hip hop dance essay topics

319 Dance Essay Topics & Research Questions on Hip Hop, Ballet, & More

Dancing is a universal form of expression and movement. It has been an integral part of human culture for centuries. From traditional cultural dances to contemporary urban dance styles, this art form transcends language barriers and brings people together.

But dancing is not just about entertainment. It is significant in various aspects of society, from its role in expressing emotions to its impact on mental health.

In this article, our expert team delves into the diverse world of dance. Below, you’ll find interesting dance topics to write about and explore the cultural, social, emotional, and physical dimensions of dance. Read till the end to find a writing guide with examples.

🔝 Top 10 Dance Essay Topics

✏️ dancing essays: writing prompts, 🎓 dance essay titles, 💃🏻 argumentative essay topics about dance, 🕺🏾 hip hop research paper topics, 🔎 dance research paper topics, 📜 dance history research paper topics, 🩰 ballet research topics, ❓ dance research questions, ✍️ dance essay: writing guide, 🔗 references.

• Cultural significance of dance.
• Mental health benefits of dancing.
• Gender roles in dance.
• Dance as nonverbal communication.
• Technological innovations in dance.
• Social impact of dance activism.
• Dance education in schools.
• Emotional expression in dance.
• Dance and cultural identity.
• Politics of dance movements.

Why I Love Dance: Essay Prompt

Are you passionate about dance and want to write about it? Consider including the following points in your essay:

• Explain your deep-rooted passion for dance. Reflect on how dance has influenced your life, shaped your identity, and impacted your personal growth.
• Describe the specific styles or dance genres you are passionate about and explain why they hold a special place in your heart. Share experiences that have strengthened your love for dance, such as memorable performances, challenges , or inspirational moments.
• Discuss how dance has enriched your life and contributed to your overall well-being. Convey your dedication to dance and the importance of this art form in your life.

What Does Dance Mean to You: Essay Prompt

This essay is your chance to reflect on the place of dance in your life. Here are some ideas to include in your paper:

• Express your understanding and connection to dance. Describe what dance means to you on a deeply personal and emotional level. Share your unique perspective on the effects of dance on your life choices and identity.
• Discuss how dance has impacted your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Write about its contribution to your personal growth and development. Describe the emotions and sensations you experience while dancing and how they enrich your life. Discuss any memorable dance experiences, performances, or interactions with fellow dancers that impressed you.
• Depict your passion and appreciation for dance. Articulate the role of dancing in your life. Consider how dance has allowed you to express yourself , connect with others, and navigate life.

Hip Hop Essay Prompt

Are you a fan of hip-hop dance? Then you might enjoy writing an essay about it! Consider the points below to cover in your paper:

• Explore the art and culture of hip-hop. Discuss the origins and evolution of hip-hop dance, including its roots in African, Caribbean, and African-American dance traditions. Study the key elements of hip-hop dance, including its unique style, movement vocabulary, and musicality.
• Discuss the impact of hip-hop dance on popular culture , including its influence on music videos, films, fashion, and the entertainment industry. Analyze the social and cultural significance of hip-hop dance, including its role as a form of self-expression, community-building, and activism . Discuss the diversity and inclusion within hip-hop dance, including its ability to bring people of different backgrounds together.
• Describe any personal experiences or connections with hip-hop dance , and discuss how it has influenced your understanding of dance and culture. Convey your appreciation for hip-hop dance’s artistry, creativity, and cultural relevance. Provide insights into this dynamic and influential dance form.

Why Dance Is a Sport: Essay Prompt

There’s been a long-lasting debate about whether dance should be considered an art or a sport. You can present your opinion on this issue in your essay. Here is a prompt to guide you:

• Study the arguments on both sides of the debate and articulate your stance. Discuss the physical demands of dance, including athleticism, strength, and endurance. Compare them to the criteria used to define sports.
• Explore the competitive nature of dance , including competitions, rankings, and performance expectations . Discuss the training, dedication, and discipline required for dance and compare them to other recognized sports.
• Examine the artistic and creative elements of dance and how they may differentiate dance from traditional sports. Discuss any challenges or controversies surrounding the classification of dance as a sport. It might be the lack of standardized rules, funding, and recognition.
• Consider the cultural, historical, and societal factors influencing perceptions of dance as a sport. Present your argument supported by evidence and examples. Provide a nuanced perspective on this complex and debated topic.

Below, you’ll find plenty of ideas for a college essay about dance. Read on to find a suitable topic for your paper!

Modern Dance Essay: Topics

Modern dance significantly differs from traditional dance forms like ballet. Nowadays, dancers prioritize emotional expression instead of following rigid rules. Here are some interesting dance titles & ideas for your essay on modern styles:

• The diversity of contemporary dance styles.
• Psychological determinants of choosing a particular dance style.
• Creative Movement and Dance in My School.
• Sociopolitical concerns through the prism of dance.
• Modern dance as a form of protest against classical dance.
• Modern Black dance: race in motion.
• Significant people who contributed to the modernization of dance.
• Features of post-modern dance.
• Art Therapy: Creativity as a Critical Part of Art Therapy.
• The new American dance forms.
• Modern dance in the US vs. Europe: differences and similarities.
• Injuries in modern dance: career options for dancers.
• The concepts of modernity, race, and nation in the early modern dance forms.
• Oxygen uptake during a modern dance class.
• Physical Therapy Services for Sports Injuries.
• Socio-demographic correlates of modern dance genre preferences.
• Indian modern dance and feminism.
• Self-expression in modern dance.
• National and transnational modern dance.
• Principles of modern dance therapy.
• Regular engagement in modern dance and depression treatment.
• Modern dance pioneers who revolutionized this art: a case of Lester Horton.
• Incorporating Physical Activity into Lesson Plans.
• Mood changes of people attending dance classes.
• Modern dance classes: can one learn to dance online?
• Evolving gay stereotypes in modern dance.
• Dance as a reflection of culture.
• Depression and Physical Exercise.
• German modern dance during the Nazi rule.
• Body image and modern dance engagement.
• Eating disorders in professional modern dancers.
• Significant elements of modern dance.
• Dance as a hobby and professional activity.
• Art Education, Its Role and Benefits.
• Examples of popular modern dance styles.
• Controversial dance practices.
• Is folk dance considered modern dance?
• Does modern dance come with serious choreography similar to classical dance?
• Class and ethnicity reflected in dance.
• Physical Activity and Sports Team Participation.
• Modern dance in France.
• The transformative power of flamenco dancing.

