How do you freestyle dance
How To Freestyle Dance | STEEZY Blog
So we've talked about how to learn and execute choreography. Freestyling is another integral part of learning how to dance.
Freestyle dancing makes you more comfortable in your own body, gives you the opportunity to explore new ideas for movement, and lets you let go and have fun expressing yourself!
This guide will teach you how to freestyle dance, step-by-step.
(But remember, the important part is that you get up and do it yourself!)
What Is Freestyle Dancing?
Freestyle dancing is improvisation. It’s when you do moves on the spot that weren't choreographed ahead of time. You probably freestyle all the time already!
You don't have to be in a battle or cypher; full-out performing while you do Karaoke or dancing with a girl at the club (ayy) are versions of freestyling!
So don't take it so seriously, especially when you're just starting to learn how to freestyle.
It's about building an algorithm in your body that understands basics of movement, and combining that with your natural groove, style, and spontaneity in the moment.
That said, the first step of freestyle dancing is to...
1. Understand the music
When you freestyle, you're not following a set of moves that was made for that specific song. So, you gotta be able to catch onto the song quickly.
First, bob your head to the rhythm/tempo of the song. Get your body to find that groove, which will set a sort of pace for your freestyle.
Then, listen to the melody – this is the layer of the song that you “sing.” (*It doesn’t necessarily have to be lyrics).
The melody helps you with the mood of your freestyle. Dancing to this layer is a great way to switch up your freestyle from hitting the 1s and 2s in the song
Notice other patterns in the music that you can emphasize.
For example, is there a bass beat every even count? A snare at the end of every 8-count?
You can take mental note of these so you can later do something to “hit” that sound.
Basically, actively listen to the music, taking in each sound and the feeling.
Brush up on musicality here: How To Train Your Musicality As A Dancer
2. Train your fundamentals
Fundamental, or foundational styles, are the bread and butter of freestyle.
These dances emerged in clubs or other social settings where dancers used freestyle to express themselves.
(This is also why our first point about music is so important. The music that’s popular in an area or period of time influences how people think, feel, and dance.)
Over time, the techniques, grooves, and combos from these styles became the building blocks for a lot of the choreography we see today.
These styles include but are not limited to: Popping, Locking, Hip Hop (Party Dancin'), Breaking, House, Waacking, Krump, and more!
Those examples are Hip Hop, Street / Funk Styles, but "fundamentals" or "foundation" can also refer to any sort of building block for movement.
Studio styles like Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, are also great dance styles that set the blueprint for your freestyle.
If you need a place to start, then take the Beginner Program on STEEZY Studio where Carlo Darang (Choreo Cookies, Building Block) teaches the very basics of movement (a great place to start for any style).
You can also learn Popping through Boogie Frantick's Beginner Popping Program,
Or House with Jojo Diggs in her Beginner House Program.
Here are some free drills that you can do – but remember, you have to first learn the technique in the class, so that you practice the right way!
3. Groove it out
Most dance styles have a foundational groove. It's key to have that when you're drilling techniques and moves.
But let's talk about "groove" in a different sense – Hip Hop grooves! SO much of the Urban Choreography we see and do today came from these base movements.
You can learn them in Bianca’s Grooves classes on STEEZY Studio.
No choreography, just straight groovin'.
4. Play with dynamics and textures
Nothing’s wrong with doing a little 2-step, but if you want your freestyle to be more dynamic, then experiment with different variations of your movement.
Dynamics refer to how you do a move, not the move itself. For example, you can do the same arm wave in an infinite amount of different ways.
Fast and strong? Or initiate from the shoulder? Milk and then hit at the end?
At STEEZY, we call these the “fast and slows, highs and lows.”
Mixing up different speeds, levels of power, placements, and other factors can transform your dancing from flat to fascinating.
Get execution ideas: What Are Textures In Dancing?
5. Play with combinations of moves
We all have our “default” moves. It’s what our body naturally wants to do to certain sounds. Do you find yourself repeating certain movements?
That’s fine!
But you can make that move look more complex and interesting by fusing it with other movements.
For example, you got your basic two-step – Right, tap. Left, tap.
Now… Add arms! Maybe... a head tilt! Try a lean into your step! Groundbreaking.
Now your basic two-step is a whole new move! Experiment with different body parts to add more flavor to your base moves.
You never know what unique pictures or grooves you’ll come up with!
6. Use concepts to come up with moves
When you freestyle, you might keep reverting to the same "default" moves your body is used to.
If you find yourself doing this, try telling a story or depicting a concept with your freestyle. It will force you to think outside your own box.
