Let’s groove to the Hip Hop beat

My First Christmas Dance Presentation at TrendLabs

I always want to start a topic with history first so please take time to read the History of Hip Hop Dance first below.

The word ‘hip’ was a part of the African-American Vernacular English language since 1904. It meant ‘current’. It was a derivative of the word ‘hep’. The South Bronx community leader Afrika Bambaataa used the term ‘hip-hop’ for the first time. In the 1970s, the hip-hop music came up. It’s based on turntablism, the art of manipulating sounds to create music and the simultaneous looping of the break, an upbeat drum. Later this technique combined with the rapping of MCs.

Hip-hop dance is an art form that is primarily performed on hip-hop music. Hip-hop dance are held on the streets. The styles that developed in the later years are known as the New School. The older ones involve break dances and funk styles. The period between 1970 to 1985 marked the old school era of hip-hop. The period between 1985 to 1993 believed to be the golden age of hip-hop. Some of the different forms of hip-hop dance include Harlem shake, snap dance, gangsta walking.

The four historic elements of Hip-Hop are MCing, also known as rapping, DJing, graffiti, an art that has derived inspiration from the urban culture and break dancing, which is also called b-boying.

There is no dance without music! The emergencing hip-hop music and its popularity in the masses gave rise to the hip-hop dancing style. It was Clive Campbell who developed hip-hop music for the first time in Bronx, New York. He developed a blueprint for hip-hop music and culture reposed on the Jamaican tradition of toasting. He originated hip-hop music at the young age of thirteen. Clive also developed break-beat deejaying. In this form of art, pieces of funk music are very isolated and played repeatedly for all-night dance parties.

1st HipHop Dance Crew | Stylewars - Rock-Steady-Crew

Towards the beginning of the 1970s, Kool DJ Herc started organizing dance parties in his home. Parties shifted from home to outdoor locations in view of accommodating more people. Large groups of teenagers joined in. They got an opportunity to constructively use their energy and express their opinions through dance. People break danced with each other instead of fighting. Hip-hop of the early years helped in decreasing violence, as it began to portrayed through dance.

Originally MCs would talk over the music to cheer their dances or talk about the problems faced by their community. This led to including rap in hip-hop. The word ‘rap’ was derived from the slang word that meant ‘conversation’. Hip-hop artists of the old school often used rap to introduce themselves and their guests. Later the artists brought in some lyrics from the African-American culture in their rapping. Eventually break dancing came up. The 1980s saw the inclusion of synthesizer technology into hip-hop. Many hip-hop films were release. Hip-hop came be used for making social statements.

Hip-hop styles differ in different parts of the world. Dance studios from the world over offer hip-hop coaching. Choreographers may focus on a particular aspect of hip-hop dance or combine various styles of the dance. We see mixed opinions about hip-hop in society. But on the whole, hip-hop dance has managed to gain a huge fan following. The hip-hop moves and the rocking hip-hop numbers are bound to enchant one and all.

History courtesy of Buzzle.com

I love modern dancing, or let’s say doing dance stuff on your own, I like to do freestyle, whenever their is a dance party, I listen to rap songs and fascinated with Hip Hop culture. I don’t know but Hip Hop influenced me a lot especially to dance if not listen to Hip Hop music or wear Hip Hop apparels that includes sneakers. All my life I’ve been dancing  but since I graduated from college my dancing was lessen. I was lucky because I found an outlet and was given a chance to showcase my talent in dancing during company Christmas party in fact ever since I joined the group we won the title twice consecutively.

Hataw na! 2009 Christmas Presentation

Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice (2009)

Korean Themed dance inspired by Super Junior

Trend & Styles Christmas Presenation 2010

I remember if there is a wedding ceremony the night before the wedding day there is the traditional wedding ball to acquaint friends, relatives etc. This ball is not restricted, all those individuals who wanted to dance are welcome. The setup is like this all single ladies will be given invitation and then escorted at the dancing hall when chairs are arrange in every corner. The usual dance hall was made of bamboo and covered with parachute like tent covering decorated with balloons if not with confetti and a dancing ball or lights. When the music starts playing the boys will go inside the dance hall then will select a lady to dance with. Some boys take this opportunity to meet girls befriend them to become their sweet heart but for me I go there just to dance. Oh men! I miss this type of gathering in our town already. I remember whenever there is a wedding they sent invitations to me wanting me to choreograph or to present a dance piece as an intermission number in our barrio.  I seek help from my friends to dance with me but oftentimes they are not available so my best guy was my brother Robert, Mike and Margot. Our house is like a dance studio when four of us are rehearsing. I miss those days when we are sharing dance steps and me taking over with the choreography. I am also active at school when it comes to dancing, I was a member of Folk and Modern Dancing group back in Elementary and High School and during my Freshman year I get a chance to choreograph half of the class are required in our PE class then consistently been performing in all campus activities we even compete with other schools.

I can say that dancing is my life and until now I find time to dance whenever I feel the urge to dance. Dancing is one way of distressing for me and it relaxes my body. I feel great when I am dancing some may appreciate it but some may not but that’s okay I cannot please everybody I guess. I also dreamed to be a professional dancer but I choose not too and concentrate on my studies. I am an avid fan of a Streetboys, Manoeuvres, Big Man and Abstract dancers. Hip Hop dances is now a culture and it evolve in a way that new dance styles are born like the new craze today the krumping. We are also good when it comes to modern dancing. Most of us watch reality TV shows one of them is the “American Best Dance Crew” produced by Randy Jackson where “Jabbawockeez” is the winner of the Season 1. Members of Jabbawockeez were mostly Filipinos. SuperCrew as well most of the members are Filipinos based on US. The Philippine All-Stars dominate the World Hip Hop Dance Contest twice as they got the title 2 times and other successful group in dancing like the UP Pep Squad who compete abroad.

 

Jabbawockeez photo from Google

The Man behind the Mask

Do you have what it takes to be a hip hop dancer?

Nowadays, in every streets, corner of the Metro or even outside Manila you see group of dancers doing the krump dance. That’s okay because this is a new style and to be honest I don’t know how to krump and thinking I need to start rehearsing for it haha. I can do popping, locking, modern jazz, arm and body wave and a little of break dance just the basics and still learning. This summer of 2011 I’ve been thinking of enrolling in a hip hop dance I saw an ad in Facebook page of Manouevres dancer/choreographer Errold Amolong that they are conducting summer dance clinics. Click here to like the page and see the details.

~ by Kalongkong Hiker on 04/01/2011.