Hip Hop Dance has now taken the world by storm, it is now being used by almost every mainstream and R&B artist with dance becoming part of mainstream pop culture.

So why has Hip Hop Dance so popular these days especially in the UK?

Hip Hop dancing, like any other form of dance has steadily evolved as an art movement in itself, an expression of African American cultures flowing together of various modern dance styles including jazz, funk and – Street dancing is just a broad umbrella term that describes a range of funk styles that have grown from the USA since the 1970s.

Hip Hop Dance is a bit of an umbrella term and underneath it you have breakdance, popping, locking, krumping and so many different niche styles. So why has the world gone Hip Hop Dance mad? can someone please tell me!

Wherever there is young people, you are bound to see a Hip Hop Dance culture from Britain’s Got Talent, to American Best Dance Crews.

Britain’s Got Talent 2009

BBC: So You think You Can Dance

“Hip Hop Dance” is also commonly used specifically for the many hip hops and funk dance styles that began appearing in the United States in the 1970s, and are still alive and evolving within culture today: such as breakdance, popping, locking, new style and house dance. These dances are popular on levels, as a form of physical exercise, an art form, and for competition, and are today practiced both at dance studios and other spaces. Some schools use Hip Hop Dance as a form of physical education.

breakdancer

Dancers interpret the existing moves freely and even invent new ones to create a personal style of their own. Improvisation is the heart of most Hip Hop Dances, though choreography is also seen, mostly mixed with improvisation or used for prepared shows.

Generally, a Hip Hop Dance is based on a unique style or feel that are expressed through the dance, usually tied to a certain music genre. As new dance moves evolve based on this feel, the dance is under constant development, and if the feel starts to change it might give birth to a completely new dance form.

Today, serious Hip Hop Dance competitions are increasingly popular, and a number of large annual international events are taking place around the world. These contests focus mainly on judged battles but also on choreographed shows.

Some of the most famous Hip Hop Dance styles of today, such as breakdance, popping and locking, began appearing around the 1970s, and new style and house dance around the 1980s. Though some of these styles originally evolved separately, most of them are today associated with the scene, as they share many Hip Hop Dance elements.

More recently, new Hip Hop Dance styles are emerging that are further inspired by and its music. Krumping, with its focus on highly energetic battles and movements, is an example of such a style that just recently became publicly known. It’s also common to see some characteristics of Hip Hop Dance being mixed with other more traditional dance forms, creating styles such as street jazz, a mixture of modern styles and jazz dance. Such styles are generally focused more on choreography and performance and less on improvisation and battles, and are not always considered pure Hip Hop Dances, though a popular alternative to the more traditional and classical styles of studio dancing.

Many schools, charities and organisations have now joined in with the action – with providing students with Hip Hop Dance workshops, For an alternative to P.E tray our Hip Hop Workout ® or just as a taster session or for the early year setting try our Hip Hop Tots program.

The Hip Hop Dance workshops we provide is an incredibly popular dance workshop, which encourages individuality, originality, and personal style. Participants will learn the latest Hip Hop Dance moves and techniques such as free styling, breaking, waving, popping, and locking from our top Hip Hop Dancers, and discover how this dance form is rooted and influenced by traditional African dance.

Street Dance Workshop @ St Katerines Girls School

The songs and music used are geared to the current charts using popular music that fits the hip-hop realm. The street dance workshop is very practical dance workshop – participants will get get stuck straight in learning street dance moves and a full-choreographed routine that will even impress yourself!

Visit our Hip Hop dance workshops page to find out more.