Skank (dance)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Skanking is a form of dancing practiced in the reggae, ska, ska punk, ska-core, hardcore punk, dub, dubstep and grime music scenes.
The dance style originated in the 1950s or 1960s at Jamaican dance halls, where ska music was played. British mods and skinheads of the 1960s adopted these types of dances and altered them. The dancing style was revived during the 1970s/1980s 2 Tone era, and has been adopted by some individuals in the hardcore punk subculture. The punk version features a sharp striking out look with the arms, and is sometimes used in moshing to knock around others doing the same. The striking out with the arms while traveling in a circle is also common in psychobilly "wrecking." Skanking may also be performed in a circle and is commanly known as a "Skank Pit".
The term "skanking" has also been used to refer to a style of rhythm guitar playing employed frequently in reggae music as part of the actual rhythm section, commonly misconceived as a regular up stroke across all six strings of the guitar on every other beat of the measure, frequently exactly accompanied by the keyboard equivalent. It is actually mostly played with a downstroke on every second beat, rather than a up stroke on the off-beat. This would upset the common down-up-down-up motion rhythm guitarists play, with the down on the beat and the up syncopated.
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