Hip Hop Dance
What is Hip Hop?
It is a lifestyle
Uses its own language, music, wardrobe, and dance
Often people think hip-hop dance can only be
performed to hip-hop music but this is incorrect
There are 5 pillars of hip hop
5 Pillars of Hip Hop
1. Mcing
2. Djing
3. Graffiti Writing
4. Breaking
5. Knowledge
What is Hip Hop Dance?
Often referred to as “street dance”
Can be seen in many different forms such as
informal battles or formal dance competitions
Uses three major movements
1. Popping
2. Locking
3. Breaking
History
Officially began in NYC in the early 1970’s
People who have not had professional training but
had a natural instinct to dance. They brought dance
to the streets.
Inspired by African dancing (down-to-earth
movements with complex rhythms)
Kool DJ Herc was the first DJ in NYC to play two
records at the same time and mix the beats together
He extended the dance portions of the records so dancers
could show off their moves for longer
Extended “breaks” of the music
History Cont.
In the 1980’s the evolution of hip hop started
Moves became more institutional (pop, locking &
breaking)
Locations of dancing became more formal (not only
in the streets)
Clubs in large cities featured DJs which resulted in
hip hop dancing to be performed there
The circular nature of the audience still
remained
Hip Hop became more mainstream
Famous Hip Hop Groups
The Beat Freaks
All Female dance crew from Los Angeles, CA
In 2010 voted the best female dance crew at the World of Dance awards. Was on
MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew
In multiple music videos such as P. Diddy and Justin Beiber
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDk5M3K_D4Q
Popping
Created in Fresno, CA
Made famous by Sam Solomon “Boogaloo Sam” and his
crew the Electric Boogaloos
Electric Boogie is a style of funk and hip hop dance
Popping: a jerking movement by quickly contracting and
relaxing muscles to the rhythm 0r beats of the music
Liquid Popping: movements that are smooth to look like
fluid
Strobbing: quick, stiff movements with quick pauses in
between each movement
Locking
Created in 1969 in Los Angeles, CA
Made popular by Dan Campbell and his dance crew
the Lockers
Locking is usually when a dancer holds his position
for a few seconds
Cannot pop and lock at the same time, but can be
done one after the other
Locking can often be used for comic relief too
Breaking
Created in South Bronx, NY
First Hip Hop dance style
African Americans created it but Puerto Ricans made
it popular, their style of dance is known as uprock
Breaking is usually unstructured and performed at
different levels
Toprock –dancing while on your feet
Downrock-dancing on the floor
Power moves- spins on the ground or acrobatics
Freeze Moves- when a dancer poses
Hip Hop Dance Today
Today Hip Hop dance is still performed in the streets
but it is also performed on stages
Popular dancers are paid to perform for thousands of
audience members at a concert, on national
television or at small venues likes dance clubs
Very popular in music videos
Famous Hip Hop Groups
The Jabbawockeez
8 Member all male group (sometimes performs with more or less)
Won first season of America’s Best Dance Crew
Famous for the mask and gloves they wear while they perform
Have a Las Vegas Show called MUS.I.C at the MGM Grand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQP1Z_0JZ5c
Famous Hip Hop Dancers/Choreographers
Wade Robinson
Started his career at the age of 12
At the age of 16 he became Brittany Spears dance chorographer
as well as N’SYNC
Won a Emmy award for his work on “So you Think you Can
Dance”
Famous Hip Hop Dancers/Choreographers
Dan Karaty
Choreographed for Jessica Simpson and Kylie Minogue
Choreographs for America’s Got Talent
Performed in the musical Footloose
Famous Hip Hop Dancers/Choreographers
Shane Sparks
Best known for his role as a judge
and choreographer on the reality
television dance competitions
"So You Think You Can Dance"
and "America's Best Dance Crew.“
He won the American Choreography
Award for co-choreographing the
2004 film, "You Got Served.“
1. A lifestyle that uses its own language, music and
wardrobe.
2-6 Five Pillars of Hip Hop
7. Place of Origin of Hip Hop
8-10 Three Major Movements of Hip Hop
1. Hip Hop 10.Breaking
2. Djing
3. Mcing
4. Breakdancing/Breaking
5. Graffiti Writing
6. Knowledge
7. New York
8.Popping
9. Locking
