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Use this Bulletin Board to discover all about Hip Hop dance.

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15 Old School Hip Hop Dance Steps With Names

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LSU Tigergirls award winning Hip Hop routine

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LSU Tigergirls award winning Hip Hop routine

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Louisiana State University Dance Team Hip Hop 2022

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How I practice hip hop dance with four foundations

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Missy Elliott - Lose Control (feat. Ciara & Fat Man Scoop) [Official Music Video]

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Published on 8/11/2023 at 11:30 AM

Hip-hop culture penetrates every aspect of people's lives, from the way they dress and speak to walk and dance. Though mostly associated with music, hip-hop from its inception has always been a lifestyle and its own subculture within Black (and eventually other minority) communities around the world. When hip-hop emerged in the Bronx during the 1970s, there were four key elements of the scene: DJing, rapping, graffiti, and break dancing. Though break dancing gained exposure because of hip-hop music's popularity, the inspiration and origins of the dance style date back to the 1950s.

Today, hip-hop dance encompasses a variety of elements and styles, the most common being break dancing, popping, locking, krumping, and freestyle. Now, hip-hop dance is offered in dance studios throughout the world, hip-hop dance crews battle on major networks and streaming services, and we have a multitude of movies centered solely on the culture and lifestyle of hip-hop dance.

Hip-hop dance has evolved and expanded with the music of its genre, crossing over into mainstream "traditional" dance studios and reaching shores far beyond the five boroughs of New York City. Join me on the journey of hip hop's last five-plus decades, as it's made its way from the street corners of the Bronx to trending on social media.

Late 1960s to Early 1970s New York City: Break Dancing

As hip-hop music emerged in the Bronx during the late 1960s and early 1970s, break dancing naturally evolved with it. DJ Kool Herc is credited for the evolution of this new form of dance, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. He was the first DJ to use two turn tables at once, and his creation of unique beats and extended dance breaks in songs gave performers the space and time to express themselves as the music played freely. Performers without formal dance training found movement in their bodies to match the Funk beat found in hip-hop songs at the time.

Block parties and street dancing enabled this dance style to quickly spread from the Bronx to all five boroughs of New York City and eventually throughout the US. During block parties, DJs would encourage the crowd to dance; attendees would have combinations such as hustle, uprocking, lindy hop, popping, and locking. This mixture of dance styles formulated what we know to be modern-day hip-hop dance.

1970s California: Locking

Locking emerged in Los Angeles in the 1970s. The creator of the dance form, Don "Campbellock" Campbell, was attempting to do a dance called the robot shuffle but instead ended up creating a new form of dance by accident. He and his crew, The Lockers, performed on the musical variety show "Soul Train" for the first time in 1971, which brought national attention to the dance form. Along with using this dance form to elevate hip-hop culture, it was also used to show solidarity within the Black community. Many lockers were also civil rights activists who used moves like the "locking handshake" to represent Black unity.

Choreographer Toni Basil, cofounder of The Lockers, and the crew are credited with changing the world of dance through this form of movement. They performed on "Saturday Night Live," at Radio City Music Hall and Carnegie Hall, on countless award shows, in movies, and many went on to have successful solo careers. This form of dance is most notably associated with wrist rolls, jazz splits, high kicks, and knee drops. Dancers perform fast movements and then "lock" in a position for a moment before returning to fast movements.

1970s California: Popping

Between 1975 and 1976, Boogaloo Sam created popping - a dance that combines flowing movements with rigid, robotic movements creating a stop-motion illusion in the body - in Fresno, CA, according to Red Bull. After seeing a performance by The Lockers, he was inspired to create his own hip-hop dance style. Drawing inspiration from Chubby Checker, James Brown, and cartoons, Boogaloo Sam actualized this new form of movement. In 1977, he founded his own crew, the Electric Boogaloos.

Notable moves from the popping genre include the Boogaloo (created by Boogaloo Sam), botting, dime stop, gliding, and popping. Boogaloo Sam's musicality and deep understanding of movement made him an influential figure in early hip-hop on the West Coast, and he continues to dance and teach today.

1983: Hip-Hop's First Film, "Wild Style," Debuts

There's a bit of debate over it, but the 1983 classic "Wild Style" is argued to be the first film centered on hip-hop culture. Charlie Ahearn, the film's director, focused on all four elements of the culture: DJing, rapping, graffiti, and break dancing. Ahearn made history by selling out all showings for the three weeks it played in Time Square, according to The Source. The film was low budget and raw, but thoroughly encapsulated the feel of the culture helping expand its reach outside the five boroughs of NYC. Though originally released only in a handful of theaters, "Wild Style" was remastered and released 30 years later for a new generation of hip-hop performers and fans to enjoy.

