How Long Does It Take To Learn Hip Hop Dance? It’s a common question, and at ten-dance.com, we understand the excitement and eagerness to groove! There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but with dedication, consistent practice, and the right guidance, you can start feeling confident in your hip hop moves sooner than you think. Hip hop dance training involves developing musicality, body awareness, and mastering foundational moves.
Whether you’re aiming for social dancing or aspire to perform, this guide offers insights and resources to accelerate your hip hop dance journey.
1. What is the First Step in Learning Hip Hop Dance?
The first step in learning hip hop dance is developing musicality. Dance musicality is how dancers interpret and move to music, setting the tone for movements and providing sounds to follow. According to Lisa Ellis, a dance instructor at the Broadway Dance Center, understanding musicality is the bedrock of all great dancing.
1.1. How to Understand an 8-Count?
An 8-count breaks down music structure, like a map for movements. For instance, if a choreographer says, “move on the 5,” count the beats as “One, two, three, four, MOVE.”
1.1.1. Practice Counting
Listen to a song and count in your head – “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight,” matching counts to the beat, the same beat you would naturally bob your head or clap your hands to.
1.2. What are the Different Musical Elements in Hip Hop?
Distinguishing musical elements helps match movements to music, including lyrics, bass, snare, hi-hat, synth, strings, keyboard, and piano.
1.2.1. How to Dance to Lyrics
Lyrics are the words sung in a song, and while they’re easy to distinguish, they can be challenging to count/dance to because vocals don’t always align with 8-count structures. Some choreographers create moves that correlate with lyrics by mimicking actions that match what the singer is talking about.
1.2.2. How to Dance to Bass
Bass is the lowest sound in a musical composition, supporting the melody. It is often produced by drums or bass guitars. Dancers use onomatopoeia like “boom” to describe it, associating it with grounded movements like a foot stomp or a Woah.
1.2.3. How to Dance to Snare
The snare is a sharp, staccato drum sound common in Hip Hop, like a rubber band snap. Dancers often describe it as “ka!” aligning quick, sharp movements to match, such as a sudden arm snap or a head turn.
1.2.4. How to Dance to Hi-Hat
A hi-hat is produced by a hi-hat cymbal. Dancers often describe this sound as “tss tss“. Hi-Hats are usually paired with sharp movements but may melt into something groovier if the sound of the cymbal creates a reverb-y echo. Think of how a dancer might pop their chest right when the hi-hat is struck and then might add a couple smaller pops right after the first one to mimic the way a hi-hat echoes.
1.2.5. How to Dance to Synth
A sound synthesizer produces electric signals converted to sound through amps and loudspeakers. A common type of synth is the synth piano, which may sound like a long, slow bass – a”wobba wobba” sound. Mimic the rippling sound with resistance and waves in movement, such as a slow chest roll.
1.2.6. How to Dance to Strings
Guitar strums and melodies are also useful to take note of, for more instrumental / acoustic songs. You can do whatever feels right in the moment to these types of songs!
1.2.7. How to Dance to Keyboard/Piano
The piano sounds will also accent or set the melody/harmony of the song. You can dance to these sounds separately or as chords. If you hear a high-pitched piano note over and over, you might hit that note with an upper-body-focused little move. If you hear a rich set of chords, you might do some flowy, full-body moves to communicate how rich those sounds are.
1.3. How Does Hip Hop Dance Musicality Look?
Hip Hop dance musicality varies with the dancer’s style and song interpretation. Great choreographers uniquely move to music, highlighting previously unheard sounds.
2. Why Is Body Awareness Important In Hip Hop Dance?
Body awareness is crucial because it unites the mind, which understands the music and movement intent, and the body, the tool for moving.
2.1. How to Improve Body Awareness?
Improve body awareness by focusing thoughts and feelings on each body part, flexing or moving to draw attention to it.
2.1.1. Body Awareness Exercise
Lay on the floor, and close your eyes. (Turn on some light music here, if you want.)
