Hip Hop Dance Moves

If you see something is going wrong within politics and the world today, then some Hip Hop artist is gonna come along and get straight with it. If they think that there's a lot of racism going on then there's another Hip Hop artist who's gonna come out and speak their mind. ~ Afrikaa Bambaataa

If you've seen Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum) dance his way through the Maryland School of Arts' showcase and into the heart of his co-performer, Nora Clark (Jenna Dewan), you probably know what hip hop dancing and hip hop dance moves are all about! The hip hop dance form and hip hop songs are all part of the hip hop culture the inception of which is attributed to James Brown, Afrikaa Bambaataa, Clive Campbell (better known as DJ Kool Herc), etc. Hip hop dance is over 30 years old, and the history of hip hop dance boasts of the Rock Steady Crew, The Lockers and the Electric Boogaloos as the most influential groups of this genre who popularized such styles of hip hop dancing as breaking, locking, and popping! Let us take a look at some very popular and basic hip hop dance moves step by step.

Hip Hop Dance Moves for Beginners

Below are some easy hip hop dance moves that you can try as a beginner. These are not very complex and may be doubled as hip hop dance moves for kids as well!

The Heel Toe: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Jump up, not very high off the ground, and lend in such a way that your right foot is lined directly before your left foot, with the heel of your right foot and the toes of your left foot touching the ground. Pivoting on your right heel, turn your right foot towards the right. This movement will make your balance shift towards your left and you would feel like you're about to fall on your left. Allow yourself to start falling on your left but just very slightly and then stop the fall with your left foot by moving it out about a foot towards the left. Jump again, reigning your weight back towards the center and land with your left heel in front of your right toe this time! Repeat on the other side.

Popping: Hold your hand at your side in a flat karate chop stance positioned such that the pal is at chest level and the arm held about a foot away from your body. Drop your fingers up to the second knuckle to make a 90° angle with your palm. Now, drop the rest of your fingers up to the real knuckles without moving anything else. Drop your hand up to your wrists and hold it such that the elbow comes below the wrist and your hand points downwards to form a small triangle. Now, raise your fingertips and your elbow, dropping your wrist. In this position, raise your shoulder up, followed by the opposite shoulder. By the time you raise the opposite shoulder, your active arm should be almost straightened out. Now, following from dropping the opposite shoulder, raising your opposite arm's fingertips et al, follow the steps of the previous arm in reverse to cascade down on the other side. The movement should look like a wave which tides along one arm and ebbs down the other!

Harlem Shake: This is one of the most popular and easy hip hop dance moves for men! Stand with feet six inches wider than shoulder width. Raise up your right shoulder and push out your left hip to give you a diagonal look! Now, go back to rest on the center and raise up your left shoulder, pushing out your right hip to diagonalize on the other side! Repeat this set back and forth, without jerking or moving anything else. Now, while you're at the shoulder-up-hip-out routine, between going from one side to the other, do two small push ups so that the entire thing looks like you twirling a ribbon which cascades downwards while twirling sideways at the same time! Might seem difficult but it would come easy with some practice!

Moon Walk: Ahh....this term stirs up so many memories of Michael Jackson and his dance videos! Moon walk and Michael Jackson are inseparable names and learning how to moon walk is on the top of every aspiring hip-hop artiste's must-learn chart! Stand with your feet a little less than shoulder width apart and place your right foot such that the right toes end along the center of the left foot. Lifting your right heel, place your weight on your right foot. In this stance, take your left foot back in a sliding rather than walking motion, keeping it absolutely flat against the ground and stop on the left toe's end along the middle of the right foot. Drop your right heel and lift your left foot at the same time, making the movement as smooth as possible. Remember, moonwalk is all about smooth walk; no jerks, no breaks! Now slide your right foot back as you did with the left foot and switch your feet as you did previously.

Crip Walk: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Jump lightly, sticking your right foot out by about six inches. Land with the heel of your right foot and the ball of your left foot touching the ground. Jump again, bringing your right foot to the beginning position and repeat with your left foot sticking forward. The crip walk is one of the most popular hip hop dance moves due to its ease and simplicity. Here's more on the hip hop dance moves and music.

These are among a myriad of hip hop dance moves and are easy for those who are just learning how to dance hip hop! I have mentioned only these moves as they are among some of the basic and easy hip hop moves to learn. Once you get a hang of these moves and become smooth in performing these, you can merrily graduate to more complex hip hop dance routines such as Locking, Soulja Boy and some complex break dancing. Go ahead, get yourself a pair of hip hop dance shoes, fix up a self sized mirror in your apartment, pump up the volume on some of the best hip hop songs around and get dat body movin'!

