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| History of Hip Hop Dancing |
Hip-hop dancing has become an iconic part of the street culture in America. This unique form of dancing emerged from large outdoor parties in the 1970’s that were known as ‘block parties’. These block parties were typically hosted by the wealthier folks in the neighborhood that would be privy to the more expensive entertainment and stereo systems. The origination of hip-hop dancing started in the South Bronx in New York City and the block parties were a means of socializing and partying with neighbors and friends in the community when money was scarce. This form of dancing carries African Americans as its pioneers and includes the genres of music that are rap, b-boy fashion, hip hop, defiant stance, and break dancing.
Hip hop dancing refers to a number of different dance styles and is also known as street dancing. This kind of dancing is typically danced with hip hop or rap music and since its origination in the 1970’s, it has launched an entire hip hop culture in the United States. In the 1990’s, hip hop dancing began taking newer forms and transitions, and what was originally seen to be ground and break dancing, moved hip hop into a combination of both upright and ground moving styles.
The later forms of hip hop became known as the ‘new style’ or ‘new school’ of hip hop whereas the older forms of hip hop dancing involved the use of breakdancing and funk dancing. This quickly became known as ‘old school’ dancing.
| Old School Hip Hop |
Old school hip hop is dancing that is performed today but carries with it the styles of the ‘70’s and ‘80’s. This is primarily funk and old school music. Breakdancing is a trademark of this dance style and is thought to be the very cornerstone of hip hop dancing.
Funk dancing in the old school hip hop method involves moves that are known as locking and popping and are used in conjunction with breakdancing.
Today, many competitions and clubs still celebrate and dedicate themselves to the continuation of old school hip hop dancing. This kind of hip hop is also commonly seen in famous music videos.
| New School Hip Hop |
When hip hop dancing began evolving in the 1990’s, it slowly started moving away from the funk scene, and became a much heavier, more aggressive, and slower dance. New School hip hop dancing focuses less on breakdancing and ground movement and more on upright dancing.
Common styles in the new school hip hop include:
A lot of the new school hip hop is seen in contemporary music videos and on cable television in channels such as MTV and BET. It also is seen as a separate category in large street dance contests like Juste Debout.
| Being a Hip Hop Dancer |
Whether you are a new school or old school hip hop dancer, the key is to create your own style and your own movements when you are dancing. You want to continuously look for new movements as well as steps to include in your routine.
The highest honor you can receive as a hip hop dancer is a b-boy or b-girl status. This honor acknowledges your knowledge on the culture and on the various movements in each routine. When you become a b-boy or a b-girl, you are seen as a self-sufficient dancer and you instantly become differentiated from the other hip hop dancers. At this level, you don’t need a choreographer or even a routine as your creativity stands out on its own.
Hip hop dancers become known through a nickname which in itself is a means to express what style they embody. Examples of such include rubber band or crazy legs.
| Hip Hop Dance Competitions |
Hip Hop Dancing has immersed itself into American culture so much that competitions are held world wide annually. These competitions vary, some of them are restricted to one specific hip hop style, whereas others will combine all hip hop dancing styles and categories.
The International Dance Organization, also known as I DO, is the one organization that holds a number of hip hop dancing competitions annually. The most competitive and renowned are the European Street Dance Championships, and the World Championships which are held in Bremen, Germany every year.
The Hoopdreamz Enterprises holds a number of hip hop dance competitions as well. Groove, is an Australian hip hop dance competition and also hosts the Urban Dance Championship. The state level competition is at the Groove contest, whereas the national competition in Australian is called the Battlegrounds.
Juste Debout is another famous hip hop dancing competition held annually in Paris. This competition allows a hip hop new school style category, and does not allow for breakdancing in this competition.