Hip-hop is one of the most popular physical art forms in the world. This street-style dance has its own style and culture, which makes it unique from other styles of dance. While it has evolved from rogue street performances to the dance studio, it has never lost it's vibrant, eclectic, and explosive nature. Here is a guide to hip-hip dance. 

History

Hip-hop was born in the Bronx in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a cultural exchange among Black, Latino, and Caribbean youth. It was an exciting culmination of African, modern, funk, swing, and tap-style dancing. Rhythmic combinations set to hip-hop music were fueled more by expression and attitude than by choreography. 

Kool DJ Herc is most famous for extending dance sections of songs, giving hip-hop dancers a musical platform to showcase their moves. West Coast hip-hop emerged soon thereafter with its own slightly different, signature moves. 

Styles of Hip Hop Dance

Although much of hip-hop is improvisational, it is shaped by the three main styles, which are popping, locking, and breaking. Popping and locking are a product of West Coast hip-hop, recognized for its quick contractions and body isolation, robotic in nature. 

Break dancing was more aerobic, mostly done from the floor, using complicated combinations of power moves, downrocking, freezes, and drops. Krumping, famous for its likeness to African dance, is powerful and expressive. While most dance studios today teach hip-hop choregraphy, it is still deeply rooted in creative and versatile freestyle movements all over the world. 

At C C & Co. Dance Complex, men, women and children are all invited to move their bodies. As the premier dance studio in Raleigh, NC, this locally owned operation is committed to creating a positive space for dancers of all ages and levels to express themselves. Experienced instructors lead classes in ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, and tap in their state-of-the-art dance studio. To see a full list of available classes, visit the website. For questions about enrollment, call (919) 846-5200.