Analysis of Hip-Hop Dance and Reasons for Its Popularity

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Hip-hop dance is a popular and energetic dance genre, usually accompanied by hip-hop music. It has enjoyed popularity among young people all over the world. I have been interested in hip-hop music and dance for a long time. I can show my love for life and exercise my body by practicing hip-hop dance. Young people like hip-hop dance because they can invent their own moves. It offers young people a new way to express their own personalities and emotion. Hip-hop dance also shows that they feel good about life and that they are not afraid of problems. With a history of about 40 years, hip-hop dance first began in the 1970s in the US (Pabon, 1999). In early times, people in New York and Los Angles began to perform hip-hop dance. It was first popular among black young people. They used their legs, arms, heads and even shoulders to dance. In this essay, I will analyze the categories and history of Hip-hop dance and discuss the reasons for its popularity.

Hip-hop dance has a relatively long evolution history. It was created in the 1970s (Pabon). Many hip-hop dancers performed and practiced in outdoor venues to attract and encourage more people to join in. Energetic and freestyle hip-hop dance provided an opportunity for teenagers to express themselves and let out negative emotion instead of being involved in trouble for violence. Many films about hip-hop dance were produced in the 1980s, such as Beat Street, and Wild Style (Elflein). Then, hip-hop dance became commercialized with the production of a series of televisions shows including The Grind, StreetDance 3D and so on. The advent of the Internet offered a more convenient way to communicate and spread information. These films, television shows and the Internet help hip-hop dance find ...

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... many modern elements. There are many reasons contributing to the popularity of hip-hop dance. It provides a way for young people to express their feelings and let out negative emotion. It can cater to the needs and characteristics of young people. In addition, films, television shows and the Internet help hip-hop dance find its way to Asia, Europe and other countries. Furthermore, hip-hop does not demand much from the learners, time and places and it is easier than other kinds of dance to learn. .

Works Cited

Bronner, Shaw. “Hip Hop Terminology”. Performing Arts Special Interest Group (PASIG). (January 2011).
Elflein, Dietmar. “From Krauts with Attitudes to Turks with Attitudes: Some Aspects of Hip-Hop History in Germany”. Popular Music. 17.3 (October 1998): 255–265.
Pabon, Jorge. “Physical Graffiti—The History of Hip Hop Dance”. (1999). Web. 7 April 2014.

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