I attended my first hip hop class last night at the same studio where sis and I are taking adult beginner ballet. Actually, I attended two classes. The first class was for super-beginners, the second for regular beginners. I didn’t know what my level was so I decided to take both. Teachers are a mercurial breed. Some are strict about the class progression, some are willing to evaluate you based on your class performance. In the end she let me take the more advanced beginner class which was definitely more my pace.
Onto the class itself: simply put, it was slammin’. I was in hip hop heaven. Our teacher, Angelica, was a tough, exacting and strict mistress. She had rules about our performance (“only the best”), shoes (dance sneakers or jazz shoes) and wardrobe (tights under booty shorts). She obviously had previous classical training exoerience because she used the proper terminology to indicate stances (e.g., “parallel second position plié” vs. “stand with your feet apart and bend your knees”). Since this is the start of the semester she at first made us all freestyle across the floor so she could see how we moved. Then she taught us an opening routine that was very simple, but she expected us to execute precisely. No loosey-goosey, no shortcuts.
And the best part? All three of her hip hop classes are going to participate in the school RECITAL! How off the hook is that? I haven’t been in an actual dance performance since…oh, least year. I forgot all about this.
And now, since I’m in a hip hop mood, may I present a hip hop dance sequence from another favorite dance movie, Step Up 2, the final street dance:
