Hey Dancers! This week I grooved with Carl and his dancers to beginner hip hop. Read on to find out how it went!

Basics

Class: Beginner Hip Hop

Studio: The Dance Complex

Teachers: Carl Alleyne (@dancewhereyouare)

Time: 1 hour

Category: Adults

Cost: $20

Background: “Hip hop – is a street dance form that derived from clubs and house parties in the 80’s.” It’s rooted in African American culture, and characterized by bounces, grooves, and more that get to the soul of African American culture (Carl, The Dance Complex).

OOTD

Some dancers in this class opted for looser clothing than I’m used to seeing in other classes, but I think that works well with the style of dance, which, especially for a beginner class, didn’t require floor work or a lot of flexibility. Still, everyone seemed to wear outfits that were comfortable and stretchy, and sneakers were the go-to. As always, if you have long hair you may want to pull it up before things get heated!

Atmosphere & Energy

As soon as I entered the room, I saw broad smiles and heard the buzzing of friendly conversations among familiar faces. Though 3 of us raised our hands when Carl asked who was there for the first time, the other 12 or 13 (mostly women) had clearly been there before, and several seemed to know each other fairly well (of course, they all clapped for us newbies and made us feel welcome).

Carl continued to lead the class with positive energy and an emphasis on enjoyment over execution. He shared his favorite parts of the choreography and encouraged us to freestyle a bit at the end. He repeatedly checked in with us to see if there were any questions and generally contributed to a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

Dance Difficulty

The difficulty of this class was perfect for beginners to hip hop, and I’d say even for beginners at dance in general. Carl started off with a warmup, where we jumped, stretched, and even did a few crunches. Then he led us through a sequence of choreography, breaking down each movement, answering any questions, and adding on the music after we learned each segment. There was one organized water break, and though I’m sure dancers were welcome to get more water if they needed it, the class didn’t really require it.

There were parts where the moves were a bit fast paced, and a part where we were challenged to do a sort of body roll, but otherwise the steps were fairly easy to understand and execute. There was one part where we each picked a number – 1 or 2 – and depending on the number Carl taught us to perform the choreography in the opposite direction, which made the dance look very cool when we performed it all together. I’d say the song he chose was more on the side of R&B, but Carl’s choreography went with it well, and all in all the class was just the right amount of challenging for beginners.

Top Tip

Have fun! That was the one thing Carl emphasized too. He had his favorite part of the choreography, where we would all swivel our heads toward the mirrors and point at ourselves in them, and he said that if got nothing else right in the dance at least to enjoy that part. Other aspects of the choreography – like when we walked in a circle, or when we freestyled at the end – allowed us to put our own spin on things, and the more I put my personality into the movements, the more I enjoyed the dance.

Awkward

Though I’ve danced a bit of hip hop before, I wasn’t ever formally taught it, and it’s not the style that comes to me most naturally. There were times when I saw myself following the steps in the mirror and thought I looked awkward and out of place compared to other dancers. But the more I followed my own advice and incorporated my style, the more at peace I felt with my dancing. And anyway, I was having so much fun that it didn’t matter what I looked like.

Awesome

The class really was ideal for beginners, so even if hip hop felt less intuitive to me than other dance styles, the choreography itself wasn’t too difficult to follow or too challenging to execute. Carl’s positive energy also took the pressure off of doing everything perfectly and reminded us to have a good time.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking to try hip hop dancing in a positive, supportive, and beginner-friendly environment, this is the perfect class for you!

That’s all for this week! Visit Dance Diaries next Tuesday at 8PM for another diary entry. See you then dancers 😊