“But street dance was also about hardship, and this came out through the moves.” “People assume that the only emotions in hip hop are anger and aggression,” Jed Forman, NYC popping teacher, says. There has always been story-telling in hip hop. Lyrical hip hop contains movements across measures.” And the nuances and smooth melodies of slower R&B songs and ballads are the perfect tunes for the style. “But in lyrical hip hop, you would punch and go past his face. “In hip hop, if you were dancing with a partner, you would punch and stop at his face,” “ABDC” judge Shane Sparks explains. Lyrical hip-hop dancers ride through the beat while still accenting it (one, two-ooo). Hip-hop dancers hit the beat (one, two, stop). Dancers are meant to look like they’re unwinding, unraveling and floating.īoth hip-hop and lyrical hip-hop dancers are extremely musical, but they interpret the beat differently. There’s popping, but not the hard-hitting kind. Expect isolations (especially of the chest), slow, fluid movements (like gliding and body waves) and contemporary-inspired turns (but not pirouettes). “You’re not going to see hitting, locking or buck style in lyrical hip hop,” Napoleon says. When you’re trying to identify a lyrical hip-hop routine, look for hip-hop choreography sprinkled with contemporary-inspired steps that tell a story to the lyrics of a song (usually a slow one with a strong beat). You may have seen lyrical hip hop on shows like “So You Think You Can Dance” or “America’s Best Dance Crew.” Still not sure what it is? DS has got the exclusive, all-access breakdown of this popular style! Plus, they’re more familiar with its pretty melodies than rough rap beats. Lyrical hip hop’s contemporary roots are closer to their training than street dance. And jazz and ballet dancers find it to be a smoother transition to hip hop. “When I put myself in the song and dance out how it makes me feel, my musicality and overall performance is better!” says Aimee, who credits lyrical hip hop with helping her become more animated so she’s not just moving for movement’s sake.įor dancers like Aimee who want to do commercial work, lyrical hip hop is a must. The choreography, a mix of robotic isolations, hard stops, dramatic collapses and floppy bounces, is tailored to bring the song’s message (it’s too late for forgiveness) to life. However, the D’umos instruct her to stop thinking and start feeling.

Eighteen-year-old L.A.-native Aimee Winston, who assists teachers like the D’umos, Kevin Maher and Tony Testa, concentrates on learning the steps. The D’umos are in the midst of teaching a lyrical hip-hop combination to “Apologize.” by OneRepublic. Put emotion behind it! Tabitha and Napoleon D’umo say to a room of Monsters of Hip Hop convention-goers.

Lyrical songs for dance