| So you want to learn to dance hip hop style? Let's | | | | two main styles within popping: gliding, which consists |
| review the three most popular hip-hop dance styles, | | | | of smooth lower body movements like Michael |
| their history, and the best places online where you | | | | Jackson's Moonwalk, and tutting, which includes the |
| can learn to dance hip hop in the shortest amount of | | | | use of upper body to create various geometric |
| time possible... | | | | features. |
| The three main styles of hip-hop dance are breaking, | | | | If you want to learn to dance hip hop style, there |
| locking and popping. Breakdancing began in the Bronx | | | | are several websites that offer free tutorials to help |
| in the early 1970s and quickly gained respect for | | | | get you started. MikesMoves features a wide variety |
| being the premier dance style if hip-hop culture. It | | | | of dance steps you can learn in a day or two, and |
| consists of four main dance groups: the top rock, | | | | then incorporated to your larger dance routine. The |
| which are dance steps executed standing up; the | | | | beginner classes are complementary, but you do |
| down rock, which consists of dance movements on | | | | have to pay for advanced lessons. |
| the ground;freezes, another term for when a dancer | | | | BustAMove is another online hip-hop dance provider, |
| pauses in the middle of the dance (either in a top | | | | and just as well respected. They offer a variety of |
| rock or down rock position); and power moves, | | | | dance lessons in both video and text format, which is |
| which are essentially acrobatic moves mixed in. | | | | a great way for beginners to master the early dance |
| Locket began as a West Coast dance style, and | | | | steps before moving on to more advanced methods |
| focuses mainly on a series of pauses known as locks. | | | | and styles of dance. |
| A lock can be considered a freeze that is held longer, | | | | I hope you learn to dance hip hop and enjoy going |
| after which the dancer unlocks and fluidly reenters | | | | out to the clubs. While it may seem hard at first, by |
| into a dance routine that tightly follows the beat. | | | | practicing the basic dance steps over and over you'll |
| Popping also began in the West Coast and is closely | | | | soon be able to put together routines and a dance |
| related to locking, in that both dance styles include | | | | floor! |
| explosive knee-jerk reactions to the music. There are | | | | |