Then, go through this list of body parts, and focus your thoughts and feelings on each one. Flex or move the part to draw more attention to it. Once you feel fully comfortable with where it is and what it feels like, move on to the next one.
- Arms
- Shoulder
- Forearm
- Wrist
- Fingers
- Fingertips
- Legs
- Thigh
- Knees
- Calves
- Ankles
- Feet
- Toes
- Hips (Try rotating them in and out)
- Chest
- Upper chest
- Core (tummy area)
- Lower abdomen
- Neck (Try turning your neck, and also rolling it clock- and counter-clockwise)
2.2. What are the Key Elements of Body Placements in Dance?
Key elements in body placements include focus, posture, and angles, shaping how the body looks and feels in certain positions.
2.2.1. Focus
In dance, “focus” refers to the direction your face is facing. Timed right with a committed facial, your focus has the power to make or break a piece.
Whatever pose you’re holding or pathway you’re moving through, your focus is most commonly straight to the mirror (not the greatest habit, but it’s good to watch yourself at first, when developing body awareness), to the right, to the left, up, down – and to varying degrees.
For example, “right 45” can refer to turning your face toward the right, but only halfway from directly ahead and your right side. “Down left 45” signals looking slightly toward the left, with your chin pointed down, so that your eyes are aimed at the bottom corner of the wall. Focus changes will flow naturally as you learn choreography, but sometimes the choreographer will specify certain pictures and combos to have a certain focus.
2.2.2. Posture
Posture relates to the style or mood, influencing body language to communicate tone. According to research from the Laban Institute of Movement Studies, posture significantly impacts how movement is perceived, enhancing emotional expression.
2.2.3. Pictures
Study how your body feels when hitting certain angles and still poses. Break down Hip Hop dance movements to identify stops or pictures. Practice creating different pictures in the mirror, and pay attention to how they make you feel.
3. What are the Foundational Movements in Hip Hop Dance?
Foundational movements include grooving, hitting with the right energy, “milking” a move, speed control, and understanding textures.
3.1. Grooving
Grooves are the foundation for Hip Hop dance and Open Style choreography, developed by people dancing at clubs and parties.
3.2. Hitting
Hitting, the fundamental move of Popping, involves flexing muscles to match louder musical elements, balancing softness and intensity to embody, not compete with, the music. Imagine your energy levels as following the pattern of an audio visualizer. The louder the sound, the higher the level, and the stronger your hit!
3.3. “Milking” a Move
“Milking” refers to movement in-betweens of pictures or the “pathway” between A and B. “Milking” is used in the following ways:
- At the end of a move, instead of “putting a period” on it, that is, ending it definitely by stopping the movement, think of it as a “…” The “dot dot dot,” connoting that you’re dragging out that move, to extend its pathway past “B,” what would’ve been the stopping point without the milking.
- Or, you can milk from one picture into a completely new picture. To practice this, set 2 poses. Every 4 counts, change your position.. but here’s the challenge! Use a different pathway each time, to slowwwly get your body where it needs to be.
- Think of milking as a change in acceleration (ooh, physics terms!) Really, all moves are some sort of slowing down, speeding up, or stopping. Milking is just the term for gently stepping on your brakes. Where your car goes (the pathway) is up to you.
3.4. Speed Control
Manipulating speed shifts dynamics and textures, practicing by imagining arms hitting a “wall,” changing speed at that checkpoint from fast and hard-hitting to “milking.”
3.5. Textures
Textures relate to the physical connotation of a word, such as dancers being described as “smooth“. Visualize how a song feels. Is it staccato, with abrupt starts and stops? Is it flowy and silk-like, with lots of vocals? Is it gruff and interrupted, like an angry rap song?
4. What is the Best Way to Practice Hip Hop Dance?
One of the best ways to practice is by taking a class.
4.1. How to Find a Hip Hop Dance Class?
Find a Hip Hop dance class by searching online using keywords like “Dance classes in ____” or “Dance studios in _____” or “Hip Hop classes in _____” or “How to dance Hip Hop in _____” on Google or Yelp. Also, look for flyers or class videos on Instagram and click on the location link to see where the studio is located.
