Benefits of Dancing

After dancing for 7 years now, I have come to realize that there are many benefits that come with dancing, besides enjoyment. I can honestly say that dancing has made me a healthier person, physically and mentally. I don’t know how I could live without it.

Firstly, hip hop dancing greatly helps me to stay in shape. I practice for at least half an hour every day, and by the end of those thirty minutes I am exhausted. I believe that it is a great form of exercise because not only is it an effective way to stay in shape, but it is also very enjoyable. Without it, I would not be as fit as I am now.

It addition to that, dancing is has also helped me mentally and emotionally over the years. I use hip hop as a mechanism to control my temper. I cannot speak for everyone, but personally, I believe that dancing is a good way to reduce stress and anger. My daily thirty minutes of practice really helps me to blow off steam for anything that has caused me stress throughout the day. By the time I finish practicing, I feel relaxed and able to move on with my day. If you haven’t already been using dance as a mechanism to relieve stress, I deeply recommend it. It may sound odd to some of you, but trust me, it works.

Dancing is also something that has boosted my self-esteem over the years. Prior to my attachment to hip hop, I felt out of place. I didn’t have a special talent for anything in particular. I couldn’t play an instrument, I couldn’t sing, and I was never outstanding in any sport in particular. I felt like I was good for nothing. Then, when I took my first hip hop lesson, my instructor was astonished at my abilities at such a young age. I continued to work on my techniques, and after my first performance at a school talent show, people began to recognize me for my gift. At last, I felt like I belonged.

All in all, dancing has been very beneficial to me throughout my life. If you haven’t yet tried it out, I suggest that you do. If hip hop isn’t your thing, then try jazz or tap or lyrical if you’d like. After experiencing life with it and life without it I can honestly say that it will make a big difference in your life.

MY FAVOURITE DANCER (CHOICE OF THE WEEK)

Here’s another celebrity that I deeply envy and admire at the same time. He is known to be one of the best dancers in our generation and has been compared to Michael Jackson himself. His music videos have won countless awards simply because they feature him dancing. I am speaking of none other than Usher Raymond, the renowned musician who has also been crowned as the king of hip hop.

Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978), who performs under the stage name Usher, is an American recording artist and actor. He rose to fame in the 1990s, releasing the album My Way in 1997 and 8701 in 2001. His success continued with Confessions (2004), which has sold over ten million copies in the United States. To date, he has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and has won five Grammy Awards. In 2008, Usher was ranked as the 21st most successful Hot 100 Singles Artist of all-time by Billboard magazine. He ranked higher than any other artist of his generation.

Usher has always been a favourite of mine. In fact, his hit single “Yeah” was the first song that I ever performed to in front of an audience. After watching the music video, I was inspired to dance just like him, and I mimicked his moves in my performance. I have always been a big fan of his style, which is much like Michael Jackson’s. He takes a different approach to hip hop dancing, which is traditionally energetic and powerful. When he dances, it is smooth and slick; it is not as energetic but it is just as entertaining. His style is very unique, which is what I like to see in dancers. I hope that one day I can reach his level.

If you wish to see a video featuring a number of Usher dance routines, click here.

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.