History of Hip Hop Dance

The History of Hip Hop Dance

Now having been with us for over three decades, hip hop dance has changed the face of dance, bringing a tough exterior versus the softness of ballet, finding its roots in unconventional places far from the tradition of the typical dance studio. A lot of the history of hip hop dance is made up of fables and urban legends, due partially to its roots in both slavery and inner city slums – two conditions where voices were rarely heard, their art form instead surviving and evolving into what we know today. However, there are some concrete facts we can discover, and understanding this history provides us with a stronger appreciation for the craft hip hop has become.

Bi-Coastal Roots

Some believe hip hop dance finds its origination in New York City, and this is partially true. Many dance forms credited as part of the hip hop family developed in New York, however popping and locking, along with other moves, actually developed on the west coast. In the 1980s, all of these dances began to get more intense media coverage, and because of this many of its original forms were neglected -- everything was considered to be part of the funk culture, whether or not this was an accurate statement.

Turning back to New York, the early 1970s brought about “hip hop” in its ghettos. Each group had its own contributions to this cutting edge dance style, and gleaning inspiration from the various DJ beats found in their neighborhoods, an impressive array of rhythms began to develop. Specifically, DJ Afrika Bambaataa gave the rhythms the official name of “hip hop” in the 80s.

Many of today’s hip hop moves were based on music, and the names still resonate closely with DJ beats today. Slang developed out of this, giving us today’s terminology such as “breakin,” “poppin,” and “lockin.”

Overseas Influences

A Jamaican DJ named Kool DJ Herc is responsible for the titles “b-boy” and “b-girl”, that are still used today to describe primo hip hop poppers and lockers. The islands continued to make unique contributions to both hip hop dance and music, and that rich tapestry continues today.

African slaves in Brazil also helped with the dynamics of hip hop, presenting a self defense technique called Capoera, which they disguised as a dance. These moves hit the Bronx in the 1990s, and it continues to evolve in both urban environments and formal studio settings today.

Today’s Hip Hop

While today’s hip hop is much more performance based than ever before, this division of dance still values its ability to be show-worthy through spontaneity and self expression. Hip hop continues to thrive in the club scene for this reason, and many studios even sponsor freestyle competitions and b-boy and b-girl attitudes/styles.

In a traditional studio sense, many teachers draw upon hip hop’s precision and timing to choreograph impressive uniform moves in large groups. The tight steps with the ghetto fabulous style set makes for some great performances enjoyed across the nation today. High schoolers in particular love the style and feel of hip hop, and it has grown in popularity, surpassing more traditional dance forms like ballet and jazz.

Television shows such as So You Think You Can Dance have only furthered its popularity, giving it a great platform to teach about its culture and all it stands for.