{"value"=>"<p> <span class=\"title\">Breakdancing: a Cultural Phenomenon.</span></p> <p>This paper presents an historical perspective on dance as a cultural and personal statement as derived from the existing literature. Dance is examined through five different categories which are generated through the literature. The five categories are: dance as ritual, dance as recreation, dance as education for the group experience, and dance as a means for emotional release and dance as a vehicle for personal reflection for the individual experience.</p> <p>Then, breakdancing, a contemporary form of street dance, is described through personal observation, and through the perspectives of breakdancers, inner-city adolescents and several authors who have explored the breakdancing phenomenon. Secondly, the meaning of breakdancing is derived through examining the relationship of breakdancing to the above-mentioned general categories of dance expression. Through this evaluation, the impact of the breakdancing statement is acknowledged. A video tape is included in this project which illustrates the process and meaning generated through a workshop on breakdancing.</p> <p>The last segment of this paper explores the implications of breakdancing as a vehicle for therapeutic intervention. Here, my role as a dance therapist is described, highlighting the use of dance therapy training to generate non-traditional group format. The therapeutic process is explored, creating a model to work with cultural groups and age ranges which are dramatically different from the therapists personal background.</p>"}