Hip Hop I-IV

Fall Semester

Students will explore and analyze the origins of Hip Hop dance. 

Students will examine social and cultural influences in the late 20th century. 

Students will explore foundational techniques including popping, locking, breaking, old school Hip Hop, new school Hip Hop, house and social. 

Students will understand and apply proper alignment to move correctly and efficiently, executing correct dance technique.

Students will understand and demonstrate the elements of Hip Hop dance.

Students will develop technical proficiency in isolations, bounces, rolls, rocks, groove variations, and across the floor combinations. 

Students will analyze and understand musicality to Hip Hop music. Hitting vs. riding the beats.

Students will identify movement qualities, effort actions, dynamics, and transitions.

Students will understand and identify the process for making a dance.

Students will understand, explore, and demonstrate choreographic structures.

Students will understand, explore, and demonstrate the difference between free form, semi-structured, and structured improvisation.

Students will understand how to count beats, recognize notes, and identify time signatures.

Students will refine choreography through rehearsal and revision.

Students will demonstrate performance quality including projection, focus, clarity, and expressive intent.

Students will understand stage directions, spacing, formations, and transitions.

Students will apply constructive feedback to improve technical execution and artistry.

Students will demonstrate responsibility, collaboration, and professionalism in rehearsal settings.

Students will reflect on personal growth in technique, creativity, and performance.

Students will evaluate their understanding of Hip Hop dance as an art form.

Students will articulate how Hip Hop dance can communicate meaning and emotion.

Students will participate in a final Hip Hop  dance showcase demonstrating skills learned throughout the semester.

(1A–C) Foundations – Alignment, body awareness, safe dance practices

(3A–B) Historical & Cultural Relevance

(4B) Dance vocabulary and critique

(1B) Demonstrate safe dance practices including warm-up and conditioning.

(1C) Demonstrate anatomical awareness and body alignment.

(2B) Develop and refine technical dance skills.

(2C) Perform movement sequences with accuracy and expression.

(2B) Develop and refine choreography using compositional principles.

(2D) Perform original dance works for an audience.

(4C) Provide constructive peer feedback using dance terminology.

(2C) Perform dance phrases with expression and technical accuracy.

(2D) Present choreographed works for an audience.

(4B) Analyze performance effectiveness.

(4C) Apply feedback to improve performance quality.

(4A) Reflect on and evaluate artistic growth.

(4B) Analyze strengths and areas for improvement.

(2D) Perform with expressive intent and confidence.

(3A) Connect dance to cultural and historical relevance.

Spring Semester

Hip Hop 

Movement Qualities

Students will identify and analyze the contributions Hip Hop pioneers had on the growth of Hip Hop through the late 20th century

Students will analyze and understand the timeline of Hip Hop evolution to the present day.

Students will understand how Hip Hop dance reflects social issues, cultural identity, and artistic freedom.

Students will analyze how Hip Hop became a global industry and how they lead to different career paths.  

Students will analyze Hip Hop performances across social media platforms.

Students will demonstrate proper weight shift, body control, core engagement and chest isolations in Hip Hop technique.

Students will apply movement dynamics such as loose to tight, smooth to sharp, fast to slow and heavy to light. 

Students will understand how strength, flexibility, and conditioning improve Hip Hop dance performance.

Students will demonstrate increased body awareness and control through center and across-the-floor progressions.

Students will explore their creativity by creating their own Hip Hop phrases and combinations. 

Students will understand and apply choreographic devices such as canon, retrograde, repetition, accumulation, and motif development.

Students will create a structured Hip Hop combination demonstrating use of levels, pathways, dynamics, and expressive intent.

Students will understand how theme, emotion, and social ideas can be communicated through movement.

Students will refine choreography through rehearsal and revision.

Students will demonstrate performance quality including projection, focus, clarity, and expressive intent.

Students will understand stage directions, spacing, formations, and transitions.

Students will apply constructive feedback to improve technical execution and artistry.

Students will demonstrate responsibility, collaboration, and professionalism in rehearsal settings.

Students will reflect on personal growth in technique, creativity, and performance.

Students will evaluate their understanding of Hip Hop dance as an art form.

Students will articulate how Hip Hop dance can communicate power and emotion through music

Students will participate in a final Hip Hop dance showcase demonstrating skills learned throughout the semester.

(1A) Demonstrate knowledge of dance terminology and elements.

(3A) Analyze characteristics of dance genres and historical development.

(3B) Examine dance in its cultural and historical contexts.

(4A) Evaluate dance using critical thinking and appropriate vocabulary.

(1B) Demonstrate safe dance practices including warm-up and conditioning.

(1C) Demonstrate anatomical awareness and body alignment.

(2B) Develop and refine technical dance skills.

(2C) Perform movement sequences with accuracy and expression.

(2B) Develop and refine choreography using compositional principles.

(2D) Perform original dance works for an audience.

(3B) Demonstrate understanding of cultural influences in choreography.

(4C) Provide constructive peer feedback using dance terminology.

(2C) Perform dance phrases with expression and technical accuracy.

(2D) Present choreographed works for an audience.

(4B) Analyze performance effectiveness.

(4C) Apply feedback to improve performance quality.

(4A) Reflect on and evaluate artistic growth.

(4B) Analyze strengths and areas for improvement.

(2D) Perform with expressive intent and confidence.

(3A) Connect dance to cultural and historical relevance.