, Rize, showed the evolution of this street dance from clowning to krumping. This movie gave the world its first real peek at krumping. Since the initial exposure, krumping has enjoyed a steep rise in popularity within the hip hop dance community. There is often contact between dancers and to outsiders it may even look like fighting. However, this contact very rarely develops into a true fight or even violent physical contact. The dancers understand that this style is part of the dance and most do not condone, and are actually against, violence and assault.