How to look like a street dancer

What To Wear To Hip Hop Class

Hip Hop classes are fun, fast-paced, and challenging. As you learn to perform classic moves like the running man or the freeze, you’ll need to wear comfortable dance clothing that lets you breathe, sweat, and move to the beat.

What is hip hop dance? Hip-hop dance originated in the mid-70s. It’s a mix of street dance styles usually performed to hip-hop or rap music.

Read on to learn more about what to wear to hip hop class and why this style of dancing requires specific gear.

What To Wear to Hip Hop Dance Class

Dancing is an art form, but it’s also a full-body workout. Like any sport, you need gear that allows you to move comfortably while preventing injuries.

When learning how to dance hip hop, it’s essential to choose comfortable dance clothing that won’t restrict your movements. Plus, your dance studio might have a dress code regarding what to wear to dance class hip hop.

Loose Clothes

You can’t go wrong with loose-fitting clothes if you’re wondering what to wear for hip hop class. Baggy pants and oversized shirts are typical for this style of dance because they allow you to perform popping, locking, or breaking moves without restrictions.

Workout Clothes

If you’re unsure what to wear for hip hop class, workout clothes are a good option. Sweatpants, yoga pants, and classic cotton tees are great for moving and regulating your body temperature.

Workout clothes are common for rehearsals and choreography classes. Dancers sometimes wear different stage outfits when performing for an audience.

Proper Dance Shoes

Your attire for hip hop should include some dance shoes that feel comfortable and supportive. You need a pair of sneakers with soles that provide excellent grip to prevent injuries. Proper shoes for hip hop also need a sturdy closure system, whether you opt for shoes with laces or Velcro.

As you get more comfortable, you can transition to shoes that will be part of your onstage look, including heels or work boots.

If you decide to join dance classes, don’t hesitate to ask your instructor for recommendations regarding proper shoes.

Supportive Inner Wear

Moisture-wicking inner wear will help keep you comfortable. You also need comfortable underwear, including sports bras for women and athletic underwear for men, to prevent injuries.

Light Accessories

You shouldn’t hinder your dance moves with heavy accessories, but you can have fun adding a few items to showcase your sense of style.

Whatever Makes You Feel Good

If you are questioning what to wear for hip hop dance class, you should look for clothes that make you feel good.

Most studios have dress codes, but you can explore different types of clothing and footwear to see what feels right and gives you the confidence you need to progress and express yourself in this style of dance.

How Do You Choose the Right Clothes and Shoes for Hip Hop Class?

What to wear to hip hop class is often a matter of personal preferences, but there are a few tips to keep in mind.

Comfort

Attire for hip hop should feel comfortable. It should allow you to perform various moves while helping you regulate your body temperature.

Size

Oversized clothes are common in hip hop dance since baggy clothes don’t restrict your movements.

Weight

Heavy clothes and accessories can get in the way and even increase your risks of injuries when you practice new moves.

Materials

Many hip hop dance moves will require that get down on the floor. Avoid any material that could be slippery to prevent injuries.

FAQ

Here are a few other things you need to know about what to wear to a hip hop dance class.

What types of shoes are best for hip hop dancing?

Look for lightweight shoes with laces and a flexible insole and soles with plenty of traction.

How are dance sneakers supposed to fit?

Dance sneakers shouldn’t pinch or feel uncomfortable, but the fit should be snug compared to traditional sneakers.

How to wear your hair while performing hip hop?

If you have long hair, it’s best to braid it or wear it in a bun or ponytail to keep it out of the way.

Can I dance hip hop without shoes?

Dancing barefoot isn’t ideal since you might hurt your feet, and you won’t get the support that a pair of sneakers can give you.

Why do hip hop dancers wear baggy clothes?

Baggy clothes are part of the fashion and culture that influenced hip hop, but loose-fitting clothes allow dancers to perform a wide range of acrobatic moves without restrictions.

Can you dance in jeans?

Jeans are a good option as long as they feel comfortable. It’s best to opt for baggy jeans that let you move freely or wear a thin denim weave that enables you to breathe.

