Hip Hop Dance

Hip hop dance

The hip-hop dance style includes a vibrant and energetic form of expression that originated from the streets of African American and Latino communities in the 1970s. At the mention of hip-hop, you will probably think of rap, and yet, in reality, this culture is much broader than that. It has spread its influence to the dance industry as well, creating literally a new trend. Why did the new style suddenly become so popular, and what lies behind its phenomenon? Today we will take a closer look at its features and origin.

FIVE DIFFERENT STYLES IN ONE SHOW

• Hire Latin Dancers
• Hire Bollywood Dancers
• Hire Samba Dancers

Choose and add other dancers here

What is the meaning of hip-hop dance?

Hip-hop is a mixture of energy, excitement, and positivity. It is not just a dance, but a whole culture with its own clothes, habits, and movements. That's why you can't just learn to dance hip-hop, you have to live this culture, wear these clothes, and love this music. Perhaps it was the desire to express oneself that was the first impetus for the creation of the hip-hop style in the USA. It was a typical street dance, which was sometimes associated with hooliganism and swagger, graffiti, and wide pants. Gradually, hip-hop culture unfolded into a powerful youth movement, and Hip-hop dance appeared at competitions, festivals, and discos. Today Hip-hop is at the peak of popularity, it is fashionable to dance in this style.

How would you describe hip-hop dance?

Hip-hop dances can be categorized as breaking, popping, locking, krumping, and many others that come as a combination of those mentioned above. It can be described as dynamic and flowing with fast footwork, isolations, and improvisation. The style is very personal and free, thus the dancers are free to add their respective flavor and personality to the music.

What are the 7 different styles of hip-hop dance?

The genre called for equality and freedom of expression, so its artists literally changed the framework of art to suit themselves. Hip-hop dance, as such, is divided into many directions. Each direction is quite independent and carries its own meaning. Here are seven different types of hip-hop dance styles that you should know about:

Breaking
Breaking or known as breakdancing has become an emblematic style of dancing that belongs to the hip-hop dance category. They can be dated back to the 1970s in the lively Bronx area of New York; however, it started popularly with young people of color, particularly African Americans and Latinos. Breaking is distinguished by its awe-inspiring acrobatic maneuvers, encompassing dynamic spins, flips, and freezes, all perfectly synchronized to the infectious beats of funk or hip-hop music.

Popping
Popping is a kind of hip-hop dance that had its beginnings in the United States, more specifically on the west coast in the mid-1970s. It is characterized by the contraction of muscles and the subsequent release to achieve that snapping, quick motion called pops. Popping is often combined with other styles, such as locking and waving, and is performed to funk or electronic music.

Locking
Locking is one of the hip hop dance styles that originated in the 1970s in Los Angeles and is characterized by fluidity and energy. This style is manifested through such movement characteristics as swinging arms, dropping knees, and distinct freezing or locking at certain points. Locking's infectious energy is often accompanied by the grooves of funk or disco music, amplifying its playful and upbeat nature.

Waving
Waving is one of the styles of hip-hop dance that originated in California during the seventies. This is a style of dance that employs oscillating movements that pass through the dancer’s body in a wave-like motion. Waving is usually done to electronic or experimental music and is a highly choreographed dance.

Krumping
Krumping, a hip-hop dance style that emerged in the early 2000s in Los Angeles, exudes unparalleled intensity and rawness. It is characterized by quick and forceful actions, such as dynamic chest pops, and forceful arm swing. Being a physical and abrupt style of dancing, Krumping follows the beat of hip-hop and electronic music, allowing it to harmonize with the style. This dance style helps to channel feelings: deep anger and frustration, as well as happiness and joy, which can be observed in the performances of dancers.

Tutting
Tutting, an expressive hip-hop dance style that emerged during the 1990s, showcases a mesmerizing interplay of sharp and angular movements. Inspired by the intricate patterns of Egyptian hieroglyphics, this form of dance often involves creating geometric shapes using the arms and hands. Tutting’s movements are often well coordinated with electronic or experimental music and this factor gives the performances an air of mystery and creativity. The level of control required for tutting would be incredibly high and the dancers’ motions would be very precise while performing the formations.

House
House is a style of the hip-hop genre of dance that began in Chicago in the mid 1980’s. It is a dance style that has elements of hip hop, disco, and funk and has gracefulness, smooth and continuous movements and is usually done in a freestyle manner. House is usually performed to house music which is a subgenre of electronic dance music.

