There are many dance styles or dance workouts trending back to each decade, but hip hop has continued to emerge and has remained relevant since its inception. If you are thinking of enrolling your child in dance lessons, it is important that you consider hip hop as an option because of its cultural significance, natural flexibility, and fun environment. Here’s what you need to know about the hip hop culture, and why hip hop for kids, dancers, young and old, is the best choice to make.
Hip Hop History
Hip-hop dance style originated in the Bronx, New York City in the late 1970’s. The influence of genre music, fashion style, and dance has taken longer to develop compared to Canadian rock music. Although there was a temporary increase in species between 1989 and 1991, it remained an underground phenomenon in Canada until the 2000s.
Eastern Roots
Hip hop may have evolved in New York, but the city’s artists developed a style and dance tradition that exploded decades before the advent of the Internet. Before it was called “hip hop” the art form was created on the East Coast by DJ Herc, who moved to Brooklyn at the age of 12 from Jamaica. As one of the pioneers of that type, he started his informal career and became one of the most popular DJs in NYC. He has made unique music using two recording machines that have the same record on each one and he has done one of the most important things in genre development. He also extended the dance phase of his songs to allow the dancers to perform longer, as they were an integral part of the hip hop foundation.
Western Hip Hop
West Coast may have borrowed the Bronx, but they are developing their own hip hop style. Thanks to the music of the Jackson Five of the 60s and 70s, robotic moves have become part of the dance tradition. Western hip-hop dancers began to create dance moves that integrated the artificial life movement, forming hip hop on their side. Two of the biggest pioneers of hip hop rising West Coast included Boogaloo Sam who created the “explosion,” and Don Campbellock, who created the “lock”. Both of these historic dances create a hip-hop scene.
Learn Dance with Ucanji
While teaching children Performing Dance Arts, we teach the basics of hip hop that make it the most popular dance we know today. We also teach our students the art of unity while honoring their experiences as young dancers. Ucanji classes online are fun and full of great energy, powerful music in all urban genres, including R&B and dance music. If you are considering hip hop dance classes for your child, contact us and we will help you find the right place for your child.
