Discovering a unique, personal style is a journey that every Hip Hop dancer goes through. 

And no matter who you are or how long you’ve been dancing, finding your flavour can be one of the most difficult yet rewarding parts of the process! 

Read on for 5 tips to help you on your journey. 

Start with foundational training. 

Mastering the fundamentals of a dance style that inspires you is the first step in discovering your style. Hip Hop dance encompasses many disciplines, from classic party dances and Breaking to modern techniques like Lite Feet, so there are plenty of options. Learning various street dance and studio dance forms can help you build a stronger general foundation, becoming a more distinctive dancer. It’s similar to learning a language in that you study individual words and syntax before piecing them together to produce sentences. You’ll be able to narrate stories in your own words after enough practice. 

Let’s pretend you’ve mastered a few moves or “words” from Hip Hop social dances. If you learn some House footwork, you may blend these phrases with what you currently know to produce more fascinating and sophisticated statements. This is how studying the fundamentals of many genres expands your movement vocabulary and allows you to express yourself more freely.

Study your favourite dancers

You may learn a lot by researching the dancers you admire and why you like them, especially if you’re starting as a Hip Hop dancer.

Take their courses, see videos of them dancing, listen to interviews, and, if possible, communicate with them. Examine their preferred techniques and textures, as well as their energy and how these things resonate with you. You’ll gradually understand how these little components join together to develop a personal style.

Bring in influences from beyond Hip Hop culture.

You may eventually weary of repeating the same groove for the hundredth time, or you may run out of competition material to view.

If you’re completely immersed in dance, it’s all too easy to burn out. That’s why incorporating other parts of life into your self-expression is crucial. Hip-hop dancers frequently include other athletic disciplines into their routines. Many dancers, for example, take influence from other sports such as gymnastics and tumbling.

Since the days of Bruce Lee and kung fu movies, martial arts has had a tremendous influence on Hip Hop dancing. Music, movies, television, literature, and the visual arts may all be inspiring. Listening to a certain song may inspire you to move in new ways, a scene from a movie may inspire you to think of something new, and so on. 

Dance, dance, and dance some more

It’s time to put it all together and dance after learning the basics, researching your favourite dancers, and connecting with your influences.

Dancing regularly is the most reliable way to discover your style, and it’s frequently the most crucial step. Every time you move your body intending to express yourself, you’re either trying out new techniques and feelings or brushing up on what you’ve already tried.

By assessing and evaluating yourself between practise sessions, you may take it to the next level and accelerate your progress. Consider what you’d like to have more of, what you’d like to keep, and what you’d like to have less of.

Videotaping yourself is a simple yet powerful habit that may be used to supplement dance practice and self-evaluation. Video recordings are useful for self-reflection since your appearance may differ from how you feel at the time. You can go to it when you forget something or need some inspiration when you have an archive.

Taking part in freestyle cyphers or training with other individuals can also help you advance your style. Dance buddies can and will tell you when you’re doing something cool, which should help you figure out what’s working and what makes you stand out. You can also give each other comments, bounce ideas off each other, and cheer each other on when things get rough.

Enjoy the process

Participating in freestyle cyphers or group training can also help you improve your style. Dance partners can and will inform you when you’re doing something fantastic, which should assist you in determining what works and what makes you stand out. You can also give one other feedback, bounce ideas off, and encourage one another when things become tough.