Late '80s and '90s: Club Battles and Competitions

By the late '80s and early '90s, hip-hop was gaining more mainstream notoriety, and clubs throughout started to feature DJs in the genre. The incorporation of DJs into the club scene made way for dance competitions to emerge as an organic result. Club attendees would clear out space on the dance floor for different groups to go head-to-head. These impromptu battles eventually led to club promoters highlighting these competitions to get more people into their spaces. The elevation of these competitions enabled hip-hop dancers to stay connected to the genre's original nature of battling
. We see similar head-to-head battles in other dance genres, such as tap, as well.

2000s: New Wave of Hip-Hop Dance

As the music and culture of hip-hop evolved over the years, it brought forth new forms of dance. In the 2000s, the most notable additions to the hip-hop dance genre have been krumping, turfing, and jookin.

Krumping is a freestyle form of hip-hop dance that consists of jerky, fast movements that present in a strong and powerful, yet aggressive, manner. It emerged in Los Angeles with Tommy the Clown and his crew. This form of dance was introduced as a way for individuals to release frustration and anger from their bodies in a nonviolent way. This dance form was made popular in large part to the feature film "Rize".

Turfing came out of Oakland and combined waving, gliding, and floor moves to create this new dance style. Turfing stands for "taking up room on the floor." Jeriel Bey created the term in 2006 and organized the first turfing crew from West Oakland, the Architeckz.

Lastly, jookin emerged in Memphis, TN, and is a combination of footwork and gliding. Lil Buck helped popularize this genre of dance by performing in music videos such as Janelle Monae's "Tightrope," for which he received an MTV Video Music Award Best Choreography nomination.

Modern Hip-Hop and Social Media

Hip-hop dance as a culture has greatly benefited from social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. These resources have provided current hip-hop dances with a global outlet to create new forms of expression and collaborate with dancers around the world. The exposure social media has given hip-hop culture as a whole has helped expand its reach and impact worldwide throughout this past decade.

But we'd be remiss not to address how the inequities of our world have also emerged in the way hip-hop culture shows up on social media. Many Black TikTok dances have noted their choreography has been repurposed by white influencers without any credit given to them. This led to a brief "strike" by Black dancers and creators on TikTok in the fall of 2021.

Black dancers stopped creating new choreography for popular songs being released during this time period. They did this to draw attention to the fact that they were the ones creating these viral trends but weren't getting the recognition they deserved in the process.

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The Evolution of Hip-Hop Dance, From Popping and Locking to TikToking

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To celebrate 50 years of hip-hop, journey through decades of hip-hop dance history, from the '60s Bronx, popping and locking, to modern-day TikTok dance.

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Imagine a world without the flavor and style that hip hop brings. In the U.S. and around the globe, our culture just wouldn't be the same without it.

Imagine me, a young Black woman, excited to kick off a summer holiday weekend. I scroll through some popular playlists on my streaming app, but the songs don't really speak to my experience and the news impacting my community. With a shrug, I decide on something upbeat to get me going. Now, it's time to straighten my hair. I'd love to leave it natural, especially on such a hot day, but that's not really the style. Finally, I slip into some snug jeans, a band tee that someone gifted me, and a pair of beat-up Chucks. When I hop in the car with my bestie, she turns up the volume on one of her favorite old songs: "Stay With Me" by DeBarge. And I'm puzzled because I've never heard this song before.

That might seem like a pretty average day for some, but for me, it couldn't be further from normal. This is what a day might look like for me if hip hop never existed.

Imagine 50 Years Without Black Culture

Hip hop brought Black culture to the mainstream and the rest of the world. It's all around us, from the clothes we wear, to the graffiti we see across our city infrastructure, to the DJs and MCs that liven our events. Hip hop's elevated status made it the third most popular genre in the U.S and number one with Gen Z.

For 50 years, the biggest influences on culture and style have come from the genre that redefined cool. In the U.S. and around the world, life just wouldn't be the same without hip hop.

Generations Would Lose Their Voice

Black Americans have always created new ways to express themselves and fight oppression. Just in the 20th century, there was the Harlem Renaissance, the civil rights movement, and the rise of Black pride. But it was hip hop that made Black culture mainstream.

Hip hop gave the Black youth of the late 70s and early 80s a microphone, a platform, and the world stage. Groups like Public Enemy and N.W.A. set the tone with their outspoken lyrics against the injustices many people in the country were overlooking. As time went on, songs like Queen Latifah's "U.N.I.T.Y." amplified the Black struggle. And Tupac's "Keep Your Head Up" inspired millions, paving the way for rappers like Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole who continue to open people's ears and minds to today's issues.