Dance Critique Essay: Topics

A dance critique essay requires you to evaluate carefully a particular dance performance or a specific aspect of this art form. Check out some dance titles for an essay to inspire your critical response :

• Degradation of dance quality in the 21st century.
• Passion versus physical characteristics in dance performance.
• Racism and gender discrimination at the dance competitions.
• Gender inequality in professional dance.
• Subway dance – a subculture or simply a weird place for practice?
• Dancing and Its Effects on Self-Esteem .
• How did industrialization contribute to the departure from classical dance?
• The rise of burlesque as a rebellion against ballet.
• The Role of Music and Movement in Education.
• The ideology and importance of radical dance.
• The Wigman technique of dance.
• José Limón’s contribution to contemporary dance.
• The place and influence of the American Dance Festival in modern American dance traditions.
• Art, Music, and Dance in Therapeutic Treatment .
• Combination of choreography and multimedia in Alwin Nikolais’s works.
• The flaws and loopholes of early modern dance.
• Popularization of African American dance across the world.
• Ballet elements in contemporary dance.
• The Importance of Arts in the School Curriculum .
• The contribution of Grete Wiesenthal to modern dance development.
• What place does concert dance occupy in the dance typology?
• Place of women in dance – now and then.
• Differences between modern and contemporary dance styles.
• Pole dance’s potential for inclusion in the Olympic Games list.

Dance Reflection Essay: Topic Ideas

Are you looking for thought-provoking dance topics to talk about in a reflection paper ? Check out the list below:

• What features and character traits should a good dance teacher possess?
• What does it mean to be a dance revolutionary?
• What did modern dance pioneers do to create new dance types?
• Should professional dance be taught in college?
• Sports Psychologist: Working With Athletes.
• The national dance of my country.
• My first experience in a dance class.
• My music preferences for dancing.
• Dances with Wolves Essay – Movie Analysis .
• Dancing as a personal form of relaxation and meditation.
• Why do some people prefer dancing alone at home and others need an audience?
• My favorite movie about dancing.
• Ballet as my passion and my greatest disappointment.
• My opinion of dancing as a profession.
• Music in the Service of Social Movements.
• Importance of dancing in my culture.
• What I think makes a good and bad dancer.
• My experience of participating in a dance contest.
• The role of dance in my family.
• My fascination with Indian dance.
• My dream is to become a hip-hop dancer.
• Benefits I see in regular dancing.
• The pros and cons of professional engagement in dance.

There are some controversial issues related to dance you can explore in your paper. Below, you’ll discover a list of dance topics to express your reasoned opinion about.

• Dance can be a tool for social change .
• How can culture be reflected through dance?
• Should College Athletes Be Paid?
• The impact of the environment on dance perception.
• The importance of dance styles and types for specific cultures.
• Dance as an intangible cultural heritage.
• Is dance a kind of sport?
• Sports-Related Problems and Conflicts .
• Why do people start to dance?
• Why is the audience attracted to dance performances?
• What is the motivation behind starting to dance at an early age?
• Why is contemporary dance more popular than classical dance today?
• The Cognitive Performance and Physical Activity Link.
• Are modern dance styles, like hip hop, easier than ballet dancing?
• Dance training is highly traumatic and shouldn’t be practiced at an early age.
• The risk of trauma and permanent injury among professional ballet dancers.
• Street dance is not serious dance.
• Exercise – The Mind and Body Connection.
• The impact of motivation and self-confidence on dance performance.
• Dancing positively affects the physical and cognitive health of aging adults.
• Dance is a tool against aging .
• Different dance styles and genres require different physical endurance and energy expenditure.
• Music Incorporation into Classes.
• Importance of choosing your dance style according to your BMI and bodily peculiarities.
• Partner dancing is healthier for motor control and coordination than solo dancing.
• Benefits of ballroom dancing.
• The economic effect of dance development.
• What is the hardest dance style?
• Cultural Appropriation in Music .
• Ghost dance as a religious movement.
• Electronic dance as a new subculture.
• Techniques of dancing to jazz music.
• Flamenco dance as a reflection of Spanish passion.
• Students’ Motivation and Satisfaction of Music Festival .
• Cultural significance of feminist dance films.
• The impact of proper nutrition on dance performance.
• The art of staging a dance performance.
• The social significance of street dance.
• Creative Art Therapy for Mental Illness.
• What does dance have to do with math?
• Belly dance as a recreational activity.
• Interpretative dance as a strong therapeutic tool.
• The use of dance therapy for individuals with Down syndrome.

