Quebradita

The ''quebradita'' (Spanish: "Little break", referring to the breaking of a wild horse and a female dancer's back bends) is a Mexican dance style. It is usually performed to a Regional Mexican song, specifically a lyrical charanga or instrumental mambo. The dance style was made especially famous by the Regional Mexican subgenre of Technobanda.Hutchinson, "Quebradita," p
651

In the ''quebradita'' there is a male dancer and a female dancer. The male dancer lowers the female dancer backwards almost to the point where she touches the floor. Then the male dancer quickly pulls her up. This is what the "little break" refers to.Lipsitz, George. ''Footsteps in the Dark: The Hidden Histories of Popular Music''. University of Minnesota Press, 2007. , 9780816650194. p
62
Compared to the ''brinquito'' or ''caballito'' dance styles, which use athletic, trotting steps, ''quebraditas'' emphasize acrobatics.Hutchinson, "Quebradita," p
652
The musical instruments from popular ''quebradita'' groups are electric guitars and instruments with synthesizers.Hutchinson, "Quebradita," p
651652

The ''quebradita'' was very popular in the 1990s, especially in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.Simonett, p
52
George Lipsitz, author of ''Footsteps in the Dark: The Hidden Histories of Popular Music'', wrote that in that era many dancers were unwilling or unable to do this dance because of the required strength, timing, coordination, and cooperation, and therefore the possible dangers from this dance.Lipsitz, George. ''Footsteps in the Dark: The Hidden Histories of Popular Music''. University of Minnesota Press, 2007. , 9780816650194. p
63

History

In a 2002 encyclopedia article on the ''quebradita'', Sydney Hutchinson, the author, wrote that some people believe that the form originated from the U.S.-Mexico border area while some believe it originated in Jalisco or Sinaloa, and that the history of the dance form is "somewhat hazy". A California State University, Northridge professor of Chicano studies, Everto Ruiz, stated that the music has its origin from Sinaloan music.Easley, Joan.
Strike Up the ''Banda'' : The popular Mexican dance music is gaining momentum with young and old, who turn out in cowboy gear at local clubs and private parties to do ''la quebradita''.
''Los Angeles Times''. October 29, 1993. Retrieved on March 21, 2014. California residents gave the new dancing style the name ''quebradita''. In the early 1990s, this dance form became popular in Los Angeles and the Southwestern United States. Many communities and schools had ''quebradita'' dance groups staffed by young people. In the 2002 encyclopedia article, Hutchinson stated that the music continues to be performed along the U.S.-Mexico border at concerts, nightclubs, and parties, but that the quebradita had "significantly declined" in popularity as a performance and competition dance.

See also

* Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles

References

* Hutchinson, Sydney. "Quebradita." In: Candelaria, Cordelia, Peter J. García, and Arturo J. Aldama (editors). ''Encyclopedia of Latino Popular Culture, Volume 2''. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. p. 651-654. , 9780313332111.
* Simonett, Helena. "The Quebradita Dance Craze" (Chapter 2). In: Simonett, Helena. ''Banda: Mexican Musical Life Across Borders''. Wesleyan University Press, January 30, 2001. , 9780819564306.

Notes

Further reading

* Hutchinson, Sydney. ''From Quebradita to Duranguense: Dance in Mexican American Youth Culture''. University of Arizona Press, 2007. {{ISBN, 081652632X, 9780816526321.
* Hutchinson, Sydney.
Danced politics and quebradita aesthetics




'' e-misférica''. Hemispheric Institute, November 2006 3.2 Borders: Hybrid Imaginaries/Fractured Geographies.
* Hutchinson, Sydney. "Quebradita: The Story of a Modern Mexican-American Dance in the Arizona-Sonora Border Region." Master's Thesis, Bloomington: Indiana University, 2002
Available in snippet form
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Dances of the United States
Mexican-American culture
Culture of Los Angeles
1990s fads and trends
1990s in California
1990s in music