What You'll Learn
Weekend Schedule
- Saturday 10:00-12:30: Popping fundamentals and musicality
- Saturday 14:00-16:30: Locking technique and choreography
- Saturday 17:00-19:00: Breaking toprock and basic downrock
- Sunday 10:00-12:30: Style integration and combinations
- Sunday 14:00-16:30: Freestyle development and cipher practice
- Sunday 17:00-18:00: Final showcase and feedback session
Core Concepts
- Popping Elements
- Isolation control, robot movements, strobing, animation techniques
- Locking Elements
- Points, scooby doos, lock positions, pace changes
- Breaking Elements
- Toprock variations, footwork foundations, basic freezes
Students receive reference videos of all taught material for continued practice after the workshop concludes
Program Overview
Hip hop encompasses multiple street dance styles that emerged from different communities and time periods. This workshop introduces you to three major styles, teaching their historical context alongside physical technique.
Each style has distinctive movement qualities and cultural significance. Understanding where these dances originated helps you perform them with appropriate energy and authenticity.
Popping technique breakdown
Popping creates a sharp hitting effect by quickly contracting and relaxing specific muscle groups. The technique originated in California during the 1970s as part of funk dance culture.
You learn to isolate chest, arms, and legs independently while maintaining rhythmic precision. The foundation starts with neck and chest pops before adding limb variations.
Wave movements travel through the body sequentially, creating an illusion of continuous motion. These require understanding how to transfer tension smoothly from one body part to the next.
Locking fundamentals
Locking features exaggerated movements that freeze suddenly in locked positions. This style emphasizes performance quality with big gestures and facial expressions.
Specific moves like points, stops, and lock positions form the vocabulary. You practice these elements individually before combining them into flowing sequences.
The style maintains an upbeat, energetic character throughout. Learning to project that performance energy matters as much as technical execution.
Breaking basics
Breaking includes toprock, downrock, freezes, and power moves. This workshop focuses primarily on toprock and basic downrock foundations suitable for beginners.
Toprock refers to standing footwork performed before going to the floor. These steps establish rhythm and showcase individual style before transitioning downward.
Six-step and three-step patterns teach you how to move in circular floor patterns while supporting weight on hands and feet. These form the foundation for all downrock vocabulary.
Freestyle development
Each session includes cipher time where participants take turns dancing in a circle. These freestyle moments help you apply learned movements spontaneously to music.
The workshop runs as an intensive format over one weekend with six sessions totaling 12 hours of instruction. This concentrated schedule allows rapid skill acquisition through repeated practice.