Hip-hop dance is a popular street dance style that emerged in the second half of the 20th century. It encourages freedom of expression and is characterized by freestyle movements, particularly drops to the ground and sharp turns. If you seek to write a paper on hip-hop, here are catchy dance titles to inspire you:

• The role of dance in hip-hop culture.
• Chinese Hip Hop and Identity .
• Hip-hop dance and body power.
• Hip-hop as an African diaspora dance style.
• Meanings and messages in hip-hop dance.
• Genders, Sexuality, and Hip-Hop .
• Origins of hip-hop.
• Injury incidence in hip-hop training and performance.
• Commercialization of hip-hop dance.
• Core elements of hip-hop dancing.
• The Uprising of Hip-Hop: Music History .
• Hip-hop dance in modern ballet choreography.
• Low back pain in hip-hop dancers.
• B-boying in hip-hop.
• Motivations of hip-hop dancers for professional engagement with this dance style.
• The “breaks” concept in break dancing.
• The Evolution of Hip-Hop Culture .
• The roots of hip-hop choreography.
• Battling among hip-hop crews.
• Hip-hop scandals – sex and violence in hip-hop content.
• Theorizing hip-hop dance.
• Hip-Hop’s Response to Crime Analysis .
• Hip-hop dance consumption: who is the target audience?
• Globalization and hip-hop dancing.
• Principles of hip-hop dance codification.
• Hip-hop as a black social dance.
• Metaphors in hip-hop dance moves.
• Black feminism in hip-hop dance.
• Concepts of Elite Culture and Popular Culture .
• US Ebonics as the language of American hip-hop choreography.
• Extreme kinematics in hip-hop performances.
• What injuries are the most common among hip-hop dancers?
• Can hip-hop be a professional career?
• Basic rhythmic movements of hip-hop dance.
• Hip-hop practice’s impact on the dancer’s mood.
• Body poetics in hip-hop performances.
• Standards for judging hip-hop contests.
• Cultural Movement: Hip-Hop Related Films.
• Le hip hop – a French hip-hop subculture.
• The hip-hop culture in New York.
• Perceptions of race in the hip-hop community: white vs. black dancers.
• Hip-hop theater in London: a new level of dance style’s legitimization.

Do you want to learn more about dance? Then why not write a research paper on that? Below, you’ll discover a list of engaging dance topics to research.

• Novel approaches to dance: a blend with architecture at the Barnes Foundation’s exhibition.
• Dance from an anthropological perspective .
• Politics and poetics in dance.
• The biology of dance movements’ language.
• Teaching dance: should it be art or sport?
• Dance ethnology.
• Women in dance since antiquity : the images of sylphs and sirens.
• Philosophy of the dance: universal or nationally bound?
• What is a dance movement?
• Dancing and the brain.
• Psychology of dance.
• Dance as a mighty psychotherapeutic tool.
• Should national dance be included in the school curriculum?
• Living through psychological trauma in dance.
• The role of dance improvisations.
• Reform and revival of old dance styles.
• The role of space and subjectivity in dance.
• Shakespeare and the dance tradition of England.
• The social anthropology of dance performances.
• Theories and methodologies in dance research.
• A Eurocentric approach to the study of dance.
• Dance and the body.
• Dance as a method of self-study.
• Computer technology and dance.
• The evolution of Irish dance.
• The contribution of Merce Cunningham to modern dance.
• How does dance stimulate social fantasy?
• Partner dancing as a way to strengthen relationships in a couple.
• Verbal language of dancers and choreographers.
• The political side of national dancing.
• Dance and physics.
• The mind-body concept in dance.
• What can be regarded as contemporary dance?
• Dance imagery in various dance styles.
• What makes people dance? The philosophy of bodily movement.
• Dancing out one’s emotions: the dance of anger or happiness.
• The neural basis of human dance movements.
• Isadora Duncan’s revolutionary dance theory.
• The challenges of the interactive dance genre.
• Dance from the position of existential phenomenology.
• Dualism and body-soul separation: a dance perspective.
• Dance and embodiment.
• Dance and self: a philosophical perspective.
• Body as object vs. subject in dance.
• Freedom and intention in body movements during dance.
• Staged dance: the concept of created body.
• A tension between the personal and the universal in dance.
• Health benefits of recreational and professional dance.
• Japanese dance as an embodiment of culture.
• Turning body and identity into dance choreography.

The history of dance dates back millennia. So, there is so much to explore! Check out possible dance research project ideas for your history paper:

• Approaches to rethinking dance history.
• The elements of early European modern dance.
• Feminist perspectives on dance history.
• Dance at the dawn of history.
• History of somatic education and its relationship to dance.
• History of classic theatrical dancing.
• New media use in dance history reconstructions.
• The evolution of dance and sexuality relationship.
• Tools for capturing dance from the past.
• Dances in prehistory.
• Early records of dance performances in historical manuscripts.
• Ancient Greek dance traditions and forms.
• Dancing in Ancient Rome.
• Dance at court: the 16th-17th centuries in Europe.
• Evolution of dance from royal court to theater in the 18th century.
• The early dancing traditions in the 17th-century US.
• Dancing genres in Medieval Europe.
• The history of waltz: origin, evolution of dance elements, and traditions.
• How did the tango dance emerge?
• The emergence of belly dance.
• Flamenco dance history: a style born in Andalusia.
• Historical perspectives on dance research.
• The Ojibwa dance drum: history of the practice.
• Yoeme performs as a narrative of Yaqui history.
• The evolution of African American dance.
• The African roots of Latin American popular dance.
• Ethnographic elements of modern dance performances.
• The dance halls of Britain, 1918-1960.
• A historical overview of social dance.
• Global history of dance development.
• Dance in the French baroque opera.
• The history and meaning of tango dancing in Argentina.
• What materials to use when studying dance history?
• A cultural history of dance in the troubled areas: a case study of Palestine.
• The hidden history of capoeira: intersections of battle craft and dance.