Do You Have the Right Gear for Hip Hop Class?

Dancers wear clothes that make them feel comfortable and don’t restrict their movements when practicing. Any workout clothes, loose clothes, and lightweight items that let you move and meet dance studio dress codes are acceptable.

Are you ready to take the first step of your journey to becoming a hip hop dancer? Learn about how to sign up for dance classes here, or learn about dance class prices first.

What Do Hip-Hop Dancers Wear?

So you enjoy the entire routine of popping and locking, but are unsure of what clothes you are supposed to wear. This article helps with some information on what hip-hop dance costumes should look like.

It is said that hip-hop is not just about the music or the dance, it is about the culture and the attitude. That is probably what sets it apart from other dance styles. You will hardly ever see a person going to school in leotards and tutus but people wearing hip-hop dance clothes as everyday clothing is a common sight. That in itself tells you how this dance form as a culture has penetrated every aspect. Most of us associate hip-hop clothing gear with loose baggy clothes and flashy accessories. So, how did these dance clothes come to resemble the present day fashion trends. In this article, we trace the history of hip-hop clothing and tell you what you should be wearing for this dance form.

When hip-hop dance first grew in prominence, it started out as a street dance form. This is the reason why the clothing primarily includes the clothes that people would normally wear. So over-sized pants, jerseys, and sneakers became the costumes in which these dancers presented their moves to the world. With time, the popularity of the music and the dance form grew and many big brands started developing clothing lines marketed as hip-hop clothing. Tracksuits were also popular as clothes to wear while dancing, as were jackets. Most early hip-hop dancers were African-American and the culture reflected in the clothing styles that were embraced. Accessories were also prominent. While women wore a lot of jewelry, the men weren’t left far behind, wearing as many accessories themselves. Heavy earrings, long chains, and belts made of metal chains were a huge part of the look.

Over time the clothes for these dancers, though as baggy as before became a little less accessorized, due to fear of injuries. Metallic chains and belts were replaced by bandannas, caps, and tattoos. Baseball caps were worn by both men and women. These clothes were more or less of the unisex variety with minimal design differences. Costumes for the dancers of today are not much different from the costumes of the earlier era. The look is all about wearing loose, baggy clothing, and oversized shirts or t-shirts with good dance shoes that provide ample support for all the stunts that are an integral part of this dance style. The difference arises when you compare the clothes with what was worn by the fairer sex earlier.

Today the look for women is much softer than the original tomboy look. The costumes for them are much more feminine now. While most women dancers still prefer wearing pants, the design is more fitted now. A lot of women opt to wear skirts with leggings and boots. Sensual dressing has also become quite prominent in the music videos of this dance form. Women can even opt for shorts. Tank tops and tube tops are preferred by most women. One of the most important aspect of the clothing for both men and women are the shoes. Most dancers prefer wearing sneakers with a split sole as these shoes are generally flexible and have a good grip, which is important while performing different stunts.

Whether you are buying dance clothes for kids or adults, just remember these patterns, that you can choose from, and attend your dance classes with style and panache.

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types of street dances and clothing style

Contents

A dance direction that involves not just a set of movements to music, but a whole way of life. Very young, but full of difficult stories - hip-hop style. His path - from disadvantaged areas of New York to the top stages of the planet - is a model for thousands of followers.

The difficult path of this style began in the 60s of the last century in the South Bronx, which is considered the most disadvantaged area of New York. Parties were regularly held there, at which the man who later became recognized as the creator of rap, Kul Gerk, read recitatives to the music. During the breaks, a circle was improvised, in the center of which, one by one, young people showed their dancing skills. This is how breakdance appeared, and after it - other types of street dances. 1974 is considered the official date for the emergence of hip-hop as a culture. Five of its components were identified by DJ Afrika Bambaataa: these are “emsiing”, “DJing”, breaking, graffiti and a special worldview, including a certain language and the corresponding fashion. In general, in the last century, hip-hop dances were nothing more than a challenge to society, a protest against inequality and the unfair treatment of the government towards people. Now the hip-hop style is usually divided into old and new schools.

