Hip-hop dancing is all the rage among teenagers and young adults, but it is great for everyone. These dance moves can be put together in a routine that is great exercise for young and old alike. Get energized with a refreshing and high-powered type of dancing.
What is hip-hop dancing? It started in the neighborhoods with kids moving to their favorite music and making up dance steps. When music videos hit the air, people outside of the neighborhoods got to see what others had been doing for years. It didn’t have a name then, but today it is called hip-hop dancing.
Hip-hop is a combination of beats and rhythms from rap music, reggae, techno music, Latin dancing, tap and jazz. All of this is put together into a variety of moves. Hip-hop dancing is freestyle dancing – the moves can be done in any combination to the music. It is an expression of your style and your feelings.
Do you remember break dancing? That is a form of hip-hop dance. Nowadays, hip-hop dancing is done from the standing position and not so much on the ground. But, break dancing is still popular in big cities.
Hip-hop uses the entire body. This makes it great for overall exercise. Besides that, it is fun to move to the music. It hardly seems like exercise at all to the kids. They burn fat and calories in clubs, at home and in dance studios while enjoying themselves.
Can you do hip-hop? Of course you can, with a little tutorial. What makes it more like exercise is the sharpness with which the steps are done, and the poses. Holding moves (isometric exercise) engages the muscles to build stronger fibers.
The center of your body is your abdominal region and back. Balance is important when you do these moves so the abs get a lot of work to keep them lean and strong. At first the moves will seem foreign but as you practice, your body will become more fluid and the moves second nature.
Hip-hop moves are done with both upper and lower body. When learning moves like the slide or jumps, get the lower body movements first and then add the upper body. It’s easier to learn that way. Lower body moves will always engage the abs which actually prevents a lot of injury.
Steps are done to the beat of the music. Whichever moves you put together will flow using the music as a guide. Take a hip-hop choreography class for beginners to learn the most popular moves right now. As you get better, more complicated hip-hop styles like crumping (similar to an urban form of slam dancing) will be next on your list of things to try.
From the classroom, give hip-hop a try in the clubs and at home listening to your favorite hip-hop artist. Just dancing for thirty minutes to an hour will burn hundreds of calories. It’s hard to believe that something so fun can give you so much energy. Isn’t it great?
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