Ballet is a highly formalized dance form with rigid rules and predefined positions. If you’re interested in this classical type of choreography, check out the dance research topics below:

• Is free dance a subtype of ballet?
• The evolution of ballet traditions by Isadora Duncan.
• Russo-American ballet at the start of the 20th century.
• Emerging American ballet: the 1930s onwards.
• Romantic and classical ballet traditions in the 19th century.
• Classical ballet in Russia.
• Classical ballet vs. modern dance: key similarities.
• Injuries in professional ballet.
• Static and functional balance in ballet dance.
• Ballet as a form of ethnic dance.
• The impact of ballet dance attire on female dancers’ self-perception.
• Endurance of pain among ballet dancers.
• The concept of the ideal ballet body.
• Methods of preventing hip and knee injuries in professional ballet.
• Physiological eligibility characteristics for classical ballet.
• Evolution of ballet dancer identity in the process of training.
• Incidence of sprained ankles in ballet dancers.
• Physiological responses to active ballet exercise among dancers of different ages.
• Importance of artistic performance ability in ballet dancers.
• Disordered eating patterns among ballet dancers.
• Management of stress fractures in ballet dancers.
• Ballet dancer career: an international perspective.
• Incidence of scoliosis in young ballet dancers.
• Travesty dancing in the 19th-century ballet tradition.
• Gender issues in ballet.
• The cultural power of ballet.
• Degenerative joint disease risks among female ballet trainees.
• Hip arthrosis as a long-term consequence of ballet training.
• History of the “Apollo’s Angels” ballet.
• Sleep quality in professional ballet dancers.
• Heteromasculinity images among male ballet dancers.
• Postural stability before and after a ballet injury.
• Dance classicism as an ideology.
• Royal Ballet’s dancers and body perception.
• How do professional ballet dancers perceive injury and aging?

Are you looking for research topics about dance in the form of questions? We’ve got you covered! Look through the list below to find good dance topics to research:

• How does dance education foster creativity in children?
• How do feminists view belly dance?
• What is the impact of technology on dance performances?
• How to preserve indigenous peoples’ traditional dance forms?
• How have traditional gender roles been challenged through dance?
• What creative strategies do choreographers employ?
• What is the impact of dance on community building?
• What factors contribute to the commercialization of dance?
• How does dance function as a means of storytelling?
• What is the link between dance and spirituality in different religions?
• What is the role of costumes and stage design in dance performances?
• What are the cognitive benefits of dance for older adults?
• How has ballet adapted to modern artistic movements?
• How has globalization affected the cross-cultural exchange of dance styles?
• What dance styles have been influenced by flamenco?

Do you need help writing an essay on dance? Below, we’ve prepared a short guide with examples. Read on to learn how to write each section of your dance essay.

Dance Essay Introduction

The introduction is the opening paragraph of an essay that should engage the readers. Use a hook to grab the readers’ interest and introduce your topic. It can be a catchy quote, interesting question, or controversial statement.

Hook example : Imagine a world where bodies move in perfect harmony, telling stories without words. That’s the magic of dance, an art form that transcends language and culture, captivating audiences for centuries.

After that, you can provide some background information about the subject. End your introduction with a thesis statement .

Thesis Statement about Dance

The thesis statement outlines the central argument or purpose of the essay. It is the last sentence of your introduction, summarizing the whole paper. Your thesis should include all the main points mentioned in your writing in the same sequence.

Dance thesis example : Dance is not only a form of artistic expression but also a means of communication, a tool for personal growth, and a reflection of cultural identity.

Essay about Dance: Body Paragraphs

The essay’s body contains paragraphs that provide evidence and support for the thesis statement. Each section should begin with a topic sentence that presents a point related to your central argument.

Topic sentence example : One significant aspect of dance is its ability to convey emotions and stories through movement.

Evidence, such as examples, facts, or research, should support the topic sentence. The evidence should be analyzed and explained to show how it supports the thesis statement.

Evidence example : In classical ballet, dancers’ graceful movements and facial expressions can portray a wide range of emotions, from love and joy to sorrow and anger.

Dancing Essay: Conclusion

The conclusion is the final part that summarizes the main points made in the essay’s body. It should also restate the thesis statement in a paraphrased form without introducing new information. The conclusion should leave a lasting impression and a sense of closure.

Conclusion example : In conclusion, dance is a powerful form of expression beyond mere movement. It is a universal language conveying emotions, facilitating personal growth, and reflecting cultural identity.

How to Describe Dancing: Words & Tips

When describing dancing in an essay, use vivid and sensory language to convey the experience. Words such as “graceful,” “rhythmic,” “expressive,” and “dynamic” can capture the movement and style of dancing.

Emotive words like “joy,” “passion,” “energy,” and “freedom” can convey the emotional impact of dancing. Describing the physical sensations of dancing can make the description more immersive. You can write about the feeling of one’s body in motion, the sound of feet tapping, the swish of skirts, or the rush of adrenaline.

Metaphors or similes, such as “floating like a butterfly,” can add depth and creativity. Overall, using vivid language that engages the senses and emotions will benefit your paper.

We hope you found a perfect essay topic in this article. Use our free online title generator to get even more creative topics about dance and writing inspiration.

