Hip hop dance is a cultural movement that originated in New York City in the 1970s. The dance combines music, breakdance, rap and beatboxing to create a style that has become popular all over the world.
History of hip hop dance
Hip-hop was born from a group of young people in New York City who wanted to express their feelings through dance. These dancers used their bodies and their movements to mimic the sounds they heard on the radio.
The dance style emerged from the urban environment and developed as a result of social, political, and economic changes in 1970s America. Its earliest styles – popping, locking, and breakdancing – were performed to music that reflected the burgeoning funk and hip-hop culture of the time.
In this course, we will explore the history and cultural context of various forms of hip hop dance including b-boying, uprocking, popping and locking. Using scholarly study and embodied practice, students will learn the physical and historical connections of these forms while practicing them in class.
Popping is a type of dance that requires a quick contraction of muscles to make the body jerk or move. It is the most common form of hip hop dance and is also one of the oldest.
Locking is a similar style to popping and involves moving quickly from position to position while holding them for a short period of time.
While b-boying and breaking were the most prominent styles of hip-hop dance, other forms have also risen to prominence in the past few years. Krump and Locking are two that have gained mainstream exposure as well, though they were originally created independently of hip hop.
