Hip Hop and Fitness

Generally, dancing is for everyone. There are no restrictions that can stop anyone from being a successful dancer. However, one thing must be said. Although some people may disagree with this statement, I believe that it is the honest truth: To be a successful dancer, physical fitness is very important, especially in hip hop. This does not mean that obese people cannot dance. It simply means that to reach your highest potential, it is best to maintain the average weight for your height. The reason for this is simply because hip hop dancing is based on fast and highly energetic movements. These movements would be very difficult to articulate if you are overweight, and frankly the routine can look very messy. However, if you are overweight, don’t let this discourage you. It simply means that you must put in extra work and train harder to master the techniques.

My above statement works the other way as well. If you are underweight and practice bad eating habits, it is likely that you will not have enough energy to keep up with the routines. Hip hop is very exhausting, and if you do not get the energy that you need from food, then it is very difficult to practice.

Basically, to sum it up, physical fitness plays an important role in hip hop dancing. If you have bad eating habits it will be difficult to become a successful dancer, even if you are not necessarily overweight. Again, do not let my words discourage you. This is just a pointer to help you to achieve your goals if you wish to become a dancer. If you disagree with any of my opinions or wish to add anything, feel free to comment below.

How to Become a Professional Dancer

After my last post, I realized that some of you may be interested in what the necessary steps are to become a professional dancer, so I decided to post a guide.

Firstly, it is important to know that strict discipline is the key to success in any form of dance, since it demands hours of daily practice. Competition for jobs is tremendous and many talented dancers have to turn to other careers to make a living.

Step 1 - Now that you are most likely a teenager with years of difficult practice behind you, decide if you really want to devote your life to dance. Be honest with yourself. If the answer is yes, take a few steps to make certain you are on a level playing field with other dancers.

Step 2 - Make sure you're attending a dance school that is giving you excellent training in the form of dance you are studying. Compare it with other dance schools in your area by arranging for several interviews.

Step 3 - Ask for information from each school about how students can prepare for and obtain professional auditions with national dance companies. A good school should have some connections.

Step 4 - Remember that there are always local events at which dancers appear. These will give you practice performing before the public.

Step 5 - Consider that a full-time college education immediately after high school might work against you if you put off trying to get those all-important professional auditions when you are 18. If you wait until you graduate from college, you will be competing with younger dancers who have been concentrating on their dancing.

Step 6 - Work toward a bachelor's degree if you decide you want to teach dance in a school or university setting. Click here for a list of accredited colleges offering dance programs.

So there you have it—a basic guide to becoming a professional dancer. Follow the general direction that the guide suggests and you will have a better chance at becoming an accomplished dancer. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comment box below.

My Future Ambitions

My dream job is to be a professional dancer. I have been dancing for about seven years now, and I am sure that I would enjoy doing it for the rest of my life. When I grow up, I hope to have a profession that I will enjoy, and dancing allows me to enjoy life to the fullest.

Although this goal seems impossible to accomplish, I’m still doing all I can to achieve it. For example, I practice dance every day for at least half an hour in the hopes of improving my techniques. Every so often, I try to branch out and learn different styles so that I know a little bit of everything. In addition, I am a part of my school dance team (Dynamic), and I am enrolled in a senior level competitive class at a nearby dance studio. Some would think that being on two separate dance teams at once would be hectic, but that’s just how passionate I am about hip hop. I hope that my endeavours will one day lead to success.

Talk about Synchronization!

Hello fellow hip-hoppers! Today I was browsing the internet and I happened to come across a video that blew my mind! Click here to check it out (You might want to skip the first minute and a half of the video, until they start the actual performance). The moment I finished watching the video, I knew that I had to blog about it. In all honestly, it was one of the greatest performances I have ever seen.

Performed by the JabbaWockeez, it is a perfect representation of how a proper group routine should look like. In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned what the general criteria of a perfect performance are. A good dance crew is able to capitalize on energy, articulation, synchronization, and expression, and I believe that the JabbaWockeez succeeded in doing this.

Although they were highly energetic and articulated every movement, what particularly caught my attention was the flawless synchronization of the group. It was like my eyes were playing tricks on me! Even though the routine was very complex, each group member was able to stay in sync with each other, which astounded me. For those who have read my earlier blogs you would probably recall me mentioning the fact that the JabbaWockeez were known for their marvellous ability to stay in sync with each other so well. This video proves that statement without a doubt.

If you have chosen to watch the video, I would love to hear about your thoughts on it. Furthermore, if you would like to share what you think is the greatest hip hop performance, feel free to comment.

Solo vs. Group

Do you prefer to dance alone, or as a team?

After dancing for 7 years, I have learned that the required skills to flourish in a solo performance differ greatly from those needed to do well in a group performance. There are many different benefits that come with dancing in a group, or going solo. It is an important thing to think about when planning a performance. The dancer has to look at what his/her strengths and weaknesses are, and compare them to the necessary skills required for a solo performance or a group performance.