Hip hop's legacy lives not only through its musical influences but also through the very language we all speak. The genre popularized African American Vernacular English (AAVE), widely used by Gen X, millennials, and now Gen Z.

Black youth can see and hear themselves represented in more ways than ever. Today, young Black Americans are able to identify with figures like Jay Z, Rihanna, and Dr. Dre who are not only rappers and musicians, but also successful business owners and people to look up to.

Pop Culture Would Lose Its Beat

Hip hop is at the center of pop culture. Since the late 1970s, it has been a determinant of what's cool, from the language, to the cadence, to the rhythm, to the movement. In recent years, Hamilton and its reimagining of history with a hip hop twist is a cultural staple and an obsession for musical theater lovers everywhere. The Shade Room is one of the most followed media pages on Instagram with 28 million people staying up to date with the latest hip hop news. New TikTok dances appear everyday with songs from some of today's hottest rappers. From reality TV to the hottest trends on social media, elements of hip hop have shaped many facets of culture.

Old Songs Would Stay in the Past

Rappers were the first to bridge the gap between generations. In fact, it is widely believed that sampling was created with rap music. Today, almost every song is inspired by or contains sounds of classic songs from the 80s or 90s. Remember my day without hip hop? I would have recognized the song "Stay With Me" by DeBarge because it's sampled in "One More Chance" by The Notorious B.I.G. and Moneybagg Yo's "Wokesha."

Black Culture Would Not Have Global Reach

Thanks to hip hop, Black culture is a powerful force around the globe, reaching far and wide, capturing hearts, and breaking barriers. Its beats and flows have inspired artists across genres. Hip hop is topping the charts in Latin America, Asia, and Europe and getting a new sound-from the rise of Latin trap, to the birth of K-Rap (a K-Pop subgenre), to Europe's love of drill music.

Imagine 50 Years Without Flavor and Style

Despite hip hop's impact and mainstream status, advertisers don't always want to surround its content and are afraid of its image. But let's take a moment and just imagine: What would life look like without the Black culture's influence?

Retail Would Lose Its Cool

Tracksuits in the 80s, 90s street style, denim and hats in the 00s, and extravagant nails, large hoop earrings, and the sneaker culture of today-hip hop gave us the look. Rappers, DJs, and other hip hop artists start trends that are built on for generations. Hip hop promotes individuality and creativity, giving people the courage to express themselves unapologetically. The artists and moguls set new trends in fashion daily through everything from brand collaborations, to a simple Instagram post, to a one liner in their latest single.

Hair Trends Would Be Less Inspired

Hip hop is not just a genre of music, but a subculture rooted in Black culture and self-expression. From afros to high top fades, braids to weaves, artists like Ludacris and Lil Kim have changed what acceptable Black hairstyles looked liked and allowed Black women to take a break from the damage of hair straighteners and men to explore their personal style.

Luxury Would Be a Distant Dream

Hip hop made luxury brands into household names, popularizing luxury in the Black community and bridging the gap between high-end labels and its audiences. Though some labels were slow to embrace the community, those that did became more popular-and cool. Rappers do everything from hyping brands in hit songs to sitting front row at NYFW. And now, wearing flashy jewelry or name brand clothes is a sign of success that many hip hop lovers strive to achieve.

Imagine Losing the Hip Hop Audience

That's just scratching the surface. Without hip hop, creativity across many industries would be stifled, and many categories would struggle to gain as much momentum as they've had without its influence. Now imagine: What would reaching large, engaged audiences look like without hip hop?

Streaming Wouldn't Reach New Heights

Music streaming and hip hop have both evolved drastically in the last 20 years. When the first streaming platform launched in 1999, rock and pop were the most popular genres in music. Fifteen years later, hip hop surpassed both in popularity. Streaming's reach allowed hip hop to hit new heights, allowing brands to tap into a full spectrum of audiences. For example, with creator- and fan-driven platforms like Pandora and SoundCloud, Drake became the first artist to surpass 50 billion streams on all streaming platforms.

Hip hop's impact is undeniable. As we celebrate 50 years of this revolutionary genre of music, think about how it has impacted your everyday life. Could you or your brand live without it?

We don't think so.

Sources

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Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop and Its Undeniable Impact

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Imagine a world without the flavor and style that hip hop brings. In the U.S. and around the globe, our culture just wouldn't be the same without it.

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LSU Tiger Girls - UDA National Champions - 2024

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A Latino History of Hip-Hop, Part I: NOW on LatinoUSA.org

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How to Pin Drop / Knee Drop (Hip Hop Dance Moves Tutorial: Breakdance) | Mihran Kirakosian