• Dance 260: Introduction to Dance: Dance Topics | BYU Library
• Dance: Topics in Dance and Dance History | Utah Tech University Library
• Research Areas | UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts
• Dance | PBS Learning Media
• Dancing Styles | Boston University
• Dance 260: Introduction to Dance: Research Help | BYU Library
• Writing a Dance Critique | Utah Tech University Library
• Glossary for Dance | Connecticut’s Official State Website
• Guidelines For Writing a Dance Review | Human Kinetics

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127 Hip Hop Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Hip hop is a genre of music that has been around for decades and continues to be a major influence in the music industry. From its roots in the Bronx in the 1970s to its global reach today, hip hop has evolved and diversified, with artists exploring a wide range of topics in their music. If you're looking for inspiration for an essay on hip hop, here are 127 topic ideas and examples to get you started:

• The history of hip hop
• The evolution of hip hop culture
• The impact of hip hop on mainstream culture
• The role of women in hip hop
• The influence of hip hop on fashion
• Hip hop's influence on language and slang
• The intersection of hip hop and politics
• Hip hop as a form of protest music
• The commercialization of hip hop
• The role of social media in hip hop
• The rise of trap music in hip hop
• The influence of hip hop on other genres of music
• Hip hop's impact on race relations
• The role of technology in hip hop production
• Hip hop's influence on dance culture
• The globalization of hip hop
• The representation of violence in hip hop lyrics
• The portrayal of women in hip hop music videos
• The role of storytelling in hip hop lyrics
• The impact of hip hop on mental health awareness
• The role of sampling in hip hop production
• The influence of hip hop on fashion trends
• The representation of LGBTQ+ individuals in hip hop
• The role of education in hip hop culture
• The portrayal of drug use in hip hop lyrics
• The influence of hip hop on political activism
• Hip hop's influence on youth culture
• The portrayal of police brutality in hip hop music
• The role of spirituality in hip hop lyrics
• Hip hop's influence on the prison industrial complex
• The representation of wealth and materialism in hip hop
• The role of drug culture in hip hop lyrics
• The influence of gang culture on hip hop
• The portrayal of mental health issues in hip hop lyrics
• The role of misogyny in hip hop lyrics
• The influence of social media on hip hop beefs
• The representation of police violence in hip hop music videos
• The impact of hip hop on fashion brands
• The role of activism in hip hop culture
• The influence of hip hop on political movements
• The portrayal of sexism in hip hop lyrics
• The role of spirituality in hip hop culture
• The influence of hip hop on street art
• The representation of mental health issues in hip hop music videos
• The impact of hip hop on mental health advocacy
• The influence of hip hop on social justice movements
• The portrayal of racism in hip hop lyrics
• The role of education in hip hop lyrics
• The impact of hip hop on the criminal justice system
• The representation of police brutality in hip hop music videos
• The role of drug culture in hip hop culture
• The influence of hip hop on fashion designers
• The portrayal of mental illness in hip hop lyrics
• The impact of hip hop on LGBTQ+ rights
• The role of spirituality in hip hop music videos
• The influence of hip hop on political campaigns
• The representation of police violence in hip hop lyrics
• The role of education in hip hop music videos
• The impact of hip hop on mental health stigma
• The portrayal of sexism in hip hop music videos
• The role of spirituality in hip hop fashion
• The influence of hip hop on social media influencers
• The representation of police brutality in hip hop culture
• The impact of hip hop on mental health resources
• The role of education in hip hop fashion
• The influence of hip hop on black-owned businesses
• The portrayal of mental illness in hip hop music videos
• The impact of hip hop on LGBTQ+ representation
• The role of spirituality in hip hop activism
• The influence of hip hop on political discourse
• The representation of police violence in hip hop fashion
• The impact of hip hop on mental health awareness campaigns
• The role of education in hip hop activism
• The influence of hip hop on social justice organizations
• The portrayal of sexism in hip hop fashion
• The role of spirituality in hip hop political movements
• The influence of hip hop on mental health advocacy organizations
• The representation of police brutality in hip hop activism
• The impact of hip hop on LGBTQ

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Essays on Hip Hop Dance

3 samples on this topic

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Hip Hop Dancing: The Remarkable Black Beat Research Paper

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
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• As a template for you assignment

Characteristics of Hip hop music

Types of hip hop dancing, works cited.

Hip hop dance is a term used in reference to a choreographed dance and social styles mainly danced in response to hip-hop music. Alternatively, it is also used in reference to a genre of music that has over the years evolved to constitute the hip-hop culture. Accordingly, hip hop dance entails diverse styles mainly locking, breaking, and popping. These dancing styles emerged and gained prominence during the 1970s (Freeman para. 5) and were affiliated with Latino Americans and Blacks.

By and large, hip hop culture has been associated by many to a low urban class status which have been linked with numerous vices in the community at large. Nevertheless, this music genre has been extraordinarily a source of solace to those who embrace and practice it. From my perspective the negative attitude directed towards this conspicuous culture is an attribute of shallow knowledge about this wide spread culture.

Thus this paper seeks to explore this culture with emphasize on the hip hop dancing. Whereas hip hop has gained popularity over the years since its inceptions, on the other hand, an increasingly larger number of critics have sought to voice their concern on how this genre of music has thus far been too commodified.

Hip hop stemmed from an urban community of the south Bronx suburb in the city of New York and spread all across the globe. Financial constrains could not deter the spirit and creativity of the black communities residing in the ghettos. These black neighborhoods would regularly hold block parties, and dancers would take to the available space to dance to their favorite funk beat.

Sooner than later, these block parties transformed into groups contest in which individual dancers would form alliance amongst themselves, for instance the famous Dynamite Rockers and the Zulu Kings, and began to battle one another with their imaginative vertical moves denoted up-rocking and down-rocking.

These moves entailed dropping to the base of the dancing floor and intertwine their feet against their hand. Simultaneously, dancers in California state begun ‘locking’ and ‘pocking’ the Electric Boogaloos on Soul Train [TV show] emulating their jerky robotic moves. Noteworthy, this TV show greatly influenced the then young Michael Jackson, King of pop (Freeman para. 3).