Old school hip hop

This is breakdance, locking and popping combined into a group of funk directions. An interesting dance with “locks”, that is, locking, was accidentally invented by Don Campbell, who wanted to impress his friends at a disco, but thought about the movements for too long, which is why he often froze in different poses for several seconds. Shortly thereafter, a strange dance with jerky movements, spreading arms, loops and jumps began to dance all over the United States of America. Do not forget about this style today.

Another old-school hip hop dance - popping - is based on the rapid contraction and relaxation of muscles, which from the side look like sharp jerks on the performer's torso. Dancers of this style skillfully combine the control of even the smallest muscles of their body with dance movements of other directions.

As for the main dance in the style of hip-hop - break dancing, it originated in the early 70s in the western parts of New York. It all started with the so-called Uprock - a manner of performance similar to a dance battle. So street gangs sorted out their relationship and decided who was cooler. For some time, breakdancing was underground, the dancers were not recognized and taken for ordinary rebels, but the children from the ghetto managed to get the public to accept them. The main credit for this goes to the Rock Steady Crew, who invented many of the style's key moves.

Later, the school was enriched with such original dance styles as robot, animation, king-tat and Electric Boogaloo. Interestingly, the latter was accidentally invented by guys who really wanted to dance popping, but did not know how.

New School Hip-Hop

While the old school places a lot of emphasis on acrobatic elements, new school hip-hop dance styles rely on active footwork. The new school of hip-hop includes one of the key areas - freestyle or otherwise New Style. It was formed along with changes in attitudes towards blacks in America. The good old basic hip-hop has absorbed elements of ragga, modern and even Latin and turned into an improvisational dance: the performer moves very dynamically and at the same time relaxed, so the audience gets the impression that the number is invented on the go. No wonder hip-hop is called the philosophy of freedom.

Freestyle is also distinguished by its content: this style includes movements from a wide variety of dance styles, without focusing on whether it is hip-hop or not. In fact, the improviser has the widest range of elements, he can only fantasize and listen to his body. This is what hip-hop dance is in a new performance.

LA Style is often confused with New Style, but this is a completely different direction. It is easy to guess that the style originated in Los Angeles. The difference between this kind of hip-hop is that it is show-oriented. It was in New Style that pure choreography began to appear, and not the individual fantasy of the performer. This style looks very impressive on video, so it began to be used in music videos and when staging major shows. Here, the accuracy of movements, a clear set choreography, often synchronism, but not improvisation, are important.

Crump is another part of the new school of hip-hop. His manner of performance is based on very energetic movements with all parts of the body. The style looks spectacular, but very aggressive. The abbreviation KRUMP stands for "Empire of the Absolute Power of Spiritual Praise", if translated into Russian. That is, the direction is aimed at expressing the individual essence of the dancers. It seems to burst outward, causing the performer to "convulse". Today krump is one of the top destinations in Europe.

C-Walk is a hip-hop style with a very unusual history. In the 80s of the last century, it was a symbolic dance of the infamous rapper gang Crips (hence the Crip Walk). These guys used the foot dance as their language: with sharp movements of their legs they depicted their name, crossed out the names of rivals and even gave signals to the "chosen ones", mostly bandits. In response to such a provocation, the Bloods gang invented their B-Walk, which consisted only of the work of the hands, but they were no longer the pioneers, so this style clearly lost to the Crips in popularity. But C-Walk has firmly entered the hip-hop direction, today it is divided into Crown Walk and Clown Walk and remains very spectacular and popular.

Hip-hop today: clothing and schools of hip-hop

And, of course, what a direction that claims to be a whole philosophy, without appropriate clothing. Ever since the 70s, the appearance of fans of this culture, like the hip-hop movement, is complete freedom in everything. Hip-hop clothing for girls is a T-shirt, a men's hoodie, a cap and loose sweatpants or trumpet jeans. The beautiful half of the party demonstrates its femininity unobtrusively - by accidentally looking out underwear or bra straps. Men, on the other hand, boldly combine sports T-shirts with office shirts, wear the same sweatshirts, sweatpants and spacious T-shirts.