4.2. Which Hip Hop Dance Class Should You Take?
Start with a “Beginner” level dance class to feel comfortable and benefit most.
4.3. How to Prepare for a Hip Hop Dance Class?
Choose a comfortable outfit to feel confident in, register at the front desk, pay for the “Drop-In” class, and wait for the room to be ready.
4.4. What to Know When Taking a Hip Hop Dance Class?
Important aspects include asking questions, switching lines and inside/out positions, and knowing when to sit down.
4.4.1. Asking Questions
If you’re struggling with a move, it’s perfectly *fine (encouraged!) for you to ask questions.*However, don’t do this in excess! Try and figure out the answer yourself first (by looking closer at the move, trying it out in different ways for yourself), and if you still need clarification, ask.
4.4.2. Switching Lines
When the choreographer says to “switch lines” – if you’re in the front of the room, move to the back, and vice versa. This is to ensure that everyone gets a fair chance at having a good view of the choreographer throughout the class. It’d be a little selfish to hog the mirror the whole time, right?
4.4.3. Switching Inside/Out
In addition to switching lines, the choreographer might also ask the class to switch “inside out” / “outside in.” And yep – it’s exactly as it sounds. If you’re toward the middle of the room, move closer to the walls, and vice versa. In general, it’s good to move around the room while you take class, regardless of whether the choreographer is telling you to or not. It helps you to not grow dependent on your position to learn or execute.
4.4.4. Sitting Down
There are a few cases where you’ll have to take a seat during the class.
1. When the choreographer is demonstrating the moves they taught and you’re in the front of the room. We do this so that, when the choreographer first matches the moves to the music, everyone can see what the choreography is supposed to look like.
2. If the studio is too crowded, and the choreographer needs to demonstrate the choreography for the “back half” to see. It’s easy to follow the choreographer if you can actually see what they’re doing, but often the people in the back of the room have blocked or limited vision. (Especially when it comes to intricate details or footwork). We have the front half of the room sit down while the choreographer can teach the back half of the room, then have the whole class join in once everyone “gets” it.
4.5. What Does the Choreographer Mean in Class?
Understanding choreographer cues such as “Watch,” “Mark it,” and “Go full out” can enhance the learning process.
4.5.1. “Watch”
This is when it’s polite for the people in the front of the class to take a knee/seat. Even if you know the moves, really WATCH the choreographer demonstrate the piece. While you watch, take note of where the piece counts in, the true tempo of how fast the song goes, and how the choreographer is hitting each move. The closer you pay attention, the closer you’ll know what to emulate.
4.5.2. “Mark It”
Marking means that you are doing the piece more in your head than on your body – but you should still be doing it with your body. Think of it as doing the piece, but with less energy. Be more conscious of the music, timing, and where your body placements are rather than releasing your bankai. The choreographer might use percentages to indicate how much energy you should be putting into your mark. Example: “Let’s go just 50% for this first run-through!” or “Mark it around 80%”
4.5.3. “Go Full Out”
All right, THIS is when you go 100% with your energy. Think of it as the most you can do for everything: cleanliness, timing (that you should’ve perfected in your mark), but now with power!
4.6. How to Learn in a Hip Hop Dance Class?
Learning involves noting pictures, angles, and footwork, observing the choreographer’s execution, listening to the music, and practicing performance.
4.6.1. Learning Choreography
Take note of pictures, angles, footwork, focus, etc.
4.6.2. Choreographer’s Execution
WATCH them demonstrate for the class! Take note of texture, dynamics, milking, everything from their demeanor and posture to their facials and energy levels.
4.6.3. Listening to the Music
A huge huge huge huge huge part of being able to get a piece is knowing the music. Know what sounds you’re hitting, when those sounds come in the music, the tempo, mood, and style of the song.
4.6.4. Practice Performance
If you’re satisfied with starting out learning just the choreography, that’s fine! But if you feel comfortable with the piece, try and add a little pizzazz to it! Your freestyle, your facials, your personal swag.
