How do you step dance
History Of Stepping - Essence
Jay L. ClendeninBy Veronica Hilbring ·
We’ve seen the art of stepping in major motion pictures in films like School Daze, Drumline and Stomp the Yard.
But the new documentary STEP takes a deeper look into one of the most artistic and cultural dances in our culture. STEP follows the senior year of an all-girls high school step team in Baltimore fighting against all odds to win a city-wide competition and become first-generation college students.
Stepping is more than a dance. It’s an art form. Noted American dance historian Jacqui Malone even labeled stepping as “one of the most exciting dance forms to evolve in the 20th century.” Here are
– Stepping is now a worldwide phenomenon practiced amongst people of all ages from drill teams, churches, high schools to college fraternities and sororities and more. In stepping, the body is used to make sounds through clapping, stomping and spoken word. Modern day stepping also uses elements of tap dancing, break dancing, gymnastics and Afro-Caribbean dance.
– Stepping has had a long tradition in African and Black communities. While its origins are in the Black community, stepping has spread to Latino, Asian cultures to multicultural fraternities and sororities as well.
– There isn’t a specific origin date, but the start of stepping dates back to Africa.
– The African gumboot dance performed by dancers in boots is said to be one of stepping’s biggest influence. Its modern day roots began in the early 1900s when organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council held “Greek Sings.” The organizations of the NHPC (the Divine Nine) used songs and dance as a call and response to uplift audiences. It has also become a way for organizations to show pride and unity in their group.
– That grand tradition of unity and camaraderie in step has been passed through generations of organizations.
“Greek Sings” evolved into Greek shows which eventually progressed into step shows that remain popular to this day. Stepping is judged on sportsmanship, originality of the step routine, stage presence and uniforms. Stepping competitions and battles can be fierce and only the team with strongest performance will prevail.
– The pop culture impact of stepping has multiplied over the last 30 years.
– Stepping was featured in many episodes of the Cosby Show spinoff Different World. In 1992, the first nationally syndicated stepping contest S.T.O.M.P was televised. In that same year, the Black fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha stepped at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. The Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta also featured stepping.
– BET Networks was an early supporter of step shows, often showcasing step teams on popular shows from Teen Summit, to 106 & Park to the annual Spring Bling event. The popular MTV show America’s Best Dance Crew featured teams which regularly used step routines in their performances.
With the release of STEP, the legacy of the art will continue to grow and reach new generations of young people.
How To Do The Two Step
Video Transcript:
Alright guys, the next move we’re about to jump into is another basic hip hop move. It’s called the Two Step. Alright and once you get this move down, you’ll be able to use it with any style of music that comes on in any situation. So take a look at t first and then we’ll break it down step by step for you. Six, five, six, seven, eight. And five, six, five, six, seven, eight. Alright so let’s break it down step by step. Now the name is just how is sounds, it’s Two Steps.
So you’re going to start with your feet together and then you’re going to step out one with this foot. And then you’re going to step back in two with the other foot. Alright and different than a Step Touch, you’re not going to touch, you’re going to actually step it together.
Stepping back out again, step, together, step, together, step, together and step, together. Alright. Now we’ve got the step down, we’re going to add the bounce into this.
So what I want you guys to do is start from a bent knee and every time you step you’re going to rock up, down, up, down, up, down, up and bounce it, up, up, and up, good. Now all I’m doing here is I’m just bending my torso forward, bending my knees slightly and bringing it up straight. Coming from down low to bouncing up. Alright so let’s try that bounce and we step side to side. Starting with your feet together, nice and slow, five, six, seven, eight and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, again, and one, two, three, four, five, six, one more time, eight and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight, good. Now what you do with your hands.
There’s a couple of different things you can do with your hands with this move. Anything that feels comfortable for you guys to do is fine. I’m going to give you a couple different things to try it out.
Number one, we’re going to have our hands opening and closing. Open and close. Now when you close them, you’re hands are going to cross but it doesn’t matter which hand you put on top. It’s up to you. Open, close, open, close, open, close, open and close. So let’s give that a try with the same two steps using that bounce up as we step. Five, six, seven, eight, we go open, close, open, close, open, close, open and close, keep it up. Open, close, open, close, just like that, one more time through, and open, close, open, close, open, close, open, close. Nice job guys.