Hip-hop style is definitely worthy of respect. One need only imagine the conditions under which it originated: teenagers grew up in conditions of aggression and persecution of blacks, society despised the ghetto pupils, dancers were driven off the streets, and their styles were forbidden. So, tired of beatings and blood, young people united and created their own philosophy, where all resentment and anger is expressed in words and dances. These guys proclaimed positivity and a smile as their main distinguishing marks. And having passed all the tests, hip-hop styles have come down to us, becoming even more popular.

Modern dance styles are no longer performed on the streets, but in professional schools. Hip-hop lessons are in high demand right now. His styles make you work physically, working on your figure, and at the same time improvise, developing a dance fantasy. However, the main task of the performer remains, as before: to hear the beat, to act rhythmically and to release their essence.

Video: 3 cool kicks for hip-hop and shuffle

Modern dance styles ⋆ Moscow Dance Center MDC NRG

Hip Hop is a very dynamic and fast dance. It belongs to free-style street dances, improvisation is welcome here. There are many styles of dance from very plastic to frankly aggressive.

Hip Hop Choreo is a style expressing precision and grace of movement. Its other name is LA Style, and this is one of the most spectacular and spectacular dances. Combining many directions, the dancer makes a dance specifically for the composition. It looks very spectacular.

Street Jazz is also a free style. It combines the best elements of various directions. This dance contains many small elements, smoothly flowing from one to another. This is a very beautiful and contradictory dance at the same time.

House is a trendy, very dynamic dance. Here, the active work of all the muscles of the body is welcomed, many styles are combined. The dance originated in one of the nightclubs and quickly spread among young people. Today house is a very interesting dance style. Requiring serious preparation and great endurance of the dancer.

Jazz Funk is a style with elements of classical jazz. However, this is a more free dance, improvisation is also welcome here. You can see the brightest elements of street styles. Dance contributes to the development of endurance, plasticity, gracefulness of movements. Looking for a way to express yourself? He is for you.

Contemporary is quite an interesting style. He uses ballet technique but avoids well-defined movements. This dance is a great way of self-expression, it allows you to bring something new to modern choreography. This style will help to work out the technique, learn to control your own body, observe the coordination of movements.

Booty Dance /Twerk. This dance combines two types of movements. Slow rotation of the pelvis and lower back and rhythmic movements of the buttocks. This is a very passionate dance, it is based on the excellent control of one's own body. Classes in this style will betray the girl more grace, courage and looseness.

Dancehall is a style that originated on the dance floors of Jamaica. It is performed to reggae music with the addition of modern arrangements. The dance is a reflection of culture, customs, traditions and Jamaica. Its performance helps to relax, and the incendiary rhythm charges with an excellent mood.

Reggaeton Fusion is a frank dance. It is a mixture of elements of hip-hop and gentle, sexy Latino. Can be performed in pairs or solo. The style was developed in Latin America, but today it is quite popular all over the world. Performed to reggae music with elements of rap, techno music.

Afro Dance. There are no complex elements in the dance. Many begin to dance from the first lesson. The direction is a mixture of elements of hip-hop and ritual African dances. The dancer completely relaxes and allows his body to move freely to the rhythmic sounds of the music.

High Heels - an eccentric dance. It has everything: femininity, provocation, sexy rhythms of pop music. Choreography is set for each specific track. The style is reminiscent of jazz-funk, but performed in heels. The direction seems complicated only at first glance.

Lady's Style. The main distinguishing feature of the style is a pronounced sexuality. This dance is great for girls. Indeed, thanks to him, they will be able to reveal the grace of the body, become more feminine and attractive.

Go-Go Fusion is a club style that combines a huge number of directions. The ability to move beautifully, to feel the musical rhythm, to be able to quickly switch and improvise is important here. This dance will allow the girl to move confidently and with pleasure, to any club composition.

Strip plastic. The dance originated from striptease. His main movements are aimed at the disclosure and development of his own sexuality. Dance helps a girl to love her body, to become more relaxed, to find charm and grace. Here you do not need to undress, it is important to learn how to express your passion through movements.