4.7. What Happens After a Hip Hop Dance Class?
Post-class activities include group performances, select group showcases, recording class footage, the choreographer’s solo, and thanking the choreographer.
4.7.1. Groups
This is when the room is divided into sections, and that group will perform the piece as the other students watch. Groups can get intimidating! But it’s also an integral part to your growth. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone and just go for it!
4.7.2. Select Group
The choreographer may or may not call out a “select group” – a group of students that they noticed and want the rest of the class to watch. The selected dancers may have been really clean, not so clean but performed the crap out of it, had a lot of personal style, or were just fun to watch. There are so many reasons you can get chosen or not for a select group, so don’t overthink it! If the choreographer calls out a “any 10 people” or “any 5 people” to be in a group, and you feel comfortable with the piece, you should volunteer to go up!
4.7.3. Recording Class Footage
Don’t be surprised if someone (either the studio staff, another student, or a parent) is recording you dance. The studio sometimes does this to promote their classes, and students/parents often do this for personal keeping or to post on social media.. (let’s be real) And if YOU want to record yourself, ALWAYS ask the choreographer first if that’s okay. If they say no, don’t. Clear it with the studio staff, too. Then ask someone to record you so you can critique (or appreciate) how you did. Or post it on Instagram. Live your life.
4.7.4. Choreographer’s Solo
At the very end of the class, the choreographer will most likely perform the piece. Honestly, the best thing to do here is just watch so put your phone down, and just watch!
4.7.5. Saying Thank You to the Choreographer
Once you pick your jaw up from the dance floor, make sure to line up to thank the choreographer. They just shared their craft with you, hopefully in a way that helped you become a better dancer in some way, so it’s important to show your appreciation. You can introduce yourself, say thank you, take a picture if you want. You can ask for critiques or tips, but if there is a long line of people behind you, the more polite thing to do is to keep it short and sweet. In addition, ask the choreographer for the song title and artist so you can keep practicing the piece at home!
5. How to Set Future Goals in Hip Hop Dance?
Setting goals helps guide your dance journey, with options like training in different styles, leveling up to advanced choreography, getting involved in the community, or auditioning for a team.
5.1. Train in Different Styles
To achieve versatility, explore different classes at different studios. Schedule out when and where you can take those classes, and strategize a way to get the most variety as possible. After a while, you’ll be able to identify what you need extra help in. And you’ll have a better sense of your own “style,” based on the types of pieces you tend to enjoy most.
5.2. Level Up
If your goal is to be able to keep up with advanced choreography, then set a hard date for the class you want to be able to take in a few months. Til then, seek out classes that are more and more challenging as time goes on. From beginning classes, intermediate, to more advanced. And after you take it, don’t stop there! Keep challenging yourself with advanced classes – while you continue to train as a beginner. It’ll push your choreo pickup and execution, while strengthening your foundation.
5.3. Get Involved in the Community
Engage with fellow dancers by introducing yourself in class, attending dance shows, and participating in community events. Members at ten-dance.com connect with each other through our Facebook group – where we share videos, ask for tips, give critiques, and even arrange meet-ups!
5.4. Audition for a Hip Hop Dance Team
If making it on to a team is your goal – and even if it isn’t! – then auditioning is a great experience that can teach you a lot of things. It’s going to call on you to pick up choreo quickly, in a crowded room, surrounded by other hungry dancers. You’ll have to perform for a panel of judges, and maybe even freestyle.
Look into the dance teams in your area. Ask about auditions or private / mid year auditions if you missed the start of the season. Even if you don’t end up joining right away, it’s great for the psyche to have a clear goal to aspire to.
6. What are the Benefits of Learning Hip Hop Dance?
Learning Hip Hop dance is an enjoyable journey that develops physical skills, creativity, and community engagement.
6.1. Physical Fitness
Hip Hop dancing improves cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, and coordination, offering a full-body workout.
6.2. Creativity and Self-Expression
Hip Hop allows dancers to express themselves uniquely, fostering creativity through improvisation and personal style.