This video explains how you can use “concept-based freestyling” to create new pictures and shapes and pathways.
7. Practice wherever, whenever!
The best part of FREEstyling... is that it’s FREE.
Get it?? Eh?? Ok seriously. You don’t have to pay for a class or go anywhere fancy.
You can freestyle in your garage, your room, your car…
Get a group of your friends together and session… hiT DA CLUB and let your freak flag fly.
So do it anytime, all the time! And watch yourself grow more comfortable and creative freestyle dancing.
If you need an extra dose of confidence to get you going, then just watch this video!
In Section 8, we'll talk about how to keep your body in tip-top shape for dancing.
Let's go!
How To Freestyle Dance For Beginners
The following freestyle dance moves will teach you how to freestyle dance to any popular song or beat. Free style dancing is very interpretative. However, it is a good idea to learn some fundamental steps to start with before you can really personalize it and add your styling to it.
The most important thing is to keep a base timing and tempo.
1st Freestyle Dance Move: Simple moves for party dancing
in this video the dancer explains how to use a very simple move to freestyle dance at any party or club.
Want more? Get the full course:
7 Day Dance Floor Crash Course – For beginners
Learn how to dance easily with moves that you can use at clubs, parties and weddings. This course is perfect for absolute beginners who want to look “natural” on the dance floor. This video course has 7 modules with +3 hours of video instruction. Delivered through instant downloads.
Learn more & Buy it here (Click here)
2nd Freestyle Dance Move: Step touch variation
Step touch is one of the most iconic and simple dance moves out there. In this video Brian shows you how to do a variation of that same step that you can use when dancing freestyle.
Want more? Get the full 7-Day Dance Floor Crash Course:
Buy it here (Click here)
3rd Freestyling dance video lesson – Robot dance:
In this freestyle video lesson you will learn how to do cool robot moves – using popping and locking technique. The key is to do simple everyday things in a “robotic” way. Impress your friends with your new moves:
Want more? Get the full Course:
The Ultimate Popping Dance Course (Beginner to Advanced)
Learn how to dance popping and locking with step by step video lessons.
You will learn hits/popping, waving, robotics, gliding, vibrating, slow motion effects and more. Become the freestyler you always wanted to be and impress your friends with your dance moves. Includes 3+ hours of video lessons. You can download it instantly or stream it online here.
Learn more & Buy it here (Click here)
How to freestyle dance tips:
1. Find the beat of the song first. Once you found the beat, just start nodding your head to it or stomp your foot to it. From there you can add moves.
2. Don’t be afraid to try new movements. You got try in order to learn! Try stomping to the beat, how about a wave on some part of music where it fits, it can be anything. Just give it a go.
3. Learn many different style of dancing – The more variety of dance steps you know, the more moves you will have for your free style. Learn how to dance hip hop and study some Tap dance steps to broaden your knowledge.
Did you like it? Please leave a comment below and share with your friends.
More dance lessons?
Online dance classes
Hip Hop dance videos
How to breakdance lessons
Ballroom dance steps
How to dance in parties and clubs
Ballet dance dictionary
Country dance online
Svyazochki, ferrets, routines vs freestyle
Each new dance season I worry about the fact that completely “green” people will come to me again. And I have absolutely no problems in teaching the material. Showing the base and basics is easy. That's what is really problematic - to break their stereotypes about dancing and show the whole essence of this difficult "hobby".
I don't get mad at new guys behind my back. Not at all. I myself unknowingly went to the dance just because I saw an advertisement on TV. I can’t say that I danced since childhood and went to folk and ballroom dance circles until hip-hop came to us. I started doing this when the direction of R'n'B was actively gaining popularity. Yes Yes. 50 cent, Usher, Black eyed peas, Ciara, etc.
- the stars of those times. We broke away under them on training shoes. Therefore, those who came to me for classes on fashion trends, let them. The main thing is that they started doing it.
Now the next and very difficult step is to break stereotypes and show why we learn to dance.
I have been teaching for several years now and I have some experience. May great choreographers and people with special education forgive me for what will be written here further. I believe that my task as a teacher is to teach people to DANCE. After all, they came to me for this.
DANCE=IMPROVISION.
I put an equal sign between these words because I consider improvisation to be the main thing in the dance. How much music moves a person, how much he controls his body and catches unfamiliar notes, the professionalism of a dancer can only be seen in improvisation. Then why are so many people addicted to polecats, ligaments, etc.?!
Because people love to be deceived .
They want everything and immediately .
I'll explain.
