Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Styles of Hip Hop Dance

Popping

Today, I am going to inform you about the style of dance that I specialize in, which is popping and locking. This form of hip hop dancing has grown considerably over the years and is now incorporated into almost all hip hop routines. Popping is a very important technique to master for those who wish to become high profile dancers. It is the basic skill that all professional hip hop dancers possess and rely on to choreograph their routines.

Popping is one of the many dance styles that originated from Fresno, California in the early 1970s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer’s body, referred to as a pop. This technique is done continuously in sync with the rhythm of the song in combination with various movements and poses. Related styles include tutting, waving, and strobing.

Like other styles of hip hop, popping is usually easier to improvise or freestyle as opposed to choreographing it. Personally, I would rather freestyle while popping rather than follow a set routine during a performance. In fact, in my last few competitions, I was given the opportunity to do my own solo in the front and centre of the stage during the group performance, and I chose to do a popping freestyle instead of making my own routine for it.

If you wish to see how popping looks like when it is perfected, click here.