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Dance Styles
Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 April 2009 11:36
New to Hip Hop? Or just wanting to refresh your memory? Here we outline the various styles of Hip Hop and Funk styles of dancing. At D2MG we can help find a style to suit everyone. We promise to banish the stereotypes and aim to teach you the important basics at the heart of every true dancer. Start learning now with D2MG's dance classes, courses and workshops. This page is a work in progress and regularly updated, please check back for updates.
Styles
Hip Hop
Hip Hop consists of street dance styles, primarily danced to hip hop music, or that have evolved as a part of the hip hop culture. It can include a wide range of styles such as breaking, popping, locking, and even house dance. It can also include the many styles simply labelled as hip hop, old school hip hop (or hype), hip hop new style and freestyle.
Girls Hip Hop
Hip Hop with a feminine twist, guys are welcome to take this class also.
Breaking
Breakdance, breaking, b-boying is a street dance style that evolved as part of the hip hop movement among African American and Puerto Rican youths in Manhattan and the South Bronx of New York City during the early 1970s. It is normally danced to electro or hip hop music, often remixed to prolong the breaks, and is a well-known hip hop dance style. Breakdancing involves the elements of toprock, downrock, freezes, and power moves. A breakdancer, breaker, b-boy or b-girl refers to a person who practices breakdancing.
House
House is a style of street dance danced to house music. It is improvisational in nature and emphasizes fast and complex footwork combined with fluid movements in the torso.
Popping
Popping is a funk dance and street dance style based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit. This is done continuously to the rhythm of a song in combination with various movements and poses. A popping dancer is commonly referred to as a popper. Popping is also used as an umbrella term for a group of closely related illusionary dance styles and techniques that are often integrated with popping to create a more varied performance
Locking
Locking (originally Campbellocking) is a style of funk dance and street dance, which is today also associated with hip hop. It relies on fast and distinct arm and hand movements combined with more relaxed hips and legs. The movements are generally large and exaggerated, and often very rhythmic and tightly synced with the music. Locking is quite performance oriented, often interacting with the audience by smiling or giving them a high five, and some moves are quite comical in nature. Locking was originally danced to traditional funk, such as James Brown. Funk music is still commonly favored by locking dancers.
Punking
A style born in the 1970s in the LA underground club scene. Punking was first seen in Gay underground nightclubs (discotheques) of Hollywood. The dance came into the mainstreeam as many professional dancers at the time started performing it on television (Soul Train) and various stages from Hollywood to Las Vegas. Punking dancers include; Billy Goodson, Tinker, (R.I.P.) Lanny and Aka Micheal Angelo, Adolfo 'Shabba Doo' Quinones, as well as female and male dancers from Dancing Machine which was created in 1975 by Jeff Kutach who later created a show called Splash in Las Vegas. You could also see it performed in the 70s and early 80s by the group Dancing machine, members were Stever 'Sugarfoot' Notario, Gino, Dino, SugarBop, Fast Freddy, Topaz Lanette, Diane, Flame, Dallas and Ana 'Lollipop' Sanchez.
Waacking
Styles of dance from the streets and clubs were taken into the music and media world. The world saw a fusion of dances merged into effortless sequences. Wacking is the name that some of the soul train dancers started using instead of the initial term 'punking'. Toby, Jeffrey Daniel, Jody Watley (Shalamar) was trained by Tyrone Proctor (Soul Train dancer) who she credits with her 'Diva' training. All were known to have performed Wacking. Some would say that punking was the original true underground term for the style and that wacking or whacking came later as the dance became more mainstream.
D2MG's Stylin' Courses
D2MG created Stylin' courses for those wanting to learn a variety of street dance styles with a common theme. These themes are:
Sexy Stylin'
An erotic blend of Hip Hop, Street Funk, Street Jazz, Punking, Waacking, House, Disco, Dancehall and Booty Shakin' to sexy music. A new routine is taught each week to a different song. Previous songs used: Striptease - Danity Kane, Please Don't Stop the Music - Rihanna, Miss Independent - NeYo, Sandcastle Disco - Solange, Freakshow - Britney Spears, Big Girl Now - New Kids On The Block ft. Lady Gaga.
Street Stylin'
Learn a variety of street dance styles, consisting of Breaking, Hip Hop LA style, NY style and freestyle. Suitable for those wanting to try different styles to see which they enjoy the most, or for those wanting a general experience in Hip Hop dancing.
Funk Stylin'
A funky fresh course teaching Locking, Popping, Animation, Boogaloo, Tutting, Strobing, Waving styles to name a few.
Freestylin'
Using a range of moves and grooves across Hip Hop and related dance styles, the Freestylin' course is for those wanting to learn how to be able to dance freely, spontaneously, whether for fun or for a battle. With an emphasis on musicality, this course will help improve your dance skills as well as encourage your freeflowing movement from within.
Levels
Foundation
Suitable for all dancers, Foundation goes through the basics of the style, for example emphasizing on grooving for Hip Hop, technique and musicality. Perfect for absolute beginners wanting to get into a certain dance style or for more experienced dancers wanting to revise the foundations.
Beginner
Similar to Foundation, this class expands on what is learnt by introducing slightly more complex moves and routines, also incorporating a variety of street dance styles. Suitable for absolute to advanced beginners.
Beginner/Intermediate
A class for advanced beginner to intermediate students wanting to challenge themselves with more focus on musicality and individual flavour.
Intermediate
A challenging class for intermediate and above students, or beginner students who really want to push their limits! More advanced moves and routines with a greater focus on musicality.
Open
Open to all levels, mostly for the intermediate and advanced students, yet also suitable for beginners wanting to challenge themselves.
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