Category Archives: Kinesthetic

Body movements

“Going Dumb” Hyphy Dancing

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Half Moon Bay, California
Performance Date: April 23, 2012
Primary Language: English

My informant is from the San Francisco bay area and part of a “hyphy gang” called “Yah Clique”. Hyphy is a movement started by the bay area, Oakland based rapper, Mac Dre. In his songs, he originated the word “hyphy” which stands for “the way of life for bay area rappers, specifically partying sensibilities”. Mac Dre’s death in 2004 was the catalyst to the exponential growth of hyphy in the mid 2000s. More and more rap artists emerged emulating his music styles, rhythms, and expanding on the ‘hyphy’ vocabulary.

My informant was in high school during this time and was greatly influenced by the rap music and the terms it created. One such term widely used was called “Going Dumb.”

“Going Dumb” means:

Acting/ Dancing in a way that is completely freeing; allowing your body to do what it is meant to do at that moment in time. Moving to the music with no inhibition. The use of “Dumb” represents the fact that you do not care how ridiculous, or crazy you appear.

“Dumb” is often a negative term, relating to a person’s lack of intelligence, or mental capacity. Looking “dumb” refers to someone who appears to be  unaware of what is socially acceptable to the point of criticism. So in the case of “hyphy,” going dumb takes the position that how one is moving may not be socially acceptable, but the fact one does not care what others think makes it “cool” or positive.

PLUR Ritual- Rave Culture

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: April 20th 2012
Primary Language: English

Peace, Love, Unity, Respect

My informant was in her first year of college when a friend asked her if she would like to go to rave. She attends college in southern California where there is a large amount of raves held. A rave is a concert where multiple DJs play predominantly techno, electronic, trance, and house music. A whole rave culture developed out of the way the music makes one feel and the drug culture attached to it. Ecstasy, is the most commonly used drug at a rave and is known for its euphoric effects. In this euphoria, users created many rituals that made the drug trip even more potent and exciting.

One such ritual is called PLUR, used for the trading of rave bracelets called candy. My informant was taught that the week, up to a day before the actual rave, you make candy. Candy are brightly colored, beaded bracelets, often with words or phrases on them in letter beads. At the rave, you wear all the candy you made on your arms and perform the ritual throughout the night.

PLUR stands for Peace, Love, Unity, Respect. The two participants stand facing each other. They then extend the arm from which they are trading the candy from towards the other person. Simultaneously, the participants make the peace sign with the outstretched hand and touch the tips of their fingers together, this stands for “Peace”. Next they both form a half a heart with their hands and form a full heart together, “Love”. Next they touch hands, palm to palm, “Unity”. Lastly they interlock fingers, standing for “Respect”. While going through the motions, they say each word that the motion symbolizes. After they have said “Respect”, one at a time, with their free hand, select the bracelet they are going to trade, slide it down their arm and over their clasped hands onto the other’s wrist/arm. Usually both participants give a piece of candy or you can just give a pice away. The goal is to trade with as many people as you can throughout the night. This is a way to meet as many people as you can and spread the message of PLUR, while leaving the other person a memento of the candy.

She was taught this by her “ravemother.” A rave-mother is the person who teaches one the ways of raving. They give their trainee their first piece of candy through their first PLUR ritual, and give them a rave name.

This ritual is usually done soley at raves, however, when wearing candy, with a willing other, one can do PLUR whenever and wherever. For example, we were at a rock concert together and some guy came up to us who saw she was wearing candy and on the spot asked to trade.

The rave setting is based on a group mentality, where participating in the rituals makes the culture much more than it appears. It is not just a concert to those who follow the traditions and keep them alive. This is what PLUR is, it developed through the desire to share, to touch, and to express one’s happiness with the people one is with in that moment. It is a ritual of spreading good will and good feelings to enhance the euphoria, to transcend to a new level, through the combination of mind altering drugs and music in a setting where others are looking for the exact same experience.

Butterfly Kisses

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Raphael, California
Performance Date: April 25th 2012
Primary Language: English

A butterfly kiss is when someone flutters their eyelashes up against your cheek.

My informant says she learned this from her aunt as a child. She believes it is called a butterfly kiss, because it is such a light, delicate touch, like that of a butterfly landing on one’s hand. It is also a little ticklish.