Hip Hop Dance Moves

If you see something is going wrong within politics and the world today, then some Hip Hop artist is gonna come along and get straight with it. If they think that there's a lot of racism going on then there's another Hip Hop artist who's gonna come out and speak their mind. ~ Afrikaa Bambaataa

If you've seen Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum) dance his way through the Maryland School of Arts' showcase and into the heart of his co-performer, Nora Clark (Jenna Dewan), you probably know what hip hop dancing and hip hop dance moves are all about! The hip hop dance form and hip hop songs are all part of the hip hop culture the inception of which is attributed to James Brown, Afrikaa Bambaataa, Clive Campbell (better known as DJ Kool Herc), etc. Hip hop dance is over 30 years old, and the history of hip hop dance boasts of the Rock Steady Crew, The Lockers and the Electric Boogaloos as the most influential groups of this genre who popularized such styles of hip hop dancing as breaking, locking, and popping! Let us take a look at some very popular and basic hip hop dance moves step by step.

Hip Hop Dance Moves for Beginners

Below are some easy hip hop dance moves that you can try as a beginner. These are not very complex and may be doubled as hip hop dance moves for kids as well!

The Heel Toe: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Jump up, not very high off the ground, and lend in such a way that your right foot is lined directly before your left foot, with the heel of your right foot and the toes of your left foot touching the ground. Pivoting on your right heel, turn your right foot towards the right. This movement will make your balance shift towards your left and you would feel like you're about to fall on your left. Allow yourself to start falling on your left but just very slightly and then stop the fall with your left foot by moving it out about a foot towards the left. Jump again, reigning your weight back towards the center and land with your left heel in front of your right toe this time! Repeat on the other side.

Popping: Hold your hand at your side in a flat karate chop stance positioned such that the pal is at chest level and the arm held about a foot away from your body. Drop your fingers up to the second knuckle to make a 90° angle with your palm. Now, drop the rest of your fingers up to the real knuckles without moving anything else. Drop your hand up to your wrists and hold it such that the elbow comes below the wrist and your hand points downwards to form a small triangle. Now, raise your fingertips and your elbow, dropping your wrist. In this position, raise your shoulder up, followed by the opposite shoulder. By the time you raise the opposite shoulder, your active arm should be almost straightened out. Now, following from dropping the opposite shoulder, raising your opposite arm's fingertips et al, follow the steps of the previous arm in reverse to cascade down on the other side. The movement should look like a wave which tides along one arm and ebbs down the other!

Harlem Shake: This is one of the most popular and easy hip hop dance moves for men! Stand with feet six inches wider than shoulder width. Raise up your right shoulder and push out your left hip to give you a diagonal look! Now, go back to rest on the center and raise up your left shoulder, pushing out your right hip to diagonalize on the other side! Repeat this set back and forth, without jerking or moving anything else. Now, while you're at the shoulder-up-hip-out routine, between going from one side to the other, do two small push ups so that the entire thing looks like you twirling a ribbon which cascades downwards while twirling sideways at the same time! Might seem difficult but it would come easy with some practice!

Moon Walk: Ahh....this term stirs up so many memories of Michael Jackson and his dance videos! Moon walk and Michael Jackson are inseparable names and learning how to moon walk is on the top of every aspiring hip-hop artiste's must-learn chart! Stand with your feet a little less than shoulder width apart and place your right foot such that the right toes end along the center of the left foot. Lifting your right heel, place your weight on your right foot. In this stance, take your left foot back in a sliding rather than walking motion, keeping it absolutely flat against the ground and stop on the left toe's end along the middle of the right foot. Drop your right heel and lift your left foot at the same time, making the movement as smooth as possible. Remember, moonwalk is all about smooth walk; no jerks, no breaks! Now slide your right foot back as you did with the left foot and switch your feet as you did previously.

Crip Walk: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Jump lightly, sticking your right foot out by about six inches. Land with the heel of your right foot and the ball of your left foot touching the ground. Jump again, bringing your right foot to the beginning position and repeat with your left foot sticking forward. The crip walk is one of the most popular hip hop dance moves due to its ease and simplicity. Here's more on the hip hop dance moves and music.

These are among a myriad of hip hop dance moves and are easy for those who are just learning how to dance hip hop! I have mentioned only these moves as they are among some of the basic and easy hip hop moves to learn. Once you get a hang of these moves and become smooth in performing these, you can merrily graduate to more complex hip hop dance routines such as Locking, Soulja Boy and some complex break dancing. Go ahead, get yourself a pair of hip hop dance shoes, fix up a self sized mirror in your apartment, pump up the volume on some of the best hip hop songs around and get dat body movin'!

Hip Hop Dance Shoes

So Tatum Channing is your God and hip-hop your religion. If you love street dancing, especially hip hop in a way that you cannot describe and every time you hear a hip hop song playing, your body automatically starts grooving to the music, then you are a true blue hip hop fanatic. As in every form of dance, hip hop dance too looks more clean and impressive if the way the dancer moves has quality and grace to it. And there are three things that determine this quality of movement - the dancer, the floor on which he is dancing and the shoes he is wearing. Somehow these three factors play a huge role in ensuring that as a dancer glides across the floor, his movement looks smooth and hardly laborious. Unlike other dances like Salsa, Ballet, Tap, etc which have strict specifications for shoes, there are no hard and fast rules where hip hop dance shoes are concerned.

