HipHop
Hip Hop Dance
A dance style that was mainly done on the streets, that is why it is also referred to as a street dance, is what we commonly know today as the hip hop dance. Music from the hip hop culture or hip hop music is its main dance tune. Hip hop started in the early 70’s around the city of New York, particularly in the Bronx. This was when youngsters as well as street gangs express their creativity or settle differences or disputes respectively in the form of dancing or a dance showdown, thus avoiding violence. hip hop was regarded as one of the positive moves among the black Americans and the Latinos or some Puerto Ricans.
Break dancing is the ancestor of this dance style which means that it is the forerunner of the Hip Hop dance. Break dance moves such as backspins, windmills, headspins and the likes are only part of hip hop. Actually, Hip hop dance has a wide genre and some dance types like ballet and jazz dance styles maybe combined with it. However, the prominent characteristics of the hip hop style of dancing are improvisation, the freestyle interpretation and high level of energy that this dance style requires. Though hip hop maybe mixed with other dance styles some of hip hop enthusiasts and purists do not agree because when it is mixed they say, it becomes more rehearsed or choreographed and loses the characteristic of improvisation and freestyle interpretation.
Among the first hip hop dancers who made this dance style famous was the Rock Steady Crew around the early 1980’s. These fellows were the ones who introduced the energizing moves like windmills, backspins, headspins, waves and other dance moves. Another notable personality who really influenced breakdancing that later on evolved into hip hop dance moves was Afrika Bambatta, one of the many famous and legendary DJs during the breakdance era. He was instrumental to making breakdancing a great tool to reach fame by many youngsters.
The 80’s was the turning point of the hip hop style because this was when it peaked and many artists were inspired to work on and produce a number of hip hop music where a lot of hip hop enthusiasts could dance on. This was the time when hip hop dance was really recognized and established. With the music growing in popularity there was also an influx of dance moves, a number of new hip hop moves also emerged. Most of these moves were done in an upright position rather than the breaking style with more floor movements and spins. Indeed, hip hop dancing had come a long way since it was first started by the youths of Bronx, New York. Some hip hop moves became trends such as the famous The Running Man dance move. While there were still many hip hop dance moves that were created and introduced, it was until the late 1990s and year 2000 that hip hop becomes a more aggressive dance style. Dance moves from the 80’s to present are now collectively called new school while the first hip hop moves of locking, uprocking, popping including breakdancing are now referred as old school. So, this gives us two classifications:
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The Hype or old school style of hip hop dance which is more on the jumpy and breaking dance style. The dance moves during the 1960s and 70’s ; and
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The new style which emerged during the 80’s and present, involving a more aggressive and heavy form of hip hop dance style.
As hip hop gained recognition globally, a number of dance organizations organized competition just for the hip hop dance. These events do not only showcase the moves and styles of the dance but also these events become venue of recognition or showcase certain famous dance groups and dance individuals. The World Hip Hop Championships in the USA is presently the most respected and biggest hip hop dance international competition event that is being looked forward to by hip hop dancers and groups. Other countries like Australia held its own Urban Dance Championships since 2001, in the New Zealand, dubbed their own hip hop dance contest as Battleground which started in 2004. Hip hop dance also made its waves in Paris with the annual street dancing competition called Juste Debout which is usually a big event among hip hop enthusiasts in the county. One of the most prominent organizations that hold international competitions every year is the IDO or the International Dance Organizations. Apart from the World Championships in Bremen, Germany, IDO also holds the most coveted European Street Dance Championships wherein its venue rotates around European countries like Austria (2007 venue) and Finland (2006 venue) to name a few. Other equally globally accepted Hip Hop competition organizers are Gforce Productions Street Dance Weekend and Jump Off. Dancers and dancing groups can perform to a chosen hip hop dance category from the new style hip hop to the old such as the Popping, House, Locking and many others.
Dubbed as just an urban ethnic dance, the hip hop dance style truly had a long way to go. Today, hip hop is still evolving with artists making waves in hip hop music. Because this type of dance style will lift your spirits to move and dance like the pros, many hip hop dance schools emerged, not to mention some online tutorials and CDs or DVDs that you can purchase in order to learn the basics of this dance style. For some, hip hop dancing is another form of exercise which replacing the boring routines of gym exercises. This would mean that hip hop dancing can be learned and performed by any person of any age.