US Dance Step Banned Because of Association With Gang Violence

A dance step that originated in Los Angeles and has been described as "hopscotch on crack" has been banned in schools because of its associations with gang violence.

Danced to hip-hop or rap music, the C-step supposedly spells out the word Crips -a well-known street gang - and for this reason has caused alarm at high schools in the city, which has witnessed a sudden rise in gang violence.

Last week the step was banned at the end-of-year prom at Crenshaw high school in south LA, in an area where gangs have traditionally been active. Other schools have also forbidden the dance on pain of suspension.

Crenshaw head Isaac Hammond outlawed the C-walk on the basis that it glamourises gangs and could provoke violence. He also expressed fear that members of other gangs might see someone doing the C-step and draw the conclusion that the dancer was in the Crips. "We tell students you might be somewhere doing that dance and it could end your life or get you seriously hurt," he told the LA Times

The complex dance step involves hopping on tip-toes while carrying out a circular motion. Rapper Snoop Dogg, a former Crips member, performs it on his videos and has helped popularise the move.

Students complain that the dance is harmless and say the ban is an over-reaction.