HIP HOP CHOREOGRAPHY
Most important:
remmeber this is a family friendly show. We have 3yr old’s, very conservative Dad’s and lots of grandparents in the audience. This is not a dance competition and not the time to twerk!
Hip Hop is super hard for recreational dancers. It’s very hard to make them look clean and have their bodies moving correctly with hip hop. Here are some things that can help you have your dancers tight and clean, even though they aren’t really hip hop dancers!
Remember that while it’s hip hop, they are still dancers. Sometimes we choreograph with only hip hop moves – but you can always add in turns, extensions, floor work, etc. There is no reason you can’t throw in some jazz moves, especially when they are having a hard time keeping the hip hop clean for an entire dance.
Hip Hop should be exciting! Use different groups, go on and offstage, use different props, and keep many things going on during the dance onstage. That will distract from those that aren’t really natural hip hoppers (like myself!)
EXIT back left corner. If they come running off the side towards the door – they will plow over little ones! This is so important, please work on that during class each week.
black outs
Please tell your dancers to hold their arms out in front of them when entering and exiting the stage in a blackout. This will cut down on the collisions we have in the dark. It’s important to really hound that into them. We had a broken nose 2 years ago – we don’t need that to happen again!
ENTERTAINING A FAMILY FRIENDLY AUDIENCE
Always keep in mind that parents (unless they used to be a dancer) - focus on the waist and up when watching the show. They are looking at the faces and upper body.
This is why we focus so much on arms and fingers. It makes all the difference for a clean recreational dance. **Again, this is for recreational classes only.