How to learn hip hop dance steps

Hip Hop Dance Moves For Beginners

Learn how to dance hip hop with our hip hop moves. They are perfect for those of you who want to get into hip hop dancing and learn some basic steps. These hip hop dance moves are some of the most popular moves out there and could be used to dance at parties, clubs and any other events.

Hip Hop Dance Tutorial #1: Start With Learning The Basic Rhythm

Hip Hop Dance Tutorial #2: The 2 Step Basic Move (From 5X Hip Hop Course)

Many more moves below this video

More FREE Beginner Hip Hop dance moves

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5X Hip Hip Course For Beginner
Learn basic hip hop moves with 25 step by step video lessons. This course is broken down into 5 modules that focus on different types of moves: Footwork, Upper Body, Waving, Step Touch and Iconic Moves. You will love this 2+ hours of detailed instruction for beginners.

These beginner hip hop dance moves on this page are easy to learn because they teach you one move at a time - as opposed to long, complicated routines.

This way you can use them individually or combine them with other steps however you feel. We recommend that you first pay attention to the footwork and timing of the step and then add your own styling to it only after. These hip hop dance videos are general hip hop steps that are good for adults and kids. They could be used with popular hip hop music in any situation.

Remember that Hip Hop is all about isolating the different body parts so make sure that you understand what body part moves first and in what sequence. Once you mastered these moves you can also check out other related Hip Hop styles like the free style dance lessons, how to break dance, how to dance to dubstep and popping dance moves.

If you are looking to learn other dance styles check out Online dance lessons.

TIPS: How to dance Hip Hop Better

1. It's all about attitude - Remember that Hip Hop dancing is all about "selling" the performance. Commit to each movement and be confident about everything you do.

2. Learn the basics first - the better your basics are, the better you will be able to execute the more intermediate and advanced Hip Hop moves. So don't jump the gun, instead master the fundamentals.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice - You need to hone down your skills as often as possible. Make sure to practice before every class and at your spare time in between classes. The key is to get the steps into your muscle memory.

Interested in other styles?

Click below:
How to hip hop dance online
How to Ballroom dance videos
Ballet dance moves
How to dance in a club
Learntodance.com homepage

Basic Hip Hop Moves for Beginners – Full Tutorial on TOP 7 Moves

To learn to hip-hop dance, the first thing you have to do is learn the base. You have to start with a simple - with a caught rhythm. Listen to music, try to move to the beat - it will help you "catch" the style. Next, begin to learn the basic movements. This article is a tutorial with a detailed analysis of movements for beginners. We have selected the best video tutorials to teach each of the movements.

Groove

A groove down and up - bending and extending the knees. The knees are bent in tact with the bit while swinging down accentuates the body's forward tilt position. By swinging up, you align your knees as if you were pushing yourself out. Swinging up shows a slight tilt to the back.

The movement should be done expressively, with muscle tension, but the viewer should see a relaxed dancer. Performing groove, you will feel the music and rhythm. Then the groove can be varied by swinging movements of the hands and light tilting of the body to the sides.

Try to make a groove to different music with different tempo and rhythm. The better you do it, the faster you can choose faster music.

You can make a groove with an accent downwards - then the initial position will be with even legs. Or you can do a groove with an accent upwards, in which case you can start with bent knees.

Tone wop

It's a basic movement taught to beginners in hip-hop. It needs to be studied to a degree of automation. During Tone Wop, the dancer takes small steps and "closes" and "opens" the feet.

You can take a step in any direction you want - backward, to the side or you can walk all the time just forward. But for starters, we recommend moving only in one direction to understand the structure of the movement.

Rhythm: on the score "once" we make a step, on the score "and" - "close" the stops, on the score "two" - "open".

When you feel confident in this movement, try to add a variety of hand and body movements.

Brooklyn Bounce

- is a swing with crossed legs. Let's start with Bounce. You can practice it as follows: jump up slightly and, once you land, bend your knees gently. Do it a few times - you should feel like you're jumping like a ball, only smoothly and gently.

