Need inspiration for hip hop dance moves and music.

November 11, 2009 7:51 AM

Help me win a dance-off at my hip hop class next week - or at least not make a fool of myself. Need inspiration for dance moves and music.

I’m taking a beginner’s hip hop class and the instructor announced that we will be having a dance-off next week. We’ve been given choreography up to a point and we’re supposed to come up with our own ending. We can pick our own music.

I’m quite up to the challenge, but as my dance background is in ballet I’m needing some inspiration for finishing the routine. Also, scrolling through my mp3s it occurs to me that all my hip hop is at least five years old. I’m hoping you can point me to videos (music videos, tutorials, whatever) of some good dance moves and to some hip hop music to do the routine to that isn’t as outdated as what I’ve got now. Or anything really.

posted by AV to media & arts (5 comments total)

Not sure how much help this will be, but my suggestion is to search youtube for performances by Chris Brown. And maybe episodes of America’s Best Dance Crew or So You Think You Can Dance.
posted by yawper at 10:32 AM on November 11

Let the mighty Le Donk a.k.a. Paddy Considine show you his moves including Rock The Sprog, Don't Tell Mom I Rode The Babysitter, Coco Foundary, Off With His Fanny and many more...

YT Link

(Sorry not entirely serious answer!)
posted by theCroft at 11:21 AM on November 11

So Miley Cyrus and one of her backup dancers started a youtube dance battle with Adam Chu and the cast members of Step Up 2: The Streets. The director Adam Chu had to take down his video I think because of music issues, but here is a not as clear quality but you can get the gist of it video.

(I haven't watched the other videos in the battle.)
posted by spec80 at 12:22 PM on November 11

Twitch, dancing to Kanye's Barry Bonds. Notably, the routine finishes before Lil Wayne's crappy rhyming begins. In life in general, one must always stop before the crappy Lil Wayne part.
posted by cashman at 1:16 PM on November 11

Check out Planet B-Boy (think it's on netflix view instantly). Just a good documentary and should certainly help you think through some of this. Or Rize by David LaChapelle.

Had a fun afternoon looking up dance moves that I only knew from lyrics ("Do the smurf, do the wop, baseball bat/rooftop like we bringin' eighty eight back." Actually, Made You Look by Nas might not be a bad track to consider.) Otherwise, in terms of the music, I wouldn't sweat having an five year old collection, you might even go older. You could check out a few of the following:

-Jaylib: Monasty Filth
-Maceo: Soul Power
-Monie Love: It's a Shame
-Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock: It Takes Two
-Outkast: Humble Mumble or B.O.B.
-Lauryn Hill: Lost Ones
posted by hue at 1:21 PM on November 11