Subsequently, further acrobatic moves were innovated by groups of dancers such as the famous Crazy Legs. These acrobatic muscle moves include; the suicide, the turtle, wind mill and flares, headspins as well as backspins. The suicide move signifies flipping to fall flat back first, whereas the turtle represented spinning horizontally with the trunk aligned to the floor (Freeman para. 4).

Hip hop refers to a cultural society within which music, graffiti and break dancing, is a constituent. Hip hop music is basically composed of two segments; rapping and DJing. Rapping refers to the presentation of rapid, highly musical and lyrical verbal. Djing on the other hand refers to the composition of instrumentation via beatboxing, turntablism, instrumentation (arrangement of musical instruments), or sampling.

From the 1970s, when hip hop made its impact, it has since greatly impacted on the social aspects of the society, and more so in as far as the youths are concerned. Probably the reason why hip hop music is so appealing to the youth is because it reflects on the economic, political as well as the social realities that are often faced by the disenfranchised youth every day.

Hip hop beats are often in 4/4 time pattern. From its rhythmic foundation, hip hop moves are based on an anticipated sense more or less close to the stress associated with jazz beat, as opposed to a straight 4/4 count associated with rock and roll, pop music to name but a few. With similarity to the triplet swing stress associated with jazz beat, hip hop rhythms stand out powerful; since it’s seldom written down the way it sounds and is commonly played in about near delay or laid back manner (Global Oneness para. 2).

The above 4/4 time pattern was developed majorly in funk and soul music. This pattern involves repetition of thematic and beats music all through the duration of a track. The 4/4 pattern was initially developed and practiced all through the 1960s and 1970s by Brown, J who was famously acknowledge the godfather of soul.

His music presentation was characterized by synchronized talking, singing and screaming in manner similar to what the contemporary MCs do. Hip hop music essentially favors purpose for the MC because it emphasizes the significance of delivery and lyrical prowess (Global Oneness para. 2).

On the other hand, instrumental hip hop does not align to the above rhythm structure. Instead, it allows producers as well as DJs the liberty to experiment with designing instrumental patterns. Moreover, the DJs and producers of this subgenre can integrate segments of rap vocals although they are not influenced by the expectations for an MC (Global Oneness para. 4).

Hip hop music instrumentation is derived from other music genre such as, R & B, funk and disco, in regard of utility including the records models and sound system, as well as session musicians alongside their set of instruments (Global Oneness para. 2).

The invention of drum machine facilitated the development of partially original piece of work by hip hop artist, in converse with the original hip hop music that had entirely the DJ’s breakbeats and disc records samples constituent. A drum set sound facilitated the use of vinyl records beside their capacity to be played on their own.

Because the drum beats was the most danceable segment of the hip hop music, the hip hop musicians increased their focus on the quality of drum beat sequence. This lead to the improvement on drum machines to produce a powerful kick beat with an intense background bass sound (Encyclopedia II, par 6).

Another break through in the hip hop music followed the invention of a digital sampler. A sampler facilitated digital recording of piece of music and storage of small sound segments from whatever output machine including the turntable. This allowed producers to sample pianos, guitars, upright bases and horns which they could play parallel to their drums (Global Oneness para. 7).

The unique significance of the coarse, choppy beat of hip hop has continued to elude the appreciation of many people. Hip hop music rarely share a feature with the rest of music genre. In fact every hip hop band beat show a remarkable distinction from the beats of other hip hop bands since they use diverse samples in conjunction with the course, choppy texture of devices to design their own sound which correspond with their album.

During their live performance they usually replicate this beat with the entire band(Global Oneness para. 8). Like any other characteristics of a community, hip hop music has its share of misguided perception about its consistency. One prominent misconception shared across all walks of life is the belief that drum machines are used in hip hop music bands as a passive relief to a valid band. Furthermore, hip hop music producers have developed obsession for the frequency, texture and timbre of particular samples and drum machine beat.

This conviction is supported by the extent of inequity between a music session drummer presenting a break of the James Brown Funky Drummer, and the sample actual break from the original music data. Nevertheless, efforts to circumvent such inadequacy have been made in the recent years through inclination for original instrumental masterpiece in hip hop music by some popular producers and artist including The Neptune, The roots , OutKast and Timbaland(Global Oneness para. 2).

Hip hop dancing techniques are numerous and depend on the location of the dancer on the dance-floor. The most common hip hop moves include Popping and Floorwork. Popping is a subgenre of hip hop associated with breakdancing which involves faltering seclusion of the joints in robotic rhythms.

Floorworks on the other hand, concerns more choreographic motions of the feet; often in short sequences that can be aggregated into typical hip hop dance incorporation. Further, samples of hip hop dancing motions include, glide, heel toe, harlem shake, crip walk, moonwalk, sponge bob and soulja boy (Miller para 7).

There are two most common hip hop dancing styles including break-dancing and snake-hips. To begin with, break-dancing also know as B-boying, begun to develop in south Bronx parallel to other aspects hip hop culture. B-boying was initiated by dancer groups who attended DJ Kool Herc’s block party. Such dancing teams had the habit of saving their best moves for the break segment of the music. These dancers would thrust themselves far way front of the spectators and give their best shot, through a uniquely, frantic way.

The most famous move called the headspin involves supporting the weight of the entire body on the scalp of head while propelling the body entire body trunk using just the head.