Next, try to learn how to work your legs:

Criss Cross

It's a movement in which the legs cross in a jump with groove. It may seem that the movement is very simple, but it is worth remembering that it is performed at a very fast pace and in conjunction with other elements, so the clarity of execution must be honed in the first class.

Salsa Rock

A little cardio - low jumps in place. The movement consists of throwing one leg forward while making a small jump backward with the support leg. Then the same movement must be done on the second leg. The body and arms are directed towards the jump (most likely this part will be obtained by inertia).

Sham Rock

- is a bailiff system with a twist and a final jump. Professional dancers beautifully capture each phase of the movement and place accents on the shoulders.

Dougie

The fashion movement Dougie looks cool to any music. These are legs with the foot turned inside out and hands walking beautifully in the opposite direction. The width of the step, the degree of bending of the knees, waving of hands and the general mood of the performance - all this makes this element in a full dance.

FAQ

What are the basic movements of hip hop?

The very first thing to start studying hip-hop is groove.
A list of basic movements:

Groove:
Tone wop;
Brooklyn Bounce;
Criss Cross;
Sham Rock;
Dougie

How do you do basic hip hop moves?

First, it is necessary to study the technique of execution of this or that movement, then - to bring the execution of the movement to automatism. After that, add the groove and freedom in your movements with your hands.

How can I learn hip hop?

It's best to learn to hip hop in a specialized dance studio. Under the guidance of the coach, classes will be held as productively as possible. If this is not possible, you can start with video lessons on YouTube. Watch more videos of cool professional dancers dancing - it will help you "catch" style and technique.

teaching basic movements and features of dance

Contents

Hip-hop, like any other dance direction, is best studied at a professional school. After all, only a qualified teacher will find an individual approach to a new student and teach the necessary movements. But if this is not possible, or if you want to come to class prepared, you can try to master the direction of hip-hop at home. How to dance the first movements, now we will tell.

Like any dance, hip-hop training includes getting acquainted not only with the basic movements of the style, but also with a certain philosophy. And in this direction it is special. Hip-hop came to us in the second half of the last century from the most disadvantaged areas of New York and Los Angeles. Tired of injustice, aggression and blood, teenagers, who mostly did not have the cleanest reputation, invented their own special way to resolve conflicts - with the help of dance battles and rap parties. Hip-hop is a free dance, a challenge to society and a protest against any inequality. That is why the main thing in this style is not at all the clarity of the learned movements, but the sense of rhythm, improvisation and expression of the individuality of the performer.

Getting Started: Preparation and Basic Movements

Before learning hip-hop for beginners, you should make sure that you feel comfortable doing it. According to experienced dancers, three things will help you relax and start learning:

Appropriate environment: flat floor, spacious room, full-length mirror.
Loose clothing and comfortable shoes. Nothing should hinder movement.
Hip-hop rhythmic music.

A little ritual will help you tune yourself into the wave of hip-hop: stand with your legs apart, put your hands down and close your eyes. Listen carefully to the sound of the music and try to learn to hear the beat. Rock to the beat. And now you have already mastered the first movement. Congratulations! It's time to move on to more complex elements.

The basic movements of hip-hop are swing and step. You are already familiar with the first one. Now try to put your right foot to the side and stretch your right hand up. Bend your right leg, transferring your body weight to it, and lower your arm to shoulder level. Turn the body to the left, bend the left leg, and put the right leg on the toe. Now lower your right knee, arch your back and reach your hands to the floor. When you manage to complete this combination, consider yourself a good start in hip-hop.