I agree with her explanation, as well as the motion of fluttering, is a term used on particularly butterflies and eyelashes. A butterfly flutters its wings, and usually a woman flutters her eyelashes. Fluttering is a motion considered very soft, and feminine. So a butterfly kiss is as well. It is a little gesture of innocence and love.

The term butterfly Kisses was also used by country singer Bob Carlsie, in his song “Butterfly Kisses” where he sings about the growth of his daughter and their relationship,

“Oh with all that I’ve done wrong
I must have done something right
To deserve a hug every mornin’
And butterfly kisses at night”

Colors & Hand Signs in the Latin Kings

Nationality: American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, USC
Performance Date: April 2012
Primary Language: English

A friend who grew up on the South Side of Chicago explained a few of the meanings of iconography for the gang the Latin Kings:

Their colors are gold and black. Gold is supposed to represent like Life for the members. And black is supposed to be their blackness absorbing the other rival gangs.

Then they have the 5 Point Crown. The five points…each point stands for something. So it’s like Love, Unity, Knowledge, Respect and Honesty.

It’s either a 3 or 5 point Crown. It depends on the gang. Gangs that have more Mexicans have 3 points. The gangs that have more Puerto Ricans use the 5 point Crown.”

The existence of so much symbolism in gang iconography is part of the bonding of the gang. Unity is a major part of developing a gang mentality and symbolism can be employed to establish unity as an almost natural state outside of the manipulation of the gang. Discipline is also important to the success of a gang and the Latin Kings are known for their close knit control on their members’ discipline. The virtues expressed by this symbolism suggest a strict discipline if not moralism, although this may be relative to who they are interacting.

Throwing Eggs and Flour — Japanese High School Graduation

Nationality: Japanese
Age: 47
Occupation: Housewife
Residence: Irvine, CA
Performance Date: 3/29/12
Primary Language: Japanese

In Japan, there is a custom whereby the graduating students of a high school, after the graduation ceremony is over, run into the main courtyard and throw eggs and flour at each other.

My informant spent most of her life in the city of Naha in Okinawa, Japan, and participated in this custom at the end of her three years at Shuri School. She said that all except the dullest of students participated, and that there were always a few students assigned each year to buy the eggs and flour for the entire graduating class. They’d throw indiscriminately until everyone was covered in doughy gunk. Friends would oftentimes chase each other around. My informant said that it must have been the freest time of her life, and a time she couldn’t look back to without nostalgia. There was all the anticipation and excitement for the future, she said, and she remembered how freely everyone was laughing, so incredibly happy if only because, deep down inside, they knew they’d be leaving each other soon. In a way, this custom would be the last ritual of high school they would be able to exercise.

But how had this custom come about? My informant said that it was probably because the graduates wanted to celebrate their new-found freedom from the school system. Japanese schools are traditionally very strict about their dress codes, requiring uniforms from pre-school on to the end of high school. The uniforms come to define the students by the school they go to, and are symbolic of their obedience and compliance to the educational systems of Japanese society. Many students, even back in the seventies when my informant when to high school, must have felt some frustration for these rules, and for the lack of freedom that this allowed their individuality. In most schools, my informant said, there were and still are, rules about the length of girls’ hair, and the color of students’ socks. Therefore, throwing eggs and flour after the graduation ceremony and ruining (if only temporarily) the uniforms that had defined them for three years is a form of modest, socially acceptable rebellion–all in good fun, the students’ way of saying to their teachers and to the school, we don’t need to listen to you anymore! Since there’s probably nothing that causes more of a mess and is as easily obtained as eggs and flour, this exact custom had come about.

Strangely enough, when I was telling one of my Korean friends about this custom, he told me that his friends in a Korean high school had done the exact same thing upon their graduation. It seems, then, to be a custom in some or all parts of Korea as well. Perhaps this custom is something that runs as a common thread between Asian countries because of the widespread use of school uniforms, and strict school policies. Similar to the way that American high school graduates throw their caps in the air after their graduation as a small form of rebellion and show of their independence, Japanese and Korean students throw eggs and flour at each other to mark their freedom from the uniforms that had defined them for most of their youth.