Urban Dance Tips by Gino Johnson

Urban Dance Tip #1: The lower you are, the funkier you are.

New hip hop dancers have the hardest time getting low. You should dance like there is a low ceiling, bending down and not over. Urban Dance has 3 levels. Level 3 is standing straight up without being on your toes. Level 2 is a comfortable squatting position. And Level 1 is from the floor up to level 2.

Do you know where the word hip hop came from? "Hip" derives from a traditional West African word that means to open one's eyes, to make one knowledgeable. "Hop" came from the popular Lindy Hop and became synonymous with going to the hop or to clubs.

Urban Dance Tip #2: 3 ways to be funky.

Remember always that Hip Hop/Urban Dance is nothing more than an extension of traditional African dancing culture. And if you have seen this style of dancing you know that African uses all of the parts of their body to dance. There are 3 simple steps to looking funky. Move your body up & down, side to side and front to back.

Do surgery on your routines. When you are finished learning the routine, slow it down and dissect every move for Maximum Effectiveness.

Urban Dance Tip #3: Energy is essential.

Hip Hop takes lots of energy, but not all the time. It is more dynamic to turn a light on and off than it is to leave it on all the time. Energy management is essential to getting that hardcore hip hop vibe you see in the music videos. Dont let the music beat you. Get to know your music and the music will tell you when you can thrill and when you can chill.

Learn your power. Push your energy threshold to understand just how much power you have.

Urban Dance Tip #4: Never Point your toes.

Now I know a lot of you started with a jazz, ballet, or cheer background and you are prone to point your toes. But that’s the wrong thing to do. Flexed Feet means quick feet and some of the Hip Hop moves today require you to move your feet in quick controlled burst. A pointed toe goes to infinity and beyond. In Hip Hop we want it to pop.

Urban Dance Tip #5: Puppet Theory.

A good way to dance with more energy and balance is what I call the puppet theory.  There is almost always an upper-body action for whatever your lower body is doing and vice-versa. Dancing this way doubles the energy without speeding up the Tempo.

When all of your body is dancing, I call that Dancing Out Loud.