Timeline: 2 weeks
OSC Norms in this LG:
Pukeko, Papatūānuku, Mokoroa, Kea, Pūngāwerewere
The details of your dance
Your Hip Hop dance:
ExtraL by Doechii & Jennie
Like Jennie by Jennie
Choreographed by Sooji Choi
What is the music about?
The song Like Jennie is about her reclaiming her identity. She is celebrating walking her own path, backing herself, and being confident to the point of explaining how no one can take her place.
The song ExtraL is about female empowerment, asserting grand ambitions - both musically and personally. It asserts grand ambition, celebrating strong and independent women.
What is the choreographers intention?
Evoking a fully confident self, with a hint of "you can't sit with me vibe."
What is the purpose of this dance?
To find your full potential of expression through movement and expression. To leave everything on stage.
What emotions should we project when performing?
Confident, fierce, unapologetic.
What is the mood/atmosphere we are trying to evoke through our performance?
Energy, power.
Assessment:
Part of your assessment is to communicate convincingly the purpose of the dance. This means convey the ideas, mood, feelings and expressiveness of it.
Take time to reflect on the purpose and practice how you are going to interpret this and show it through your performance.
What is Hip Hop dance?
Hip Hop Dance is a fun and energetic style of dance that uses bounces and rocks and is performed to hip hop music.
It started in the 1970s in New York City, created by African American and Latino communities.
Hip hop dance is part of a bigger culture that also includes rapping (MCing), DJing, graffiti art, and breaking (also known as breakdancing).
Nowadays, Hip Hop can be choreographed to a much wider range of music
Hip hop dance is not just Breaking. Not everyone could (or wanted to) do the difficult tricks in breaking, so other dance moves were developed that were more relaxed and fun. These are called party dances or social dances, and they were made for having a good time at clubs and parties. Some examples include the Snake, Chicken Head, Cabbage Patch, Harlem Shake, and Running Man.
Confusion with other styles:
Sometimes people mix up hip hop dance with other Street styles that look similar. For example, Locking, Popping, Waacking, and Voguing also started on the streets, but they have their own music, moves, and history. Locking and Popping are the ones most commonly mistaken for Hip Hop, but they actually come from the West Coast and are part of what’s called West Coat funk styles.
There’s also something called Urban dance, which is a blend of many styles. It focuses on choreography - learning routines rather than freestyling and mixes Hip Hop with other types of Street Styles and even Theatre styles such as Jazz and Contemporary. Urban classes typically focus on learning and performing choreography, with an emphasis on individuality and self-expression.
Features of Hip Hop
Body
Use of bent knees, grounded stance, and a curved spine (earth-bound movement, not upright like ballet or jazz)
Strong use of isolations (e.g. head, shoulders, chest, hips, knees)
Engagement of the whole body in movement (neck to feet)
Flexed feet (not pointed)
Use of pantomime and gesture to tell a story or express character
Time
Strong connection to the music: clear beats, syncopation, and musical phrasing. Syncopation means 'off beat', so hitting movements off beat for surprise
Precise timing, including accents, pauses, and stillness
Ability to change tempo and match musical dynamics (slow, fast, stop/start)
Energy
Use of both explosive and percussive energy
Use of smooth/controlled energy (e.g. gliding, waving)
Sharp, clean execution of movements
Expressive textures and dynamic contrast (switching between tension and release)
Space
Use of a variety of levels (floor to standing)
Combination of tight, contained shapes and wide, expansive movement
Varied pathways and facings
Effective use of formations (e.g. lines, circles, scattered groupings)
Relationships
Freestyle, connecting with music, others, self, audience
Use of call-and-response (group interaction, communal energy, freestyle)
Awareness of group formations and spatial relationships (personal and general space)
Focus and eye line to engage the audience or connect with others
Clear transitions between movements and changes in formation
Performance & Expression
High stamina and endurance
Attitude: Confidence, boldness, individuality
Use of facial expression to enhance storytelling and emotion
Expressive costuming/dress to support identity and style
Improvisation to show personal interpretation and creativity
Cultural authenticity: Respecting hip hop’s roots and community-based nature
Below are four videos of Hip Hop performances
1) Watch them all!
2) The teacher will allocate you one for the following instructions.
3) Choose four of the 'features' of the style, and find a moment this is extremely evident in your chosen video.
4) Write down the timestamps of these moments.
5) Answer the following questions and prepare to share these in front of the class:
-how do you see this feature being used? What is happening on stage? Use your Dance terminology.
-was this moment effective? Why/why not?
Video 1: Brotherhood at Vibe XXIV 2019
Video 2: World of Phillipines 2024, AdHIKa
Video 3: "BOP" freestyle by the Jabbawockeez
Any questions or concerns? Please contact your teacher:
Miss Samuel: jsamuel@ormiston.school.nz