Hip Hop History

Among the many styles of dance that are practiced throughout the world, one of the newer styles has captured the hearts of many. Hip hop has evolved through time, integrating many styles. Its origin, amazing history, blend of styles, and wide influence has brought us to the hip hop that we know today. Every dance style came from somewhere. Hip hop originated from the busy city of New York. Before it was a dance style, hip hop was a cultural movement surrounding music among African- Americans and Latino Americans. It first emerged in The Bronx during the 1970’s, started by DJs who used turntables to create rhythmic beat. The word “hip” comes from African-American language, meaning “informed”, and hop, abbreviated for the hopping movement. It

Jamaican DJ Clive “Kool Herc” Campbell was known as the pioneering founder of hip hop music. He built upon the Jamaican tradition of toasting, a style of lyrical chanting, that he had witnessed during his childhood. There was an extensive amount of equipment necessary for the street parties that were thrown by DJs throughout New York. They would tap into power lines and perform out in public for the masses. A lot of stacked speakers were used, as well as turntables and microphones for MCing. DJ Kool Herc also developed break-beating for the purpose of all-night dance parties. This type of music was more suited for dance than previous types of the style. The spread of the hip hop movement was greatly helped by the release of many hip hop related films between 1983 and 1985, including Wild Style and Beat Street. The release of these films expanded the appeal of hip hop outside the boundaries of New

Dance business developed in response to the growing popularity of the style. Convention circuits created conventions and competitions to focus exclusively on hip hop. Hip hop categories were also added into general competitions as well. Entertainment was also greatly influenced by this style of dance. Although Wild Style was the first movie to center around hip hop, Flashdance was the first commercially released film to feature breaking. During the 1980’s, other countries began producing hip hop movies, no longer excluding the films to the United States. However, before movies, hip hop dance was already broadcasted on television. Soul Train was a television series that featured dances and performances by African- American artists. Television did not stop there. Through the years, dance shows featuring hip hop dance have been able to hold viewers’ interest. These shows include MTV Dance Crew, America’s Best Dance Crew, and even Disney Channel’s Shake It Up. In 2004, hip hop’s influence reached education. Safi Thomas wanted to create a school that paralleled a ballet, modern, and jazz dance institution, but for hip hop dancers. It was named the Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory, founded in New York City. Hip hop provided social influences as well. It helped reduce inner-city gang violence with dance battles. Hip hop gave people a creative outlet. Also, dance is not centered around drugs or violence. Hip hop