Hip Hop Dance Shoes: An Overview

Whether you are looking for hip hop dance shoes for kids or for adults, remember that there are no strict rules where hip hop shoes are concerned. The only thing you need to be concerned about when it comes to hip hop dance costumes is comfort. If you are joining a hip hop dance class, you will be able to get on with the class wearing either sneakers or dance shoes that have soft soles. If you are intending to wear sneakers, then ensure that the shoes you wear are not the same ones that wear on the street daily. The sneakers you wear to dance class should not affect the dance class floor in any manner. These are probably the only rules when it comes to hip hop dance shoes. Remember there are no specifically labeled shoes like hip hop dance shoes for women or men. So just opt for a quality, good fitting pair of sneakers for your hip hop classes.

So what do you look for in good shoes for hip hop dancing? Ensure that the shoes are flexible. This is important as there is a lot of feet gliding movement in hip hop and you do not want to be stuck with a pair of shoes that do not allow you to move across the floor with ease. One of the best options for girls and boys hip hop dance shoes are running shoes that are very flexible with arch support. Another variety of sneakers you can opt for are basketball shoes as these allow support for running and jumping. Dance shoes with soft soles are also a great option but this is more true for the most recent types of dance shoes which imitate the style of sneakers with softer soles. There are many stores that keep these soft soled dance shoes and allow you to buy hip hop dance shoes online.

One of the most important things to keep in mind while choosing hip hop dance shoes for men and women is to ensure that these shoes do not stick to the floor or squeak while dancing. Before wearing these shoes for a routine, it is important that you break the shoes in for a week or two. The more wear and tear they have been put through, the more comfort they will provide and the smoother they will be. It is important that the shoes you choose as a part of your hip hop clothing gear fit tightly as loose shoes can be responsible for injury. Also ensure that you tie the shoe laces well. Double knot the laces if necessary and tuck them in so that they do not come in the way. Also make sure that even if you buy cheap hip hop dance shoes, you ensure that the shoes are light weight and do not strain your ankle joints in any manner.

While choosing hip hop dance shoes the most important thing is always comfort. If you are a street performer, there is no ascertaining what your dance floor is going to be, so pick a pair of shoes that feel like an extension of your feet and provide you with complete support and you will be good to go.

Hip Hop Dance Shoes

So Tatum Channing is your God and hip-hop your religion. If you love street dancing, especially hip hop in a way that you cannot describe and every time you hear a hip hop song playing, your body automatically starts grooving to the music, then you are a true blue hip hop fanatic. As in every form of dance, hip hop dance too looks more clean and impressive if the way the dancer moves has quality and grace to it. And there are three things that determine this quality of movement - the dancer, the floor on which he is dancing and the shoes he is wearing. Somehow these three factors play a huge role in ensuring that as a dancer glides across the floor, his movement looks smooth and hardly laborious. Unlike other dances like Salsa, Ballet, Tap, etc which have strict specifications for shoes, there are no hard and fast rules where hip hop dance shoes are concerned.

Hip Hop Dance Shoes: An Overview

Whether you are looking for hip hop dance shoes for kids or for adults, remember that there are no strict rules where hip hop shoes are concerned. The only thing you need to be concerned about when it comes to hip hop dance costumes is comfort. If you are joining a hip hop dance class, you will be able to get on with the class wearing either sneakers or dance shoes that have soft soles. If you are intending to wear sneakers, then ensure that the shoes you wear are not the same ones that wear on the street daily. The sneakers you wear to dance class should not affect the dance class floor in any manner. These are probably the only rules when it comes to hip hop dance shoes. Remember there are no specifically labeled shoes like hip hop dance shoes for women or men. So just opt for a quality, good fitting pair of sneakers for your hip hop classes.

So what do you look for in good shoes for hip hop dancing? Ensure that the shoes are flexible. This is important as there is a lot of feet gliding movement in hip hop and you do not want to be stuck with a pair of shoes that do not allow you to move across the floor with ease. One of the best options for girls and boys hip hop dance shoes are running shoes that are very flexible with arch support. Another variety of sneakers you can opt for are basketball shoes as these allow support for running and jumping. Dance shoes with soft soles are also a great option but this is more true for the most recent types of dance shoes which imitate the style of sneakers with softer soles. There are many stores that keep these soft soled dance shoes and allow you to buy hip hop dance shoes online.

One of the most important things to keep in mind while choosing hip hop dance shoes for men and women is to ensure that these shoes do not stick to the floor or squeak while dancing. Before wearing these shoes for a routine, it is important that you break the shoes in for a week or two. The more wear and tear they have been put through, the more comfort they will provide and the smoother they will be. It is important that the shoes you choose as a part of your hip hop clothing gear fit tightly as loose shoes can be responsible for injury. Also ensure that you tie the shoe laces well. Double knot the laces if necessary and tuck them in so that they do not come in the way. Also make sure that even if you buy cheap hip hop dance shoes, you ensure that the shoes are light weight and do not strain your ankle joints in any manner.

While choosing hip hop dance shoes the most important thing is always comfort. If you are a street performer, there is no ascertaining what your dance floor is going to be, so pick a pair of shoes that feel like an extension of your feet and provide you with complete support and you will be good to go.