So a couple of things to remember before we try it with music. Just remember your body position, you’re going to be bent over slightly and then you’re going to be rocking up with your body. So not down, you want to start from the low position and rock up. And remember that basic step, just stepping from the side together, side, together. Alright so let’s give it a shot with music, just have some fun with it, groove it out to the song, you hear the beat it goes one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, so you’ll step together, step together, step together.
Just like that. Let’s give it a shot. Five, six, seven, eight and step. Good, keeping that bounce going with your body, nice guys, keep it up. Good, you got this basic in and out in a motion, keep that step going, try something different with your hands now, burry it up, hey, nice, you see what your mouth is doing, you can try that as well, Kyle and KC is doing the same thing, just give it a shot, make it your own, that’s the biggest thing. You can have your own personal style for you. Good, a couple more times, keep it going, and five, six, five, six, seven, eight.
Back to hip hop dance moves
Lyrics and lyrics Darin
Huh, Yeah, RedOne
Ha! Hey! redone!
Huh, Lets do it again
Huh! One more time!
Yayayay
Hey!
Just watch me girl
Just watch me girl
Be ready, I'm coming for you
My body just felt it I knew,
Tonight is the start of something new
Tonight is the start of something new.
..
The way you dance, makes we wanna get down and show you
that we can become one, not two
As we move to this beat like crazy
Move it, move it, move it, move it
Move, move, dance
Let's rock it, rock it, rock it, rock it
We can even pop it, pop it, pop it
Let's blow up the hall!
Tonight is on
Today!
Woo!
Wow!
[Chorus:]
[Chorus:]
Girls step up to the party
Girls step up to the party
grab a boy and move your body
my honey
Do like me and my honey!
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Ooh
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh!
Boys step up to the party
Boys step up to the party
grab a girl and move your body
Grab the girls and move!
Do like me and my shorty
Do like me and my shorty!
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Ooh
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh!
Yayayay
Hey!
(step up, step up, step up, step up)
Go! Forward! Forward!
It feels like, we've been doing this for years
It feels like we've been doing this all our lives,
The crowd is reflecting our moves,
The crowd is following us,
Amazing what a beat can do
It's amazing what music can do!
Now follow me (follow me), and pop that body clap your hands
Now follow me, move your body, clap your hands!
Turn around on one two (say: Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Ooh)
0003
Move it, move it, move it, move it
Move, move, dance
Let's rock it, rock it, rock it, rock it
We can even pop it, pop it, pop it
Let's blow up the hall!
Tonight is on
Today!
Woo!
Wow!
[Chorus:]
[Chorus:]
Girls step up to the party
Girls step up to the party
grab a boy and move your body
Grab the boys and move
Do like me and my honey
Do like me and my honey!
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Ooh
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh!
Boys step up to the party
Boys step up to the party
grab a girl and move your body
Grab the girls and move!
Do like me and my shorty
Do like me and my shorty!
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Ooh
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh!
Baby look at us, the way we move
Baby, look how we move together
from side to side, it's all so smooth
From side to side, so smooth.
With every step we take, it just get better
Girl no doubt we got it together
Without a doubt! we are first!
Baby look at us, the way we move
Baby look at us, the way we move
from side to side, it's all so smooth (Ohh)0003
Side to side, so smooth.
With every step we take, it just get better
Girl no doubt we got it together
Without a doubt! we are first!
Girls step up to the party
Girls step up to the party
grab a boy and move your body
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh
O O O O O O Oo!
[Chorus: 2x]
[Chorus: 2x]
Girls step up to the party
Girls step up to the party
grab a boy and move your body like me and my honey
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Ooh
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh!
Boys step up to the party
Boys step up to the party
grab a girl and move your body
Grab the girls and move!
Do like me and my shorty
Do like me and my shorty!
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Ooh
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh!
Step Up lyrics, lyrics and lyrics
Huh, Yeah, RedOne
Ha! Hey! redone!
Huh, Lets do it again
Huh! One more time!
Yayayay
Hey!
Just watch me girl
Just watch me girl
Be ready, I'm coming for you
Get ready, I'm coming to you.
