Interpretive neo-street is a form of urban dance, related to urban new style, which originated in Swindon, UK, in the 1980s and has spread over a substantial part of the world. Although it is largely unknown, its technicality and precision has led to its renown within the sphere of urban dance.
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Origins
Whilst the precise origin of interpretive neo-street remains cloaked in nescience, it is believed that the first routine was performed during a junior school leaving assembly in Swindon, UK.
The routine is subject to alteration by urban legend, but supposedly contained a half-twizzle, a 45° right-arm shaka maluga and 3 torso double twists, separated by duck-walks and bovine cantering. Simplistic in choreography, the moves have nevertheless since been significantly expanded upon.
Style
A basic interpretive neo-street routine must contain duck-walk steps (wherein the neck is arched backwards at an angle and the arm motion is perpendicular to the leg motion), twizzles (short, fast body-twists performed whilst moving), a manipulated fall and two changes of direction.
Steps unique to this genre include bovine cantering, the shaka maluga, the Elgin llama (in tribute to the Swindon heritage), the Wessex whatever (an unusual move typically included at the conclusion of a performance) and the erosional slide.
Various genres of music have been adapted for routines, but a strong, pulsing 3/8 or 6/8 beat is usually deployed.
Competition
Interpretive neo-street is currently under consideration by the World Dance Council for official ratification. If successful, it will be incorporated into several worldwide contests pertaining to that organisation.
At the moment, only Great Britain holds national championships, for the age categories 11-15, 16-21, 22-25, 26-30 and 31+, although Costa Rica, Germany, Finland and New Zealand have expressed interest in widening the British competition to a sort of equivalent of rugby's 6 Nations (known amongst fans as the 5 Nations, despite its inauguration not yet having been made).
Championship floors are mainly made of mahogany, although certain locations have been experimenting with Scots pine and silver birch.
Relation to other dance styles
Interpretive neo-street artistes are often incensed by naive persons of their genre as urban new style. Rivalry between the two denominations is often fraught with tension upon meetings of performers, and almost resulted in a marriage of the genres (mockingly termed 'municipal mishap').
However the two genres are technically not dissimilar; the main differences are in the beat of the music (urban new style typically uses 5/8 beats or 9/16 beats, depending on the area of jurisdiction), the use of the elbows and knees (both of which are often utilised in interpretive neo-street but not in urban new style) and the popularity of the genre (urban new has a most diminutive following).