So I just started taking hip hop dance for beginners last week, but I find it super hard to keep up. My dance instructor just does the moves without explaining them and she expects us to keep up and memorize them. I have pretty good memory, but sometimes the moves just don’t come out right. They look awkward and unnatural. How can I look like I am actually hip hip dancing and not just moving around awkwardly?
Find someone in the class who can break down some steps for you. I’ve never met a hip hop dancer who didn’t want to help me learn what they do. And practice with them whenever possible.
If the teacher ever breaks down any steps and teaches how to do it such as pops or the moonwalk for example, practice what she shows you every day for a certain amount of time. Also if she does any warm up routines that involve things like body isolations, practice those on your own at home daily as well.
There are lots and lots of how to videos on youtube.com that I used for inspiration when I started doing hip hop a few years ago. Do searches for "how to pop and lock", "how to glide", etc.
And besides practice and practice and practice, just don’t quit!
You will alwasy feel awkward until you’ve learned the steps and feel confident about it, so just accept that you’ll look goofy while you’re learning and practicing, its ok, its part of the learning process!
If this teacher doesn’t teach you much, you will still learn by being exposed to the dances, and you might want to seek out a better teacher for your next class.
Good luck and congrats on starting to learn hip hop!!
Its simple… Practice makes PERFECT! good luck! You can do it! stay dedicated!
God Bless!
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Being a dance instructor is a humanitarian vocation
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Find someone in the class who can break down some steps for you. I’ve never met a hip hop dancer who didn’t want to help me learn what they do. And practice with them whenever possible.
If the teacher ever breaks down any steps and teaches how to do it such as pops or the moonwalk for example, practice what she shows you every day for a certain amount of time. Also if she does any warm up routines that involve things like body isolations, practice those on your own at home daily as well.
There are lots and lots of how to videos on youtube.com that I used for inspiration when I started doing hip hop a few years ago. Do searches for "how to pop and lock", "how to glide", etc.
And besides practice and practice and practice, just don’t quit!
You will alwasy feel awkward until you’ve learned the steps and feel confident about it, so just accept that you’ll look goofy while you’re learning and practicing, its ok, its part of the learning process!
If this teacher doesn’t teach you much, you will still learn by being exposed to the dances, and you might want to seek out a better teacher for your next class.
Good luck and congrats on starting to learn hip hop!!
References :
Let me tell you something
Dont worry about it :]
I teach bboy/pop/hiphop dance to my friends and I see them have the same problem.
This is very common for beginners and it’s just a stage in your dancing that you have to overcome.
If you’re just starting, the movements may feel awkward because you’re not used to them. People concentrate so hard on the techniques and getting the movements right that they end up looking stiff and awkward when they perform it. Like Rakim said: "Dont Sweat the Technique" (Great hiphop song, you should search it up)
I see my friends overcome this stage over varying amounts of time so it really depends on how long it takes you to get used to the movements and to loosen up.
My biggest advice for you is to relaaaax. Don’t sweat the technique. Have fun with it and just loosen up. Also, be confident in every move you make, and if you mess up, well its not a big deal ;]
Remember, in hiphop dance and most other dance forms in general, feel the groove and the music. Dont just act out every move you see.
I hope this helps! Email/msg me if you have any more questions
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Bboy/popper
Prez of street dance club at my school
I have been taking hip hop for 8 years and just this year I started to not look awkward. It was a difficult thing for me because my sister was really good at it and I just looked ridiculous doing the moves. So she told me to "find my inner gangster".
Most of the time with hip hop you look really lame if you aren’t getting into the choreography. My advice would be to seriously get into the moves that the teacher is giving you and try to copy exactly what your dance instructor is showing you. Studying a dancer that is better then you would also help so that you can see how she/he moves their body.
Hope I helped
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