Basics of Choreographing with Music

Series Summary

Hip hop dancing covers a large range of styles and specific moves and techniques, but the cornerstone of the style is undoubtedly break dancing. Over time, that so-called old school way of dancing and participating in hip hop culture has evolved into many different off-shoots. Funk dancing, popping and locking, jigging, freaking, krump, and hyphy are examples of types of hip hop dance, and each style contains certain moves that distinguish it from other forms. Throughout the world, there are competitions and there is no doubt as to the influence hip hop and that style of dancing have had on the cultures it touches. Here in the United States, many people opt to take hip hop dancing lessons, and although some critics believe that teaching orchestrated steps in that fashion is adverse to the true roots of the culture and the history of the dance, many people enjoy taking the lessons and learning how to break with the best of them. Does all of this sound like Greek to you? Turn on your favorite music video station and watch for ten minutes, you'll know exactly what you're up against.

In this free video clip, learn how to choreograph hip hop dances. With Bulletyme's advice, you can start dancing to hip hop today! Learn how to pick and understand music. Get tips for finding the beat in hip hop. Bulletyme shows you beginning steps to hip hop. Learn how to move your head, chest, hips, legs, and feet to hip hop beats. Also, learn how to groove to a hip hop beat. Finally, Bulletyme shows you how to put together choreographed beats. So, what you waiting for? Start hip-hop dancing today!

Video Transcript

"Hi I'm Bullet Time, dance choreographer here in Los Angeles, California on behalf of Expert Village. I've been studying dance for about eight years, dance and choreography. My work has been shown at the Carnival Choreographers Ball in New York City and in L.A. at the Key Club. I've been on set of two music videos since I've been here. One was for Britney Spears Piece of Me and the other was for an artist called Mariana and Angelina, they're sisters actually. Very cool group that I assisted choreography for. I've trained under Nathan Trice, whose credits include Alvin Ailey II and his own company Complexions. I've trained Modern Dance at Long University from him and also Rhapsody James whose current project is, was the Beyonce music video. Kind of grew up learning from her; and also Brian Greene who?s a living dance legend who?s worked on Mya's tour. They are all my teachers and I've fused a lot of what I've learned from them and my six years of martial arts training in Brooklyn New York, together to create my own unique style that I will be demonstrating in the videos ahead. Today's topic will be hearing music. We?ll select a song, find the instruments, make a list of them and follow each one specifically by itself as you hear the entire song. In the upcoming, it will come in handy for the upcoming videos where you'll be using movement along with those instruments you are hearing. We?ll cover everything from hearing music to body awareness and how to effectively execute each move to make your audience go wild."