UMass Boston

Course Overview

Description

Hip Hop dance will teach the fundamentals of hip hop and how to put them together in routines. The dance form involves "a complex array of interlocking rhythms, percussive accents of isolated body parts popping out in unexpected phrasing," (Andre Lepecki, ed., Of the Presence of the Body, 2004). Key figures in its early development in the 1970's are Afrika Baambata, a rapper who is credited with forming the first group of hip hop dancers, and DJ Kool Herc of Jamaican origin who brought his two turntables to the block parties in the South Bronx. Its influences range from African dance and Brazilian Capoeira to James Brown, Michael Jackson and, more recently, music videos. This course covers the variety of components that make up Hip Hop Dance: poppin', lockin', wavin', steppin', top rockin', and downrockin' and basic breakin'. The course material will help students develop strength, coordination and a strong mental focus while they thoroughly enjoy moving themselves to the lively rhythms of hip hop music. This is a practical course in which the great majority of time will be spent practicing dance technique and choreography. While we may occasionally view a video, most of our time will be spent actually dancing. We will become familiar with basic Hip Hop moves and practice putting these moves into combination in challenging ways. We will further enhance our knowledge of Hip Hop through the writing of two papers. Material learned in class will prepare us for an end-of-semester studio performance.