6.3. Community and Culture
Being part of the Hip Hop dance community creates social connections, cultural awareness, and support among fellow dancers.
7. How Long Does It Realistically Take to See Progress in Hip Hop Dance?
The timeline varies depending on individual factors, such as natural aptitude, consistency of practice, and quality of instruction.
7.1. First Few Months
In the initial months, focus on grasping basic steps, developing rhythm, and understanding musicality. According to a study by the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO), beginners who practice at least twice a week show noticeable improvement in coordination and basic movement within three months.
7.2. Six Months to a Year
Within six months to a year, dancers can expect to execute more complex routines, develop their style, and improve improvisation skills. Regular practice and exposure to different styles accelerate progress.
7.3. Beyond One Year
After a year, dancers can pursue advanced techniques, choreography, and performance opportunities. Continuous learning and dedication are key to mastering Hip Hop dance.
8. Can You Learn Hip Hop Dance Online?
Yes, online platforms offer structured lessons, tutorials, and feedback from instructors, making learning Hip Hop dance accessible and convenient.
8.1. Advantages of Online Hip Hop Dance Classes
Online classes provide flexibility, convenience, and access to diverse instructors and styles.
8.2. Tips for Effective Online Learning
To make the most of online Hip Hop dance classes, create a dedicated practice space, set goals, and engage with instructors and fellow dancers.
9. Common Challenges Faced by Beginners in Hip Hop Dance and How to Overcome Them
Beginners may face challenges like coordination difficulties, lack of confidence, and memorizing choreography.
9.1. Coordination
Practice basic movements slowly, focus on rhythm, and gradually increase speed to improve coordination.
9.2. Confidence
Embrace mistakes, focus on progress, and perform in a supportive environment to build confidence.
9.3. Memorizing Choreography
Break down routines into smaller sections, use visual aids, and practice regularly to improve memory.
10. Essential Gear and Resources for Learning Hip Hop Dance
Having the right gear and resources enhances the learning experience and performance.
10.1. Clothing
Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing that allows freedom of movement and reflects personal style.
10.2. Shoes
Choose supportive sneakers with good traction to prevent injuries and enhance performance.
10.3. Music
Curate a playlist of diverse Hip Hop tracks to inspire creativity and practice musicality.
FAQ: How Long Does It Take to Learn Hip Hop Dance?
1. How long does it take to learn basic Hip Hop dance moves?
With consistent practice, you can learn basic Hip Hop dance moves in a few weeks to a couple of months.
2. Can I learn Hip Hop dance if I have no prior dance experience?
Yes, anyone can learn Hip Hop dance with dedication, patience, and the right instruction.
3. How often should I practice to see progress?
Practicing at least 2-3 times a week yields noticeable progress in Hip Hop dance.
4. Are online Hip Hop dance classes effective?
Yes, online classes offer structured lessons and personalized feedback, making learning accessible and convenient.
5. What are the essential skills for Hip Hop dancing?
Essential skills include musicality, body awareness, coordination, and improvisation.
6. How can I improve my musicality in Hip Hop dance?
Listen to diverse Hip Hop tracks, identify rhythms and beats, and practice matching movements to the music.
7. What should I wear to Hip Hop dance classes?
Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing and supportive sneakers that allow freedom of movement.
8. How can I build confidence as a beginner in Hip Hop dance?
Embrace mistakes, focus on progress, and perform in a supportive environment to build confidence.
9. What are some common mistakes to avoid in Hip Hop dance?
Common mistakes include rushing movements, neglecting musicality, and not practicing consistently.
10. How can I find a supportive Hip Hop dance community?
Attend local dance classes, workshops, and events, and join online forums to connect with fellow dancers.
Ready to start your Hip Hop dance journey? At ten-dance.com, we offer a wide range of online lessons, information on local classes, and a vibrant community to support your growth. Dive into our resources and begin your exciting dance adventure today! Address: 60 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023, United States. Phone: +1 (212) 769-7000. Visit our Website: ten-dance.com.
