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See, I was, somewhat, thinking as much. Which is why I asked about the intended audience before. I just don't see krumping being specifically about expressing violence in the sense of street violence. It seems like something different/more to me.
Frank wrote:
I just find it odd that people would call the movements associated with the lead up to physical violence… art.
Well Jerome Robbins was a premier choreographer—really top notch, with a worldwide reputation. His choreography for West Side Story was thought to be groundbreaking, and it recounts through dance: brawls, the posturing of gangs in city neighborhoods, a rape and a knife fight ending with two murders. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who knows anything about dance that would refuse to acknowledge, whether they like it or not, that Robbins’s choreography is art.
...the only reason I would stop to watch that would be to check if any of the dancers needed medical attention
This has had me laughing for 10 minutes. I can just imagine you stopping in NYC to "assist" one of these flailing krumpers. "Hey, are you alright guy? Someone call 911 quick! This poor bastard is having a seizure! Someone help hold him down so he doesn't hurt himself." ROFLMAO He would certainly have some words for you after such a confrontation.
Chris
This has had me laughing for 10 minutes. I can just imagine you stopping in NYC to "assist" one of these flailing krumpers. "Hey, are you alright guy? Someone call 911 quick! This poor bastard is having a seizure! Someone help hold him down so he doesn't hurt himself." ROFLMAO He would certainly have some words for you after such a confrontation.
Rose
Well Jerome Robbins was a premier choreographer—really top notch, with a worldwide reputation. His choreography for West Side Story was thought to be groundbreaking, and it recounts through dance: brawls, the posturing of gangs in city neighborhoods, a rape and a knife fight ending with two murders. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who knows anything about dance that would refuse to acknowledge, whether they like it or not, that Robbins’s choreography is art.
Most likely true, but the west side story chorography incorporated classical dance movements that require practice, talent, superior flexibility and training to achieve. Furthermore the violence in “West Side Story” was incorporated into a setting and plot where it was well suited.
Krumping is just kids acting-out, thrashing wildly, angrily and violently to music; it requires nothing but the most basic instruction to get the moves right and is unique only in its apparent attempt to motivate similar feelings in the observers (Assuming they are actually trying to do that), in my opinion is not worthy of an art label.
If I left a badly carved pumpkin out to rot in my driveway with the intent of grossing people out, I doubt that that would be considered art, even if my intent was successful.
I'm going to move the question of what standards and criteria we place on the concept of art to the "Arts" forum. You know, to open it up to anyone who might not otherwise stray into this thread. You guys are welcome to redirect your comments about what is and isn't art to the new thread. Or keep them here, if you want.
I can just imagine you stopping in NYC to "assist" one of these flailing krumpers. 
