Hip Hop Dance

Remember all the fad dances we used to do back in the 80's and 90's? I'm talking about dances like the cabbage patch and the running man. Ever wondered how those dances came about? Well... they are a form of hip hop dance, which evolved from breaking and the funk styles.

Did you know that hip hop dance is more than 30 years old? It became widely known after the first dance crews that were formed in the 1970's. In this article, I will be talking about two different styles: breaking and the funk styles, which are the oldest of all the hip hop dances.

Where Did Hip Hop Dance Get Started?

First of all, hip hop dance evolved out of the hip-hop culture. It refers to dance moves danced to mainly hip-hop music. Back in the 1970s, Black and Latino Americans created a wide range of styles, which include breaking, locking, and popping. The difference between hip-hop dance and other forms of dance is the moves are not choreographed like you see in some studios. It is often freestyle dance, moves that are made up on the spot.

Although, the older form of hip-hop dance were created back in the 1970's, they got started in two different locations, half in New York and others in California.

Breaking was created in The Bronx, New York.

Guess who had a big influence on the early form of breaking! If you guessed the "God Father of Soul", then you are right!.

Remember the James Brown's "Good Foot" dance? Who could forget that dance, right? Well..it started out in the early 70's as an early form of breaking. At that time, breaking was not floor oriented like we see done today. It was performed standing up, which is called toprock.

If breaking was started in New York, then the funk styles were started in California. The funk Styles refers to various street dance styles danced to funk music. James Brown, also, had a big influence on the boogaloo style of dance. It was inspired by his dance called the popcorn. Funk styles is consisted of two different dance styles, which have their own histories and set of dance moves: Locking and Popping.

Locking was created by Don Campbell in the late 1960's. Popping was created by Sam Solomon in the 1970's. If you remember watching Soul Train, you probably saw dance moves such as the robot, locking and popping.

Hip Hop Dance and Fitness

Hip-hop dance is a passion for many people. It is a form of entertainment for some. But for those who are looking for a fun way to get in shape, it is a form of physical fitness. You can find hip-hop dance studios in just about every major city across the country. Hip-Hop dance is very intense and it builds balance, strong muscles, and great for reshaping your body.

It's no wonder fitness is being used by many dancers as a platform to promote hip-hop dance as a way to stay in shape.Today, dancers and trainers alike are using hip-hop dance as an alternate form of exercise.

Remember the makers of P90X Workout, Beachbody? You can see their info-mercials on TV. Well, in 2007, they produced "Hip Hop abs" as a home fitness program. The program was created by Shawn T, who is a dancer and personal trainer. They use hip-hop dance as a way to tone and sculpt your abs.

If you like to learn more about how to hip-hop dance, I found this great website, www.Hip-Hop-dance.net, that has free video lessons. Check it out!

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