Hip hop dance: A brief overview of its history and evolution

Hip-hop dance is a vibrant form of dance that combines a variety of freestyle movements including popping, locking, and breaking. It has evolved into one of the most popular and influential styles of dance in the last few decades. However, compared to many other dance forms, hip hop has a relatively short history. The beginning of this dance form dates back to the 1960s and 70s, but of course the movements and the music have roots way back in time. 

The beginning of hip hop dancing 
Hip-hop dance is said to be originally inspired by the movements of African dancing and began during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It started flourishing as a new style of dance performed on the street for the people. Hip-hop incorporates aspects of modern dance, tap, and swing, integrating music and complex movements. The early history and roots of hip-hop dance are most often associated with its beginning on the East Coast, specifically New York City. But the West Coast also formed its own style of the East Coast hip-hop dance around the same time. 

East Coast hip hop 
Hip hop didn't develop only on the East Coast, but New York City artists invented a musical style and a dance culture that went viral decades before there was internet. It began with the unique rhythmic combinations created by Kool DJ Herc, a Jamaican DJ, who used to start block parties in the West Bronx (also known as, the “birthplace of hip hop"). The rhythms he created were one of the important founding elements of hip hop. He also extended the dance section of songs so the dancers could show off their moves for a longer interlude, laying the foundation for a significant dance culture. 

West Coast hip hop 
On the West Coast, this dance form developed its own style. It took the dance style from the East Coast and made it its own, transforming some of the frozen moves and making them more robotic. The West Coast was also where two of modern hip-hop’s most iconic styles, popping and locking, were born. The creator of popping, Boogaloo Sam, had an innate gift for music and movement and was the founder of the dance group Electric Boogaloo. Don Campbellock invented locking and created the dance group The Lockers, and his iconic dance shaped the early West Coast scene. 

Evolution through the years 
Hip hop first started as a performative, but informal, dance culture. Slowly, the moves became more institutionalized and gained popularity as breaking, popping and locking. As more and more dancers got caught up in the rhythms of the music, the street scene shifted to more formal dance venues. The choreography developed recognizable moves, but the innovative and competitive nature of hip hop remained.