Fresh styles and moves of hip hop dance are continuously being developed. These moves and styles pose an intriguing challenge to the choreographers as well as the dancers across the dance context to the layman. Hip hop dance is continuously undergoing transformation in its street settings, while concurrently spreading its influence across cultural boundaries to reach to the mainstream culture.

This music dance genre commands a wide range of attention from across the various walks of life. Hip hop dancing is taught in social centers, dance studios and have been utilized as featured dance genre on famous TV programs including Dancing with the Stars Tour and So you Think You Can Dance.

Numerous parents and self-chosen critics of cultural morals have condemned hip hop culture as a community vice, which ironically has helped sustained its popularity among diverse cultural settings (Miller, par 8). Thus, it is recommended that every person should gather sufficient knowledge about this culture before making baseless conclusion against it.

Freeman, Santiago . Planet Funk . Dance Sprit Magazine. 2009. Web.

Global Oneness. Hip hop music: Encyclopedia II – Hip hop music – characteristics. 2009. Web.

Miller, Gray. Dance: Hip Hop Dance Moves . Love to know. 2010. Press.

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IvyPanda. (2018, July 23). Hip Hop Dancing: The Remarkable Black Beat. https://ivypanda.com/essays/hip-hop-dancing-the-remarkable-black-beat/

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IvyPanda . 2018. "Hip Hop Dancing: The Remarkable Black Beat." July 23, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/hip-hop-dancing-the-remarkable-black-beat/.

1. IvyPanda . "Hip Hop Dancing: The Remarkable Black Beat." July 23, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/hip-hop-dancing-the-remarkable-black-beat/.

Bibliography

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BRAGGING AS ONE OF THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF HIP-HOP DISCOURSE

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‘We speak of chains and sneakers’

The battle inside russia’s rap scene.

By Kara Fox, CNN With Victoria Butenko, for CNN

MOSCOW — On the eve of Russia’s presidential election, thousands of Muscovites are gyrating in a packed concert hall; hands raised high, heads nodding to the beat.

They’ve come to see hip-hop quartet Kasta, who’ve hit the stage with an explosive set spanning a 20-plus-year catalogue. They drop the 2017 anthem “Skrepy” — a term President Vladimir Putin’s used in a speech about a large safety pin that could hold the nation together. The crowd knows the track well.

“We want bad roads, we want to be oppressed by others We want to live not sensibly, but in debts, just to make an example To our sworn enemies, to give them a slap They build intrigues for everyone, but for us most of all”

Kasta performs "Skrepy" live in Moscow.

The following evening, at a victory rally for Putin in Manezhnaya Square, rapper Timati takes the stage for a one-song appearance before a crowd of 35,000.

He performs a love song, “Road to the Airport,” dedicated to the 8 million young people who voted for the first time. The song’s lyrics — “Is this love or just sex?” — speak to a romantic relationship that might have run its course.

(Top) Around 2,500 Kasta fans packed into the Glavclub Green Concert Hall in Moscow.

Kasta members (from left): Hamil with MC and producer Vladi; Zmey; Shim; Hamil.

In the song’s video, Timati plays a man who leaves one girlfriend for another, giving her a diamond-encrusted ring before the pair drives off to an LA sunset in a white Rolls-Royce.

The two performances illustrate the deepening rift in the genre. Russian rap has always required a certain amount of reading between the lines, but old-school rappers say newer generations of artists are absorbed by flashy lifestyles.

A young concertgoer films the Kasta show on her phone.

Around 2,500 Kasta fans spanning all ages attended the Moscow gig.

In a basement recording studio in central Moscow, Ptaha, real name David Nuriev, is laying down bars about keeping it real.

Ptaha isn’t just an old-school hip-hop puritan lamenting the loss of the golden age of Russian rap — a genre that first found its footing after the Iron Curtain fell in 1991.

He says many of Russia’s newer rappers have forgone an interest in societal issues; they’re either too busy navel-gazing at a superficial reality that’s been packaged to them as Russia 2.0, or they’re afraid to speak out.

And it’s changing Russia’s rap landscape.

“They are so apolitical it gets to the point where they couldn’t care less. They are afraid to say anything in case this might be misinterpreted, misevaluated, misunderstood.”

Ptaha, 36, says he wants his music to bring awareness to problems he sees in society, but he does not support Putin or the opposition.

Although Russian rap emerged nearly a decade after it had taken off in America, it’s since become mainstream, having evolved from its US roots. From mid-2013 to 2017, the number of Russians listening to rap music doubled, with the genre now one of the most popular for under 30-year-olds, according to Russia’s Yandex Music. The big stars sell out stadiums in minutes and rap battles go viral within days.

Some of Russia’s most established rappers such as Kasta, Noize MC or Oxxxymiron have been widely praised for their intricate use of the Russian language — their tongue-twisting lyrics a Rubik’s Cube of euphemisms for listeners to unpack.

Last summer, one hyped battle video between Oxxxymiron and his opponent Slava KPSS accumulated 15 million views in three days, even causing a brief political fracas, with Russia’s main opposition leader Alexei Navalny celebrating the battle on Facebook as "postmodern poetry,” while a ruling-party parliamentarian used derogatory slang equating the rappers to low-class criminals. To date, it’s had 32.5 million views.

But Ptaha says those rappers are an anomaly and that the rap scene is dominated by newcomers who lack depth — their tunes a reflection of a society suffering from collective amnesia about the past.

Stereotypical tropes of cash, money and misogyny sell, but Ptaha says they sidestep the ugly parts of Russian society.

“We speak of chains and sneakers. We don’t talk about major things rap was meant for. We don’t speak about important things, about changes in our lives, which is getting worse while we are silent. At some point you’ll understand that you’ve got sneakers, golden chains and armed people around you, but you’ve simply become a target to be robbed and killed and there’s nothing you can do about it any more.”

