
Types of Hip Hop dances Breakingīreaking (often referred to by mainstream media as "breakdancing”)" is a style of dance that was born through Hip Hop block parties. Now that we’re familiar with the history of Hip Hop culture, let’s take a closer look at the two major Hip Hop dance styles – Breaking and Party Dances. (Price 156)Īs this happened, the Master of Ceremonies, or MC, or Emcee, would hype up the DJ and the crowd, keeping the energy going.īy the late 1970s, DJs and Emcees were getting together regularly to spin, scratch, cut, and mix for the community.Īs much as the art forms within Hip Hop have evolved over the decades, the core tenants of the culture remain. This allowed him to “precue” the beats and make seamless transitions between the breaks. Grandmaster Flash further innovated the art of DJing by using his headphones to pinpoint exactly where the beats started and ended. (The breakbeat is the instrumental, percussive section in funk and R&B records.)Īnd since his job as a DJ was to keep the energy of the party up, he found a way to extend the breakbeat by isolating it, then using two turntables to play it back to back on a loop. If you've ever heard of "1520 Sedgwick Avenue" that's the address of the iconic building where many of these first parties took place.Īs Kool Herc watched the people party, he noticed that they got the most hype during the breakbeat of a song. He played music on his turntables and the community would come out to mingle and dance. KRS-One defines the etymology of "Hip Hop" in this lecture below.ĭJ Kool Herc (AKA the “Father of Hip Hop”) used to start block parties in the West Bronx (AKA the “birthplace of Hip Hop"). This lifestyle and culture became known as Hip Hop. These art forms, which the youth embodied in the way they dressed, talked, moved, and expressed themselves, soon became a lifestyle. Yet they, particularly the African American and Latino youth (minority groups), were neglected by mainstream institutions.ĭesperate for a way to escape their everyday struggles, they invented their own art forms. The youth were surrounded by drugs, crime, poverty, gang violence, and overall struggle. The Bronx in the 70's was a rough, dangerous place to grow up. While some OG members of the Hip Hop community consider other elements to be part of Hip Hop’s core (such as Beatboxing) all agree – you must participate in the 5 elements above to be considered a member of authentic Hip Hop culture.

“Knowledge of self” refers to the Afro-diasporic mix of spiritual and political consciousness designed to empower members of oppressed groups by portraying social change and giving back to the minority communities. This element is the thread that weaves all the other elements together. It started out with these 5 core movements: Top Rocks, Fast Footwork, Back Rocks, Freezes, and Power Moves. This is the art of expressing oneself about everyday life using spray paint on walls/outdoor spaces.īreaking (often called breakdancing by popular media) is the original dance style that came out of the Hip Hop community. MC stands for “Master of Ceremonies” and they’re basically the hype-man of the DJ! The MC gets the crowd going and will sometimes freestyle rap over the music.

DJs in the Hip Hop community are responsible for creating/curating the music that gets people on the dance floor at parties. The 5 Elements of Hip HopĪlso known as turntabling, this is an art form in which music is made in real time using record players and DJ mixers. While frequently referred to as a singular dance style, Hip Hop dance is part of a whole culture of Hip Hop, that includes Deejaying, Graffiti, Emceeing, and Breaking.

It has deep historical and social roots in African American culture, having emerged in Black communities living in 1970s New York.

Hip Hop Dance is a style of movement characterized by bounces and rocks, executed to Hip Hop music. There, your instructor Buddha Stretch will teach you about Hip Hop history in real time, while also showing you the basic moves and foundations of the style, step-by-step.Īll right, let’s dive into all things Hip Hop. Everything you need to know about Hip Hop dance classesīut first… if you’re looking to do more than read about Hip Hop dance, here’s a shortcut to our online Beginner Hip Hop dance program!.To get you started, we’ve put together a Hip Hop dance crash course for you below. From where it all started until now, Hip Hop dance & culture has made, and is still making, a huge impact on our world.Īnd if you’re a dancer, studying Hip Hop’s undeniably raw and fascinating background should be considered a core part of your education!
