How to Dance Krump

Krump was invented by "Tommy the Clown" in the early 1990s in Los Angeles, California. Tommy the Clown came up with a series of comedic and wild gestures, which he would perform at parties to entertain kids. This "clowning" evolved to "krumping" which Tommy the Clown wanted to show kids growing up in rough areas as an alternative to joining gangs. Here's how to dance krump.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Paint your face partially as a clown. This is done to pay deference to its originator Tommy the Clown. While obviously not necessary to perform the dance moves, painting your face will help get you in the spirit. Also, don't necessarily paint a "happy clown," paint your face how you are truly feeling inside to express yourself.
2. Select a hip-hop song. While the dance is different than hip-hop, the music which is played while you are krumping is hip-hop. Make sure to choose a track with a fast-paced quick beat. One of the major elements to krump is how fast you dance.
3. Go free-style with your body motion, coordination and rhythm. There is no one set move which defines krump, but popular ways to signify and perform it are the following: chest-popping, comedic fast-paced Charlie Chaplin motifs, staccato stride, stumbling, toe dance, ranting waves, body jerking, prancing and more. Free-style is the key.
4. Tell a story with your dance. Krump sometimes gets the rap of being an angry dance. And while the dance certainly appears aggressive at times, it should also tell a story. Krump can be seductive, sensual, luring, comedic, angry, or any emotion you can convey with your body movements. But above all the ones which depict a point of view and tell the story are the strongest.
   
   

Tips & Warnings

• Hold a Krump Battle. This is done every year in Los Angeles and hosted by Tommy the Clown and Debbie Allen. Two dancers get in the ring and face-off against one another. By rounds of applause, they determine a winner. This continues until a champion is crowned. You can hold the same thing in your own community and offer cash and prizes.