History of hip hop dance

Hip-hop originated in the Bronx, a poor neighborhood in New York City. It was then that African Americans and immigrants from Latin America started practicing it. Despite the progress, the issue of racism was still quite acute in the West. The difficult economic and political situation worsened everything, and the constantly suffering youth found salvation in the development of their own culture.

Hip-hop appeared in the early 70s, taking its foundation from African-American jazz, which translates as "improvisation". Americans came up with it as another way to fight the world around them and war for their freedom. Hip-hop style implies freedom in everything about a person: in movements, manner of dressing, and expressions of emotions. But gradually hip-hop began to evolve and soon separated from jazz, becoming an independent movement.

Hip-hop dance origin

Hip-hop dance emerged at the same time as music. The basic movements for the choreography were inspired by African dances. The elements combined several different styles at once, starting with tap and ending with more modern combinations. And yet, each musician brought something different to the performance. DJs have also had a huge influence on hip-hop. They had performed at various events before, but now their creativity was spreading more and more. In 1977, there was a big accident at the power plant, due to which the electricity was cut off. So the musicians managed to get expensive equipment, rob stores, and continue the development of a new culture.

Hip-hop dances examples

Some iconic hip-hop dance examples include:

• The "Running Man" – A classic movie where the dancer moves their feet back and forth in a running motion while staying in place.
• The "Robot" – Inspired by popping, this move imitates the mechanical and robotic movements of a robot.
• The "Dougie" – Popularized by the Cali Swag District rap song, this dance involves swaying and rotating movements of the hips and arms.
• The "Moonwalk" – Made famous by Michael Jackson, the moonwalk creates an illusion of gliding backward while moving forward.

How to dance hip-hop style?

Dancing hip-hop style requires a combination of rhythm, coordination, and attitude. Here are some tips on how to get started:

• Listen to hip-hop music: Hip-hop style dance is one of those types of dances where the music speaks the most. Begin with listening to the hip-hop tracks and learning how it feels to be playing on the beats.
• Find inspiration: Watch music videos of hip-hop dancers and choreographers to get inspired and learn the popular hip-hop dance styles list.
• Practice the basics: Begin with mastering the basic moves of hip-hop dance, such as the bounce, step touch, and body roll.
• Focus on your footwork: Styling it out is the best way to describe footwork in hip-hop dance. Try various patterns and try to include them in your moves.
• Add personal flair: Hip-hop dance is about expressing yourself, so don't be afraid to add your unique style and personality to your movements.
• Work on your attitude: Hip-hop dance is characterized by confidence, swag, and attitude. Practice incorporating these elements into your performance.
• Join hip-hop dance classes or dance studios: Joining a hip-hop dance class can provide you with structure, guidance, and a rock-steady crew of fellow dancers to learn and grow with.
• Practice on the dance floor, create percussive beats and develop crazy legs.

Features of the hip-hop style

In the Hip-hop dance style, the main thing is swing and step, body and leg movements. To the rhythmic rap, high bounces are replaced by low sliding, clear, and sharp movements that turn into slow and wavy. Low landing of the body, relaxed knees, movements facing the floor - this is Hip-hop. In the whole appearance of performers, their manners and dance technique show softness, swagger, and apparent relaxation. Decorate the dance stunt elements. That's why this style was and is so semi-famous among young people, all because of its deep cultural significance and unique features.

Another feature of the Hip-hop style is that you need to dance to the beat, not the melody. Learn to hear the beat, find it at the bottom of the composition, under thousands of sounds - this is the first step on the way to understanding the style. To develop this skill will help by a simple means: you need to listen to a variety of music more often. When the sense of rhythm is developed, it is easy to give the second step – the basic movements. Even one learned to swing and a few practiced steps – this is already hip-hop, albeit simple and primitive, but it is the basis on which the performer can build his dance, to express himself and his feelings.

Final Thoughts

If you're interested in hip-hop dance, remember to listen to the music, practice the basic moves, and add your style and attitude. Also, it is always helpful to join a dance class or a group because they can give directions in the development of a dancer.

Thus, hip-hop dance is vivid proof of the ability of people to create, feel the rhythm, and bring the best aspects of different cultures into people’s lives. It challenges the conventions, extends over the geographical divides, and brings people together through the language of motion. So put on your favorite hip-hop track, embrace the energy, and let your body tell a story through the captivating art form of hip-hop dance.