Lesson 1 - a big disappointment for the newcomer - it turns out dancing is not so easy. It seems that you are unlikely to tear the dance floors in 2 months, as you thought about it before. Some people find it hard to hit the beat, some can't handle the warm-up. And this is absolutely normal.
And here is what seems to be a lifeline. Bundle . This is what allows you to think that you already know how to dance, that you are already doing something. It seems to be some kind of movement, it seems to be in music. But basically it's just a memory exercise and a way to show you how the movements can be glued together one after the other. And you should treat it the same way. And do not focus on the ligaments, repeat them endlessly, memorize them. And even more so do not teach for months. Many teachers find it much easier to squeeze some kind of routine out of themselves. And for a long time to drive his students, demanding from them clarity, smoothness, musicality, speed and something else.
I don't follow these methods. Routines are good for show, not for learning.
And what do these ferrets lead to?
To the fact that years later people come to me for classes - I turn on music for them, but they can’t dance for me, well, or they can, but for the most part they don’t even understand what nonsense it is. I see memorized links in their improvisation, lack of groove and flow, lack of any style. Which is not surprising because, while learning the next bunch under Beyonce, these things were hardly explained to them.
I know what I'm talking about because himself went through this . Two and a half years spent with dubious teachers, no one will return to me. And I would not have understood all my worthlessness if it were not for the incident in the dance hall with a b-boy who asked me to dance. (Probably you understand that b-boys are definitely not driven by choreography 60) And then I completely screwed up. Either the music was not suitable for me, or the rhythm was too fast, or, on the contrary, slow.
My ligaments stubbornly did not want to lie down on his beat, and alas, they still did not explain what freestyle is to me.
That's when I thought about it. And he drew conclusions. Very good, I must say. Which led me to who I am now. Unfortunately, few understand where they made a mistake and begin to blame others for their failures.
And this often happens in my classes. I teach wrong, I teach the wrong thing and my other crimes 60. Time passes and people leave. What they do next, I don't know. But in the dance environment, I don’t meet them (Go-go doesn’t count, you can’t call these oil dances dances).
And all this because I failed to change their idea of dancing in their heads. And I can't deal with this problem. Maybe I can do it thanks to this note?
I made a social. poll and here are the results.
Why do we learn to dance?
*authors' punctuation and grammar preserved
“This is a natural need of the body!
When you listen to music, your body wants to play/show it!
This is from the time of ancient tribal rites.
And they learn to dance in order to enjoy dancing!”
“In order to express your emotions)
when you hear the music, emotions overwhelm you and you want to dance)”
“to be able to control your body, dance beautifully)
to express yourself)”
“and someone accidentally wandered, and that's it,
the soul rushed to heaven, got involved)”
“People dance because they love to dance.
Manifestations of this passion begin to manifest themselves already in early childhood.
Remember the children!
They barely hear the music, they immediately begin to move, each in his own way - they dance!
For some, in the future it becomes a hobby,
for some it becomes a profession, but the meaning is in one thing - in desire, and everyone has their own!”
“To learn to express your emotions
through movements - through dance, to forget about all problems,
to enjoy life”
“To be admired :)
Dancing on stage is an unreal pleasure.
Or the person himself admires the dancers so much that he goes to learn to dance,
in order to at least slightly resemble them.
Plus in order to control your body and show your creative abilities :)”
“In order to finish off your body and nerves,
moving from one competition to another,
from tears and psychoses to victory and recognition, through many defeat and aspiration,
but it's worth it again and again and again.
Rise - fall. 2 words that are immersed in dance,
and those feelings that you experience
and that overwhelm you over and over again - that's why.
“definitely self-realization and self-expression.
who is good for anything, he manifests himself in that;
whoever likes and is given easier. dancing is just one way.
and also (self) respect and status in society.
and so it was, is and will always be and in everything! this is human psychology”
“a man should be ashamed of not knowing how to dance.
”
“Because movement is life!
When you dance, you can be anyone, even what you would be afraid to be in reality.
And in the dance you forget about all the problems ... only music, only dance!
“It's a way for me to feel God. In others and in myself”
“I looked at my friends who were dancing.
how many friends, trips, interests, communication, jokes they have.
and I also wanted to, and then, as soon as I arrived, I immediately decided,
, that I would dance and be a star. I decided,
, that I would not leave for anything and would definitely be famous "
Personally, I think we learn to dance:
- to get away from the bar in the club
- to party with your friends
- to let the music flow through your body
- to show your feelings with your body
- to go to a completely different world
- to make life easier
- to travel and meet dancers like you
And much, much more.
