It feels like summer has just begun, but it’s already time to start thinking about fall dance classes! We just released our 2023/2024 dance schedule (which starts August 7), and we cannot wait to see your child come back to the studio and try a new class … like hip-hop!
If you’re not currently enrolled at OSMD, don’t worry. You have plenty of time to sign up your kiddo (and YOU!) for dance, music, and/or musical theatre classes this fall. And no matter if you’re a returning family or still considering OSMD as your home dance studio, we have these nuggets of info to share with you about taking hip-hop.
Here are 4 things to keep in mind when signing up for hip-hop dance classes.
1) Hip-hop is a unique dance style enriched in culture.
Before signing up your child for a hip-hop dance class, make sure you both know what hip-hop dance is and isn’t. In addition to learning all about this super cool dance style, this exercise will also help your dancer come to class mentally prepared to learn all-things hip-hop!
What hip-hop is:
This style of dance originated in the streets as a way for anyone to find a beat and rhythm with their bodies. In fact, hip-hop started out as a style to be performed “by the people” and not “by the dance academy.” It was created to bring together a community, as well as give individuals an art form to freely improvise and make their own.
Hip-hop is its own style of dance in its own right. Moves like the running man, pop-and-lock, krumping, and the Roger Rabbit are commonplace in hip-hop choreography and freestyling.
The Running Man
Pop-and-Lock
Krumping
The Roger Rabbit
What hip-hop isn’t:
Hip-hop is not a style of jazz; it’s a unique dance style enriched in culture. Back in the day, most dance schools didn’t teach actual hip-hop and instead taught very fast jazz that kind of looked like (and thus was passed off as) hip-hop. Or, hip-hop was taught as a unit or module of a jazz class instead of having its own standalone curriculum.
Here at OSMD, we teach hip-hop as hip-hop and jazz as jazz!
2) Make sure your kiddo comes to class with appropriate attire and shoes.
Every dance school or studio has different dress codes, so it’s important that you are prepped and ready to send your child to class with the proper clothing and footwear. Some studios require a certain style of sneaker, while others don’t care what your kiddo wears on their feet.
At OSMD, we strive to keep things simple, affordable, and safe — which is why our hip-hop dance class dress code is super easy to follow!
For girls:
- Athletic shirt (midriffs covered!)
- Athletic pants
- Jazz shoes
- Hair kept out of their face
- Leotard and tights are optional
For boys:
- Athletic pants
- Athletic shirt
- Jazz shoes
To make sure your kiddo doesn’t accidentally fall and get hurt, jazz shoes are required for every hip-hop dance class we offer. Our dance studios are covered in Harlequin flooring, so trying to do the running man in socks is a recipe for slipping, sliding, and falling all over the place (all in all: A bad idea).
Jazz shoes can be found locally at Bobby’s Dancewear, or online. Check in with the OSMD staff before purchasing shoes, though, to make sure you purchase the correct style and color for your child’s specific class.
3) Learning hip-hop can help dancers excel in other styles.
Any seasoned, well-rounded dancer will tell you that to become an accomplished performer you have to experience new (and sometimes awkward) things — in this case, learning hip-hop if you already excel in other types of dance styles.
As one of our tenured adult dance students said recently, “To grow in anything, you must put yourself in uncomfortable situations. When it comes to dance, I’m all about lyrical, jazz, and tap — and a great turnout! I know my achilles heel is hip-hop … which is why I always welcome learning and practicing it if the opportunity comes my way. Though I can’t guarantee I won’t over-flex my feet or look like a puppet when trying to hip-hop-it-up! I know I’ll always have fun and grow as a performer while doing it.”
Check out even more ways hip-hop can help dancers excel here >>
4) Hip-hop isn’t just for kids — it’s for adults, too!
Like any style of dance, hip-hop isn’t JUST for kids. Adults can learn how to pop and lock and jam and break, too!
At OSMD, our adult hip-hop following is HUGE and growing all the time. Check out our latest schedules to find an adult hip-hop dance class for you. Here’s a taste of what our Beginner Adult Hip-Hop class performed at our Spring 2023 dance recital!
Where Can I Find Hip-Hop Dance Classes Near Me?
Only at OSMD will you and/or your child learn from a full-time, university-taught hip-hop dance teacher who lives and breathes movement. Their passion for dance is clear, and it transfers to their students. Each week, your dance instructor will review what was learned the previous week and move on to the next lesson to keep you learning and progressing. Interested in taking hip-hop classes at Omaha School of Music & Dance? Here’s how you can learn more and register:
- Drop by our studio
- Give us a call at (402) 576-5792
- Or Contact Us Here