Frame up strip. The main distinguishing feature of the style is provocation. This is a dance of expression. Here you can show passion, hatred, desire. When performing this dance, there are no limits in the form of embarrassment or decency. The style combines the rhythms and movements of the latest trends.

R'n'B - the style is similar to hip-hop in many ways, but it is more harmonious. It reflects the sexuality and technique of the dancer. Performed to the music of African American performers. The style is distinguished by extraordinary lightness and sensuality. Here, smooth movements are replaced by hard fixations through the most unexpected transitions.

Popping is a technical dance. It alternates between rapid contraction and relaxation of the muscles. The technique of execution differs from other modern trends, because here the movements are unnatural. The direction originated on the basis of the movements of dancers during improvisations. Therefore, it simultaneously contains the basic elements of different dance styles and the latest elements.

Zumba. This dance is a combination of dance moves and aerobics. Dynamic dance allows you to alternately load a variety of muscle groups. Gradually modeling the body, burning extra calories. The direction allows you to hone the plasticity, to feel the musical rhythm. Get positive energy.

Tribal is a new direction of oriental dance. Oriental style movements in the form of rotations of the hips and abdomen. They are supplemented with new elements of the dances of the peoples of Spain, India and Africa. The music for this dance is reminiscent of the ritual compositions of the ancient tribes. Girls who perform it learn to reveal their inner attractiveness and sexuality.

Club latina. The graceful performance of the beautiful elements of Latin American dances to the rhythms of Cuban music is the main direction of the dance. Contrary to popular belief, you can also improvise here. Excellent posture, graceful gait and graceful movements. Here is what you will get as a bonus by doing this type of dance.

Vogue is not just a style, it's a show, a complete improvisation. Here the direction is set, and where the dancer chooses to move. The emergence of the style is as unusual as its implementation: initially, this direction copied the famous theatrical poses of actress Gretta Garbo. Today the style is adapted to house culture.

Contamination. The style is a symbiosis of modern jazz and hip-hop. Choreography allows you to combine the basic movements of each of the directions. This dance is incredibly dynamic, it can be performed to any music. This is an experimental dance, where a new choreography is born from each basic element.

Body Make. The name speaks for itself. This direction allows you to tighten all muscle groups, performing elements of dance and exercises. A special combination of loads of various types helps to maintain physical fitness, to find a toned body. Thanks to this direction, you will get not only a beautiful figure and posture. But you will also find peace of mind and a good mood.

Stretching is a set of exercises that help you get a great stretch. The complex allows you to make your ligaments and muscles more elastic. These exercises will help increase the length of the legs. A good stretch is necessary for any dancer, and most girls dream of it.

Body Ballet is a direction for those who choose grace, sophistication and lightness. The body badet is based on classical ballet, therefore, during these trainings, you are guaranteed to acquire a noble posture and softness of movements. Do you want to get a more plastic, flexible and toned body? Start doing body ballet.

Dance Mix Kids is a clear and dynamic dance that combines elements from a wide variety of dance styles. Here they will teach you how to dance, easily adapting to a variety of styles of music. In training, you will get the necessary experience in order to light up any dance floor.

Girly Hip-hop. The basic dance moves are taken from hip-hop and jazz-funk styles. However, here the choreography is smoother, softer. The manner of presenting oneself to the public has been worked out, the style of movements is more focused on entertainment.

Choreography is a new direction that incorporates elements of various dances. This is a very specific, multifaceted action. The important thing here is that there is no stress. Style does not require preparation, there are no prohibitions in it.

Krump is a harsh, aggressive dance. Crump reflects the character of the dancer and his worldview. The dancer quickly alternates movements, does it abruptly, performs many jumps. If this is a dance in pairs, it sometimes resembles a fight.

Jazz Modern is a unique dance where jazz culture with unusual African motifs miraculously combines with modern style. Here improvisation is combined with broken movements. Therefore, dance is ideal for people who want to express themselves.

Break dance is one of the offshoots of hip-hop, which gained immense popularity for the contradiction of movements with the basic laws of physics and gravity.