Arts Alive
Hip Hop Dance
Kindergarten – Grade 8
Overview:
All street dances require strength and agility. Students start with the foundation of locking, popping,
catching beats, moving on to floor work and strengthening their energy levels. The foundations of hip-hop
class begin with Hip-hop core warm-ups including running in place, skipping, jumping jacks, and
movement of shoulders independently as well as rib cage isolations and strengthening exercises.
Arts Alive Equipment: Dance spots, boom box
Curriculum Hip-hop
Locking, popping: This technique consist of
contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in
the dancers body. Dancers learn how to do this by
practicing how to isolate certain body parts and
making them pop. Teacher will teach two pop lock
movements and dancers will imitate the
movement. Music is then be added to move with
the rhythm of the music.
CA Standards
CA 1.0 ARTISTIC PERCEPTION
Development of Motor Skills and Technical
Expertise
Grade K-3: 1.1 Show a variety of combinations of
basic locomotors skills (e.g., walk and run, gallop
and jump, hop and skip, slide and roll).
Grade 4-8: 1.2 Incorporate a variety of
force/energy qualities into executing a full range
of movements.
2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSION
Creation/Invention of Dance Movements
Grade K-3: 2.1 Create and improvise movement
patterns and sequences.
Grade 4-8: 2.2 Compare and demonstrate the
difference between imitating movement and
creating original material.
‘Catch the beats’: Dancers must be able to identify 4.0 AESTHETIC VALUING
beats/tempo/rhythm of music. Being able to
Grade K-3: Description, Analysis, and Criticism
identify the beats helps the dancers know which
of Dance
movements to apply. Dancers learn this by first
4.1 Explain basic features that distinguish one
clapping to a song to catch the tempo and identify kind of dance from another (e.g., speed,
whether it is fast or slow. The dancers then move
force/energy use, costume, setting, music).
their bodies accordingly to the fast or slow beats.
Grade 4-8: 4.1 Apply knowledge of the elements
of dance and the craft of choreography to
critiquing (spatial design, variety, contrast, clear
structure).
Floor work: Floor work involves more
1.0 ARTISTIC PERCEPTION
choreography for the feet in small intricate
Comprehension and Analysis of Dance Elements
movement usually strung together to make a
Grade K-3: 1.3 Perform short movement
sequence (heel-toe, glide, moon walk, break
problems, emphasizing the element of time (e.g.,
dance). Dancers learn foot work by incorporating
varied tempos, rhythmic patterns, counting).
what they learned from catching beats and
Grade 4-8: 1.3 Identify and use force/energy
intricate movement. Teacher also breaks each
variations when executing gesture and locomotors
movement down to exact precision. Dancers will
and axial movements.
learn floor work slowly then challenging them by
having them dance to a quicker beat.
Strengthening and energy levels: Hip-hop is a
high energy and high intensity dance style which
is why warm ups are essential to the class.
Dancers work on their cardio to be able to
maintain their energy levels up while dancing.
Dancers also do push-ups, planks and squats (all
level appropriate) to help strengthen their arms,
core and legs. Strengthening is crucial to avoid
any injury when dancing.
Music used includes: (short clips)
Moves like Jagger (Kids Bop version)
Singing in the shower (Becky G)
5.0 CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS,
APPLICATIONS
Connections and Applications Across Disciplines
Grade K-3: 5.1 Give examples of the relationship
between everyday movement in school and dance
movement.
Grade 4-8: 5.2 Describe how dancing builds
physical and emotional well-being (e.g., positive
body imaging, physical goals, creative goals,
focus/concentration).