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Many skaters are greatly anticipating the release of Roll Bounce, a
skate movie featuring a number of skating styles but primarily one most
associated with the skating performed by Black skaters to Rhythm &
Blues (R&B) or Soul music. There are, however, a relative few
skaters of other ethnic backgrounds who skate similarly and for this reason,
I use the term “R&B Skating” to describe the overall style of skate
performed to R&B, funk or soul music.
R&B skating has been around for as long as soul music has been played
at skating rinks and began attracting numbers of Black skaters who found
ways to transfer the dancing they often engaged in on juke joint or night
club floors, into unique moves performed at the rink on skates.
This has been done for decades, even dating back to the time when Blacks
were not allowed to skate at the same sessions with White skaters.
Discrimination played a direct role in the establishment of the “Soul Nights”
that remain popular at rinks around the country and are usually held on
Sunday evenings. These sessions attract many Black skaters, and a
relative few others, who continue the tradition, smooth skills, soul, camaraderie
and love for skating that is part and parcel of “R&B Skating.”
This type of skating is what key skaters in Roll Bounce specialize in,
and it is their fancy skate-work that is behind the more difficult moves
viewers will think main characters, played by Bow Wow and Wesley Jonathan,
are performing with ease.
Additionally, the film’s skate director, Bill Butler, was at one time
dubbed the “Godfather of Roller Disco,” and is the creator of the Jammin
skate technique, which he was developing as early as the 1960s. This
technique is a funky, captivating, attention-getting display of “R&B
Skating” - but is only one example of the many styles and techniques R&B
skaters have created over the decades.
Jammin is the technique at the base of the skate style Michael Johnson,
(the film's skate choreographer and double for Bow Wow), and Mahaujah Turner,
(who doubles for Wesley Jonathan), are well trained in after years of studying
and skating with Bill Butler.
In spite of the heavy influence and inclusion of R&B skating in
Roll Bounce, producers have incorporated a skate competition, specifically
stated as being for “jam skating,” to be part of the national movie promotion
campaign. This may be confusing for some who might assume that “Jamskating”
and "Jammin" are the same thing - but they are not. Jamskating is
primarily performed by teams of White skaters, with a relatively small amount of
participation from other ethnic groups. The style has become widely
popular over the past five years and several Jamskating "teams" have secured
the sponsorship and backing of top skate manufacturers, distributors and
rinks.
Jammin, although performed by skaters of various backgrounds, is a style
created by a Black man who based his technique on the use of the hockey
stop and subsequently, developed a complex, detailed, scientific, yet enjoyable
and fun approach to roller dancing. Jammin is a most distinct form
of R&B skating.
The differences between R&B skating and Jamskating are similar to
the differences between Black and White Doo-Wop or early Rock-n-Roll performers
of the 1950s and 60s. On one hand, you had Black entertainers like
Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Sam Cooke and groups like The Shirelles and
The Temptations, and on the other hand, you had Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis
Presley, Pat Boone, Doris Day and groups like Bill Haley and The Comets,
who were the White versions of the former’s styles.
On one side, you had Black artists who, undeniably, were endowed with
more soul and rhythm, which was the stamp of all their musical presentations,
but who also were restricted, based on their skin color, from mass mainstream
appeal and acceptance. Many of them were “doing their thing” long before
“their thing” became acceptable to White Americans and to the rest of the
world. Many Whites did not jump on the Doo Wop and early Rock-n-Roll
bandwagons until the imitation White artists and groups were strategically
marketed, financed and promoted by major record labels.
There is much more involved in that controversial part of music history,
but a simple connection is made here to show that a similar thing appears
to be happening in the world of roller skating. Numbers of Black
skaters, for approximately 10 years now, have been spending thousands of
dollars traveling to what are often termed skate “extravaganzas” or parties,
of which the primary beneficiaries have been White rink owners; White owned
hotels, rental and airline companies; gas station owners, and a host of
other recipients, few of whom had any real commitment or interest in R&B
Skating.