If you like to freestyle and don’t do much choreography, going solo is better for you. This way you don’t have to find a compromise between the style of the group and your own personal style. Also, you do not have to worry about the performance of the other members of the group—you would just have to focus on yourself. There would be no one to hold you back from your full potential, or no one to push you to try to meet theirs. In this way, a solo performance can be more comfortable than a group performance. However, with a solo performance comes added pressure. As you would be the only one on stage, all eyes would be on you, watching your every move. Basically, a mistake made in a solo performance would be more noticeable than one made in a group performance.

The good thing about a group performance is that it looks a lot more impressive than a solo performance when it is done well. If each group member is able to master the routine it will look a lot more exciting than a solo performance. This, however, is very difficult to accomplish. For the group-routine to be good, synchronization is key. This is an area that a lot of dance teams struggle with, and it is the key reason why group performances are more difficult than solos.

So, which one do you prefer? Do you like to dance on your own or in a group? Please leave your comments below. I would really like to hear your opinions.

Freestyle vs. Choreography

Are you a freestyler or a routine-based dancer?

Hip Hop dancers can be separated into two different categories: freestylers and routine-dancers. Which category do you fit in?

Freestylers: “freestyle” in hip hop terms basically means improvisational dancing. This means that when the dancer performs, he or she does not prepare a routine for the performance. Most of the time, dancers who are self-taught tend to prefer freestyling. Usually, they do not use the regular 8-count rule that choreographers employ. They tend to find their own way of keeping track of the beat and staying in sync with the rhythm. Freestylers simply follow their gut and dance without thinking about what their next move is going to be. In this way, it is not a very professional way to dance, however it is just as entertaining as a choreographed dance. Most hip hop dancers like to think of freestyling as “dancing from the heart”.

All freestylers are distinguished. They each have their own distinct style that is personal to them. Sure, many free-styled performances may look similar, but each one includes the dancer’s unique touch, which is what I really like about freestyling. In a way, it can be seen as the dancer’s identity—something like their very own fingerprint on hip hop.

Routine-dancers: Routine dancers tend to be those who began dancing at studios and took professional classes. They learn how to dance by the 8-count rule and depend on it to stay on beat. Routine dances are very structured and take time to put together. They are usually prepared months before the actual performance, as opposed to freestyling which is prepared on the spot. Routine dancing is considered to be the more professional side of hip hop dance. The benefit of developing a routine before hand is that it relieves pressure on the dancer. In freestyle, the dancer can suddenly freeze up or run out moves (this has happened to me a number of times, and is quite embarrassing). There is a lot of pressure on the dancer not to be repetitive and to think of creative moves to impress the crowd, on the spot. Fixed routines take that pressure away. Basically, as long as the dancer practices the choreography, there is no need to worry.

Personally, I prefer freestyling to routine-dancing. I find that I have more fun improvising than taking months to establish a routine. Furthermore, I have always found freestyling to be very impressive. It requires a considerable amount of skill to put together a dance while you’re already dancing.

Does this mean that I believe that choreographed dancing is less important? Certainly not! In fact, my dance team and I are currently in the process of developing a routine for ourselves. I greatly value both forms of dancing, and believe that it’s important to know how to do both. In my opinion, to be a good dancer, one has to be sufficient in both freestyling, and routine-dancing.

So, what about you? Do you prefer to freestyle, or do you prefer choreographed dancing? Feel free to comment if you want to express your preference. I would really like to hear your opinion.

MY FAVOURITE DANCER - (CHOICE OF THE WEEK)

Justin Timberlake

Every girl wants him, and very guy wants to be him. While having the music industry in a choke-hold, this talented singer has been able to take up dancing as well. Performing in a number of his music videos and concerts, Justin Timberlake has won the hearts of many hip hop dancers around such as myself.

Justin Randall Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981, in the city of Memphis, Tennessee. Most popular for his singing, Justin Timberlake is known to be one of the most successful musicians of all time. He got his big break when he appeared as a contestant of Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club. Soon after, he and four others formed the world renowned boy band, ‘N Sync. Selling over 55 million albums in total, this boy band was extremely successful. In 2005, the group broke up due to creative differences. Nevertheless, Timberlake was still active in the music industry, more than any of the other former ‘N Sync members. He produced a number of music videos, most of which featured himself dancing. Today, Timberlake remains active in pop-culture, making guest appearances here and there and occasionally being featured on the songs of other musicians.

I have been a fan of Justin Timberlake for quite a while. I have always admired (and envied) him for his amazing talent for dancing and singing, which are two of my favourite hobbies. I have learned a lot from him over the years by observing his dance routines in his music videos. His articulation and style are flawless, and after all these years he continues to astonish me. Justin Timberlake has always been an inspiration to me, and always will be.

To catch a glimpse of JT in action, check out this video.