“We are losing the components for which we loved rap to begin with,” he says.

Ptaha raps about achieving your goals regardless of what other people think.

In the mid-’90s, Russia’s rap scene mirrored the cultural changes of the post-Soviet era. Pioneering artists like Kasta used the medium to talk freely about a newly opened world, one where free sex, consumerism and partying were topics to explore. But they also rapped about society’s woes — an explosion of easily available drugs, the rise of neo-fascist gangs and an economy in ruins.

Ptaha experienced that turbulent time. As a teenager who fled war in his native Azerbaijan, he suffered homelessness, battled in frequent street wars and witnessed ordered murders go uninvestigated.

“Social moments appealed to me. In (US hip-hop outfit) Public Enemy I liked their fight, their protest. I liked Ice-T’s story.”

“As any child living in Russia, I was not a stranger to the gangster story… We listened to very harsh rap and tried to behave as gangsters.”

Ptaha in his studio.

Ptaha is one of few Russian rappers who’ve straddled two political systems during their lifetimes. Many younger rappers (and their audiences) have grown up in a free-market Russia.

Putin, who has dominated political life in Russia for 18 years, has been largely credited with forging a new national identity out of the ashes of Russia’s messy transition from communism to capitalism.

But along with those perceived gains, press freedoms tightened, LGBTQ rights are nearly non-existent and safeguards for women and minorities have fallen into the shadows. The state dominates the economy, and bureaucracy pervades many aspects of daily life.

Those political shifts have affected rap’s evolution as well.

In 2009, rap got Putin’s official stamp of approval following his appearance on the “Battle for Respect” TV show. After two terms as president, the then-prime minister applauded rappers for bringing societal issues to the forefront, saying that although the street rap was rough, they’d brought a certain “Russian charm” to it.

During Putin's 2012 presidential campaign, rapper Timati filmed a commercial in support of the candidate and was invited to Putin’s post-election party, where the two were photographed holding up a victory sign. Today, Timati is one of Russia’s best-known rappers, with several clothing and production companies.

Other, newer artists, like Ivan Dryomin, 20, who raps under the name Face, have used ultranationalist themes in their work. In the video for his song “I’m Dropping the West,” he rides on a large bear (a well-known Putin trope), humps the Empire State building, raps on a burning American flag and shuffles around the screen clad in Gucci clothing as Capital Hill burns in the background. In a February interview with Dazed magazine, Face said the video was meant to “exaggerate and mock Russian pseudo-patriotism.”

Management for both Timati and Face did not respond to CNN’s requests for interviews.

Andrey Nikitin, editor-in-chief of the Flow, an online publication about music, argues that rap generally hasn’t been a politicized genre in Russia and that rappers have always seized the best opportunity for themselves.

Take Timati, for example: “At certain points supporting Putin has become part of his image. But a couple of years before that, he had a track called ‘Questions’ where he critiqued him.”

“I don’t remember rappers speaking against the war (in Chechnya) or any other timely social issue. They would be just as successful making their statement in their neighbor’s kitchens — but on the other side, it’s the musing of young people who just simply don’t have mature political views.”

But Ivan Smekalin, 31, co-owner of the DiG record shop, says he recalls a time when rap was almost defined by social protest.

A young woman steps into the DiG vinyl shop in Moscow.

Ivan Smekalin sorts through old Russian hip hop albums on display.

Inside his shop in a trendy Moscow neighborhood, Smekalin plays an ‘90s record from Bad Balance, one of Russia’s hip-hop pioneers.

“You listen to the lyrics of these bands — and you can’t understand what they want to say. It’s a Russian poetic tradition — that’s why the lyrics are so difficult sometimes,” he says.

When rap moved to the mainstream in Russia there was a parallel movement to challenge those ideas, Smekalin says, but he doesn’t think it’s happening anymore.

Like Ptaka, Smekalin cites a generational divide.

Young people born into Putin’s Russia know nothing else. Life, compared to their parents’ generation, is far better.

“They just want to have money, spend money and all this consumerism stuff. They just want to have fun. Not only young rappers here but all the young people in their 20s – they just want to hang out and chill.”

DiG’s co-owners Ivan Smekalin (right) and Petr Chinavat.

A Bad Balance album from the '90s.

Those were turbulent times, he says.

“Political fiascos were rife and politics were raw — people could see these problems out in the open more easily. But now, Russian politics is different.”

People can’t see what’s happening because the propaganda has become more streamlined, Smekalin argues.

“You can think that everything is fine here — you don’t see garbage all over the street, there’s lots of cafes and parks. That is why I think lots of young people can’t catch what the government is doing — it’s polished.”

So is some of the rap.

At the Kasta concert, budding photographer Ilya Elin, a full decade younger than Smekalin, describes why the group’s old-school dedication to social lyricism is important to him. It’s shaped his worldview.

While packing up his camera equipment backstage, Elin explains that Kasta’s acerbic lyrics are an antidote to a political system that doesn’t speak to him.

Ilya Elin, 20, backstage at the Kasta concert in Moscow.

A young boy enjoys the gig from above.

Discouraged by the “inevitability” of Putin’s fourth term in office, Elin said he wouldn’t be voting the next day, going instead to photograph another band.

“There are many strange things happening in the country now and in one way or another they are disapproved by people. The best way to show that is through music, because there is very little that can be said through print media.

“Music is the loudspeaker.”

Darya Tarasova contributed to this report.

Production: Tal Yellin, Ivory Sherman and Byron Manley

This story has been updated to correct when Andrei Trofimov's car was set on fire.