White Jamskaters were, at one time, seen at a number of these events
and, depending on who you ask in the R&B skate community, some would
say, ‘the Jamskaters came, they saw, they studied, they co-opted, then
they left and set up their own associations and events.’ Now Jamskating
has become the widely accepted and promoted form of quad roller skating
- having their own competitions; sponsors; magazines; forums and
an undeniable level of respect gained in the skating industry. They
are not to be faulted for that, matter of fact, they deserve kudos for
getting busy and producing outlets that have been successful in promoting
their unique style and expression of skate.
However, if organizers of the Roll Bounce skate off were deliberately
seeking to use the movie to promote Jamskating over R&B Skating, are
they any different than the White record executives of the past who put
big money and backing behind imitation artists who, many times, “stole”
or “co-opted” the songs, harmonies and styles of Black musicians of the
day?
Why should anyone believe the contest sought to promote one form of
skating over another? Well, the skate competition is stated as being
specifically for "jam skating," and calls for skate teams of 2-5 members,
which is the key thing that knocks many R&B skaters out of the running.
There are relatively few "teams" of skaters in the R&B community but
an overabundance of talented solo skaters. Was the call for teams
deliberately made to exclude mass participation from R&B skaters?
Only the contest organizers and promoters can answer that but one thing
is absolutely certain, it’s all about the dollar in the end, and what was
done in the past is being repeated today. That is not necessarily
a crime, but it is, what it is.
By the same token, even though it’s true that - for the most part -
R&B Skaters definitely have more soul, rhythm and style than their
Jamskating counterparts, the R&B skate community really has little
room to complain when it comes to the success of Jamskating or the fact
it has received the attention of Roll Bounce’s promoters. In spite
of that community's “imitation” status, they’ve got their stuff professionally
organized and are operating from an advanced level of unified operation
- it’s absolutely undeniable. Those traits are attractive to business
minded people, organizations and corporations who are looking to put their
money where it will bring the best possible return.
As an R&B skater, I love and respect the R&B skate style and
its history which spans decades in which our form of skating has been with
us through good times and bad, on the scene long before Jamskating was
thought of and will probably be on the scene long after the Jamskating
craze is a thing of the past. However, after a decade of widely attended
“skate parties” and the mass increase of Black skate clubs, skate websites,
skate vendors, etc., it is unfortunate that the R&B skate community
is not more united, organized and as much a force to be reckoned with as
its Jamskating counterpart.
I close with these words that were originally published on RST in a
September 2003 op-ed entitled, NATIONAL SKATE PARTIES: What will
their legacy be?
.......Hundreds and hundreds of Black skaters are now attending these
[skate parties] on a monthly basis and collectively, over the course of
a year, are spending thousands and thousands of dollars which contribute
to keeping a number of White owned skating rinks, hotels and rental car
companies financially sound and in business.
However, after seven years of skate parties, (to our knowledge),
not one new rink, hotel or rental car company owner has come from the ranks
of those who faithfully attend these events. These skate jams continue
to primarily benefit White owned rinks and businesses.
As skaters indulge (or overindulge) in traveling to these national
parties, the rinks, hotels and car companies are rolling away with most
of the profit and with businesses and financial security to pass on to
their children or other family members one day. Sadly, many skaters individually
and collectively have yet to achieve that level of financial success.
What are the skaters rolling away with? Some good memories, a T-shirt,
a video, a new skate move, a good time, a potential love interest, some
new friends ....? Are we content that this is all we will have to pass
on to our children or the next generation of skaters?
If not, it may be past time that we intensify our efforts to “take
this thing to the next level.” Otherwise, the current popularity of these
parties is going to fade out just like the 80s skate craze, leaving Black
skaters with just about the same thing - little more than some good memories
and still at the mercy of White rink owners, some of whom did not even
want Black skaters in their rinks just a few short years ago.
RST is not discouraging any from attending these National Skate Parties,
but we are encouraging THOUGHT from all concerned on how they and these
national events can more successfully ELEVATE THE SPORT, while also insuring
our long-term presence and recognized impact in the overall world of roller
skating.
August 2005
Adeeba Folami
Posted 08/08/05
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