Here are some more basic hip-hop moves for beginners:

Starting position - standing, feet shoulder-width apart, and arms along the body. We squeeze the brushes into a fist and alternately bring forward one hand, then the other. Then we connect the legs bent at the knee: left hand - right leg, right leg - left hand.
Starting position - standing. We jump in place and cross our legs, and bend our arms as if we were rowing.
Starting position - standing, feet slightly wider than shoulders. We put the right leg a little back, bend the legs at the knees, which at the same time look straight. With the right hand we cover the face, with the left, folded into a fist, we put it in the region of the heart. Then at the same time we tilt our head to the right and unclench the left hand, and after that we turn the right knee and right hand to the right.
Starting position - standing, feet firmly pressed to the floor, knees slightly bent. We put the spread fingers of the right hand on the chest, keep the elbow parallel to the floor. We bend in an arc, as if we received a blow right in the heart. Then we make two turns in different directions, straighten our back and return to the starting position. The hand at this time falls from the heart to the waist. At the end, we throw the pelvis forward again, round the back and tighten the buttocks.

You can achieve the first results quite quickly. But when you start to study closely how to dance hip hop, you will soon notice that there are no clear movements and rules in this direction. Having mastered a few basic elements, the dancers begin to improvise, create their own combinations and dance as creative fantasy suggests.

How to continue: choosing a style

If you have mastered the first movements of hip-hop from videos and photos on the Internet, it's time to choose the direction in which you will develop further. Hip-hop culture is a wide range of dance styles that differ from each other both in elements and in general mood. The main ones are:

Breakdance is still popular basic style of hip-hop, on which the direction originated.
Popping - rhythmic contraction of various muscle groups to the music so that it looks like jolts on the performer's body;
Wave - smooth and plastic movements of the body, the most famous of which is the wave with hands;
Afro-jazz - shaking mainly the lower and most prominent part of the body in women;
Crump - energetic shaking of various limbs to the music so that it seems as if someone has moved into the dancer;
New Style, also known as freestyle, is an improvisational dance that combines not only hip-hop movements, but also elements borrowed from more than a dozen other dance styles.
La Style - Hip-hop, where the emphasis is on entertainment, so this style is used mainly in videos and when staging shows.
Ragga jazz is a dance tuned to the music: the performer's legs work under the drums, and the hands become active during the recitative.
Locking - an energetic dance with "locks" - freezing in different positions for a few seconds or periodically slowing down the movement.
Power move is a spectacular style that includes complex acrobatic elements, handstands, various twists, and transitions.
C-walk is a “language” dance with a criminal past that emphasizes intense and very dynamic footwork.

Women's and men's hip-hop

The next step in how to learn hip-hop without leaving home is to bring a little femininity or, conversely, brutality into your existing skills - depending on your gender accessories. The thing is that female and male hip-hop are somewhat different from each other, and, therefore, representatives of the beautiful and strong half are trained in this direction in different ways.

Hip-hop dancing for beginner girls is based on plasticity, flexibility and unobtrusive sexuality. Girls wear baggy sweatpants and hoodies on a par with men, perform sweeping movements, but their execution looks different: hips, legs and shoulders are more involved, the elements are a little smoother and sexier.

Male hip-hop, on the contrary, is more daring, energetic and sometimes even aggressive. The focus is on the work of the arms and body, acrobatic elements and movements that require strength and male endurance.

If you prefer to learn this difficult direction from videos, it is better to initially choose hip hop training, where the movements will be performed by a dancer of your gender. Together with the right technique, you will be able to capture the gender characteristics of the choreographic elements.

A few more secrets

Learning to dance hip-hop at home, without classes with a professional teacher, is not easy, but real. Especially if you add training with a few more components. Here, as in learning a foreign language, only complete immersion in the culture will help. So, here are some tips from “experienced” hiphopers who have mastered a lot not under the guidance of a qualified mentor, but at home by the mirror:

Videos with basic exercises will help you master some of the moves, but for additional skills, it is better to turn to online courses. Hip-hop lessons for beginners are regularly held online, often live.
Hiphop parties and hangouts will help you melt into this culture and make new acquaintances. Yes, of course, everyone will laugh at your first dances, but no one drags you to the center of the circle. While you're learning, watch the pros dance, adopt a style, and memorize some moves to practice at home.
Clear training regimen. Only with regular practice can you achieve results. In addition, our body is set to a certain schedule, and if you exercise at a certain time, it will prepare for stress. As experienced dancers note, the optimal duration of even home workouts is two hours. This is enough for warming up, and for the lesson itself, and for stretching after.
Additional physical activities. If you are in the mood not just for basic hip-hop movements, but for serious hip-hop elements with tricks, strengthening the muscles of the whole body is indispensable. You will need strong arms, strong core muscles, and no extra weight. This can be achieved by exercising in the gym or additional weight training at home.
Compliance with safety regulations. Be sure to dance in comfortable non-slip shoes and loose clothing. Do not start training without a proper warm-up, and when practicing acrobatic elements, lay something soft on the floor.

Video tutorials will be enough to learn how to dance hip-hop. But to become a real dancer, you need to study the subculture from the inside. It is believed that a hiphoper has achieved true mastery when he is in perfect control of his body, does not “slow down” on the dance floor, knows how to improvise and select universal movements for any music. Hip-hop dance lends itself only to the very persistent and disciplined, those who are able to understand and accept its "philosophy of freedom".

Do not forget that there are many professionals around who are ready to help you take your first steps in hip-hop or improve the skills you learned at home. Qualified teachers of the La Boca dance club will find an individual approach to you, work out with you the technique of performing movements and even acrobatic elements. You don't have to go far: "La Boca" is located in the very center of St. Petersburg - on "Petrogradka"

Video: basic hip-hop movements

How to learn to dance hip hop at home

Each of us can become an excellent dancer, because the human body is just created for dancing. Many people have a sense of rhythm, emotions corresponding to music help to create a mood, and as for movements, they can always be diversified. Those simple steps that we give out in clubs are usually not enough to express yourself through dance, impress someone who is nearby and just get a huge positive charge. So let's start learning hip-hop! Why hip hop? Because it's easy, nice, interesting, and it's also cool to be able to dance as well as Beyoncé or Justin Timberlake.

Hard to learn, cool to fight

Hip-hop dancers usually demonstrate their skills in open combat. The so-called battle is an opportunity here and now to prove that your style is better. Also, battles contribute to the improvement of technique, the search for new movements and sequences, and the general steady growth of the dancer's skill. This technique works great in the Dragon School. All students, overcoming timidity at first, go to the center of the hall one on one with the "enemy" and show him, the teacher and themselves (first of all) that the lesson has been learned and progress is evident. Such “paired” performances help to painlessly record your mistakes and shortcomings, and at the same time borrow something new from colleagues.

That is why learning to dance hip-hop at home is more difficult. Results alone are not achieved so quickly. But home self-study allows you to get acquainted with its basics well.

A screen instead of a mirror

So, let's learn to dance hip-hop at home. To begin with, we free up space, dress more comfortably, put on sneakers. What for? Leg muscles that have become unaccustomed to regular loads can fail at the most unexpected moment, and sneakers will help to avoid sprains, the legs will warm up faster in them, therefore, there will be fewer injuries. Of course, hip-hop is no more traumatic than any other modern dance! Problems can only arise with the corners of the furniture in the room or with uneven floors. This is another reason why it is preferable to study in a special room.

But once we start, we don't stop. There are a lot of video tutorials on the Internet, it is quite difficult to choose the best one. Therefore, take my word for it and stop at the lessons from Alexander Dragon. This is not just a set of movements, but complexes developed within the framework of the author's "Quick Start" methodology. For starters, let's stretch. Let the monitor be like a mirror, repeat the movements in a mirror. Remember that a good workout is the key to the result. Let's get started!

First - to rock

Hip-hop is dominated by the concept of "groove" (in Russia it is also called "kach"). This is a drive from music, rhythm and body movement to the beat. It does not matter what the mirror shows at first, the main thing is that you enjoy it and do not intend to stop. The easiest way to catch a groove is by bending your knees to the beat. Try it! And now you can get acquainted with the simple basic movements of hip-hop dance. How to study at home? Just. Watch the video from the Dragon!

Unity of styles

When we learn hop-hop at home, a lot of questions arise.