Hip Hop Styles n°1

Hey Charlie.

So, today, I’ll once again bring you in an introductive journey, this time about dancing. And more specifically, hiphop, where we’ll learn the basics, of what it is and its multiple times.

I guess everybody has heard of hip-hop and knows that it comes from the streets… but we’re not here today to learn about history, maybe later. But now we will learn about the few styles that you need to know to start on this subject that is a real rabbit hole.

So, first of all I need to put a disclaimer, I DO NOT have expert level knowledge, nor will the information given be extremely in detail. These are basics to be able to recognize and identify moves, to know the codes. Even more so, every style goes tons of variations because in art it’s always so difficult to classify anything and especially to encapsulate everything.

Our first style is one that most people think it is all of what hip hop is. “Yeah it’s just some people in sweater throwing themselves on the floor and standing on their heads”

Indeed we are now talking about THE original and very, very VERY old Break dancing that has appeared in the 60s. Also generally summarized by just the word break since its popularization in the 70s.

Break dancing is so old and has evolved so much through the time, that it doesn’t just have its own institutions or tournaments. It’s that it’s even considered as its own dance! completely separated from hip hop in some instances!

Break dancing is composed of 2 very distinct substyles, there’s the part on your feet, and the part on the floor. The first part is called Top Rock, it’s mostly foot work, some parts where you think its really cool and simple to replicate… but when you try and it turns out it isn’t simple AT ALL.

This is where breakers mostly start to show off and give a taste before having the move where they get to the ground and start some of their real work.

In break dance there's the second part which is the major part of what break dancing is. (it is sometimes called coupole but its like any lablisation, not all people use it and sometimes it is used to describe anyhing and its opposite so take this with a pinch of salt)

There are a number of acrobatics in this sub-style, on the grounds there are windmills and ways to spin on the floor, freezing in a pose that does not seem even possible. But this part of break dancing also features a lot of real steps (i mean by that, that the ones before, in the coupole categorie are more powermoves or avrobatics) with footwork and i guess you could call handwork since its basically the same but you also use hands.

And this is here where you mostly distinguish 2 types of amateur break-dancers:

The ones that are power heads with very simple dances but one power move like a head stand for example that they’ll just drop in the middle and sustain on the wow effect of this move.

And other with much more simple steps but it’s through their wit, originality and capacity to create powerful choreographies out of a number of step work that sets them above the rest. (I guess you can see where my preference lies)

My final word on this style is about the music, and holy moly this music is fast and has powerful beats. Here are some really nice songs to break dance to and to understand what type of song it is done onto : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6g3yQ1Y3vo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQz478apQw8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qNz8SYK6IM

You can see they all are generally what we would call old school, which is to be expected from the fact that this style is very old in dancing standards. Break dancing music can also come from rap directly because as it is extremely fast paced and accentuated they correspond to the rapping standards too. 

Raps are usually avoided in hip hop music because it goes much too fast for people that usually use beats that are very repetitive, and for people who seek originality in ever move, they are much too repetitive, so this kind of regular cohabitation is almost solely seen here in break.

By the way this combination rap and hip hop is mostly a falsehood, as they both influence each other but are not one and the same. As a matter of fact, I would say that the kind of music that is most present in hip hop dancing, without special mix for dancing is disco and pop.

Phiew, I didn’t expect to ramble so long about break so I think we are going to take a break and explore other styles in other blogs (and I promise you these won’t be as long because break dance is just a thing so niche and separated from the rest of hip hop dancing that I needed to say all of this)

Anyhow, I hope you’ve had a good time

That’s all for today, I will see you later

And never the 3 rules of hip hop culture

Peace

Love

And having fun

Bye Charlie!