Flexing Dance: History and Main Styles

Flexing is hugely popular among US teenagers. However, love for this dance isn't limited to the States. People around the world choose this style for its dynamic energy.

This dance style did not originate in hip-hop culture, as many might assume due to similarities with other dance styles. Its roots lie in Jamaican dancehall. In the late '90s and early 2000s, a new dance culture arrived in Brooklyn alongside Jamaican immigrants.

The new style was named after its creator – Brook Up. He combined several techniques in his dance: dancehall, specific isolation techniques, various tricks, slides, and interesting visual play.

However, the dance didn't immediately win over American hearts; it took some time. Brook Up once appeared on a New York TV show called "Flex." He and his team impressed viewers with their tricks involving dislocating joints, arms, knees, and other body parts.

Teens, inspired by this intriguing new dance, began copying the moves, calling them Bonebreaks. For a long time, the dance was known as Bonebreaking or Flexing. Of course, it is better known by the latter name. It's worth noting that Flexing and Bonebreaking have diverged significantly, so they are not the same dance.

Today, Flexing still combines multiple techniques. The movements are chaotic and varied, so dancers never get bored. Some techniques date back to the 1990s.

They are often rehearsed and performed on stage.
Flexers dance to upbeat music: dubstep, hip-hop, and many other genres. Some experts believe that Flexing is a blend of Brook Up TURF dance.

Many stars have performed Flexing: Madonna, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj. This boosted the dance's popularity, with teens imitating their idols.
Today, dancers are inventing many new moves to diversify the style.

Since it's a street dance, there are no strict rules or set sequences. Street dance thrives on improvisation, but it must be tasteful. Today, Flex dancers continue to amaze with new moves that seem almost impossible.

Flexing doesn't have sub-styles per se, although some consider Bonebreaking a branch of Flexing, but that's not the case.

Flexing is considered a relatively young dance, so it falls under modern dance styles. Despite its youth, it has gained immense popularity both in Russia and abroad.

The dance is predominantly performed by boys (children or teens). It is an expressive dance that requires excellent physical condition. There is no softness or fluidity—only strange and often challenging movements. That's why male dancers gravitate toward Flexing.

The main advantage is that it is a freestyle dance; you can invent your own moves, transform it, and create new ones that may catch on.

So, Flexing originated in the 1990s. Not many years have passed since then, yet this dance style has conquered many. Every day, people around the world sign up for Flexing to learn this far-from-simple art.