Introduction: How to Perform Basic Hip Hop Dance Moves
Have you ever gone to a dance before and stood there awkwardly because you do not know how to dance? Have you wanted to impress a person you had a crush on but dreaded looking awkward while you attempt to dance? Fear no more because you have come to the right place! With this simple tutorial and a little practice, you will gain the skills to impress those around you! It might even help you win over the person you have been admiring.
Growing up I always loved to go to the school dances because it was an exciting way to interact with all my friends and relax. However, when it came to the actual dancing part I never knew what to do. The dilemma of whether to just go for it and hope I do not look awkward or to just stand there and move my arms around was always raging in my head. I typically ended up just standing there and moving arms around because there was usually a girl I liked in my group and I did not want to embarrass myself.
Through a stroke of luck, around my freshman year of high school my older brother joined a hip hop dance team. Once he had been on the team for a few months I started going to him for advice on dance moves. Because of my brother I was able to, through perseverance and practice, become a decent enough dancer to not only start impressing those around me at the dances, but I even went and tried out for the hip hop dance team and eventually performed in front of my whole school.
Now that I have some years of experience in hip hop dancing, I would like to start sharing this talent with others and helping them feel comfortable to dance around others. For today’s tutorial I am going to start off with teaching a simple basic tutting move.
Things you will need:
1. Open Space: You are going to need ample room so you do not hit anything while dancing and hurt yourself. You can go outside to do this or even your living room will work.
2. Footgear: Make sure that you are wearing the appropriate shoes for your location] (ex: shoes on pavement).
3. Positive Attitude: It is always frustrating learning something new and you might not get it right away. Stay positive and know that you can do it!
Step 1: Put Your Hands Together With Your Wrists Making 90 Degree Angles in Prayer Position
Step 2: Extend Your Arms Outward With Your Hands Still Together
Step 3: Flip Your Right Hand Over Your Left Hand So It Is Now on the Backside of Your Left Hand (palm of Right Hand Is Now Touching Backside of Left Hand)
Step 4: Rotate Your Hands (keeping Them Together) 180 Degrees So That Your Palm on Your Left Hand Is Now Facing Left
Step 5: Bring Your Hands Back in Towards Your Chest So That Your Wrists Are Back to Making 90 Degree Angles in Prayer Position.
Step 6: Rotate Your Right Hand 90 Degrees Upward and Your Left Hand 90 Degrees Downward So That the Fingers on Your Right Hand Are Now Facing Up and Your Fingers on Your Left Hand Are Now Facing Down
Step 7: Slide Your Right Arm Down the Length of Your Left Arm Until Your Right Hand Is Right Above Your Left Elbow.
Step 8: Rotate Both Hands 180 Degrees So That Your Fingers on Your Right Hand Are Now Facing Down and the Fingers on Your Left Hand Are Now Facing Up.
Step 9: Slide Your Right Hand Back Along the Length of Your Left Arm Until It Is Touching the Backside of Your Left Hand.
Step 10: Do the Wave With It Starting From Your Left Elbow and Ending at Your Right Elbow. After Doing This Your Arms Should End Up Leveled Out With Your Right Hand Still on Top of Your Left Hand.
Step 11: Celebrate Because You Have Successfully Completed the Steps for This Tutting Sequence!
Now that you have gone through the steps of this tutting sequence, try starting over from step 1 and go through them again. Keep doing this until you feel you have mastered and memorized the entire sequence and then try doing it at different speeds. The best part about this sequence is that it is basic enough that it can be performed at many different tempos. So no matter what song comes on now at the dance you can pull off this move and impress everyone around you.
