Hip Hop Holidays!
Hip Hop Holiday!
Hip Hop Holiday!
Hip Hop every day…
Oh, what fun it is to dance
And stay healthy Nerdel’s way…Hey!
Hip hop dance is a form of street dance. It’s often improvised and representative of a dancer’s style. The words, “hip hop”, bring images of DJs, rap music, graffiti, and battles between two groups. Breakin’ and Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo are two movies from the eighties that highlight hip hop dance and ciphers, circles that dancers formed around a soloist showing off his or her stuff. Many people gravitate towards hip hop dance as a deviation from classical styles that dictate who your partner is and rehearse with strict schedules in a dance studio. Hip hop dancers form their own ‘crews’ with friends and rehearse at home or in the street. Hip hop dancers don’t have a union or auditions to be in their groups. It is a “come as you are” philosophy; each person has something unique to bring to the table. Believe it or not, hip hop dance has been around since the seventies. James Brown used drum solos in his songs to strut his stuff. Soul Train was responsible for showcasing so much of this talent. When Don Campbell appeared on Soul Train doing “campbellock”, his stylistic short pauses within movement, our version of “locking” was born. The world was watching, and many more young artists used Campbell’s inspiration to move them into the spotlight. DJs started experimenting with music. Hip hop dancers thrive on the short interludes or breaks in the music, when the vocals cease. These DJs began looping interludes to create longer stretches in each break for the “breakers” to play with liquid movements, perform head spins and other inversions of their body. The two biggest buzz words of hip hop dance are: popping and locking. These words are not one in the same. Popping looks “jerky” when you watch it being performed. It’s a quick contract and release of your muscles. Sometimes, it’s isolated body parts, and other times, it’s isolated body halves. A pop is called a “hit”, and it’s often done on the beat in a rhythmic nature. Popping also involves facial expressions and miming. Contrastingly, it can be both fluid and sharp. Locking is characterized by a sudden freeze after fast motion. The movement “locks” in place for a short while to show off a pose. Locking is full of tricks and acrobatics. Some dancers specialize in either “popping” or “locking”, but the best dancers can perform both. So, move the furniture away…call your friends up to come over and form a circle…put on the holiday music…and make your holiday a HIP HOP HOLIDAY!
For even more information about hip hop dance, visit www.dancehere.com/hip-hop-dance-history/
Written By Alison Moss
Posted in: Home, Moves That Groove
