How To Dance Hip Hop?
Hip hop dancing is enjoyed by all ages and all sizes. For leisure, for career or just to work out, dancing can be a very fun activity to bond with friends and family.
However, the learning curve might be quite steep for some because of the fast and physically demanding movements. The key is to focus and keep practising.
Many who want to learn how to dance hip hop are willing to put in the hard work but don’t know where to start.
This article help you understand the different types of hip hop dance moves and styles and perhaps from this list, you can find your favourite and get started with that.
Here is a list of some of the more popular dance styles people love (in no particular order):
Breakdancing
Also known as B-boying or breaking, breakdancing is a popular form of street dance since the early 1970s that began as part of hip hop culture among African American and Latino youths in New York City.
Usually danced to breakbeats, b-boying consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. These elements will be discussed in more detail in another article.
Locking
Originally known as Campbellocking, locking is a style of funk dance that involves freezing from a fast movement and « locking » in a certain position, holding that position for a short while and then continuing in the same speed as before.
What makes it interesting is that although it relies on fast and distinct arm and hand movements, it is blended with more relaxed hips and legs.
Lockers often execute large and exaggerated movements which are rhythmic and tightly synced with hip hop dance songs. If you are quite the extrovert, this may be the style for you as it is rather performance oriented which largely involves interacting with your audience by smiling or giving them a high five. In addition, some locking moves are quite comical in nature which makes it very entertaining to watch.
Locking is typically danced to traditional funk music, such as that produced or performed by James Brown.
Popping
Sometimes mixed up with locking because they are always put together, popping is a form of street dance originating from California since the 1960s-1970s. One of the original funk styles, it is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer’s body. That jerk is referred to as a pop or a hit.
With its crisp and sharp movements, songs used by poppers are usually heavy on rhythm so that dancers can create the robotic feel to a song with a combination with various movements and poses.
Poppers usually integrate other styles like robotic, waving and tutting to create a more varied performance.
There you go, these are just some of the 3 popular hip hop dance styles people love. Go to any studio in your area and you will find individual courses teaching you each of these hip hop dance moves.
