This page's purpose is to inform you of the history of new school hip hop and house dancing. This page contains accounts from originators/innovators of these dance styles, but there will also be general background information on how these styles are distinguished. First, some general background information: New School Hip Hop:     New school hip hop is expressed in a number of varying styles, though they all share one trait: having a strong hip hop essence. That itself explains why hip hop dancing (i.e. solo dancing) is a rarity in the mainstream scene. There are routine dancers all over the place, don't get me wrong, but a lot of these dancers have been taught studio "hip-pop," which lacks the street essence. New school hip hop isn't primarily about stage dancing. It's about rawness, soul, and playing with the music in a circle environment. Isn't that what dancing's about in the first place? Hip hop dance is influenced by old school hip hop moves such as the Roger Rabbit, Cabbage Patch, Reebok, etc. Its floor moves are reminiscent of James Brown, with Colt 45s, spins and splits in its broad repertoire. To be more accurate, new school hip hop dance is a direct evolution of those dances and is often mixed with a bit of popping and waving. That is why the majority of hip hop dancers are in their mid-late 20s-they were able to learn the foundation/structure of new school hip hop during its golden era. Even without the old school experience, hip hop dancing is still very possible to learn. Unfortunately, it is rarely taught as a solo dance, thus the meager numbers of this particular type of dancer. Cali, particularly The Bay and LA, is a good place to catch this type of dancer, with both regions having their own distinguishable styles. Still, you'd be hard pressed to find them easily-it is still an underground scene. House:    House dancing was created in the east coast and has been around since the 80s. House dancing is a very touchy subject, mainly because there are a large number of people who claim they're house dancers when they simply are not. It is an established style (like ballet and jazz), therefore there are certain foundation moves one must learn to be a house dancer. Because its popularity never hit the west, the majority of west coast dancers do not know of this dance style. In short, dancing to house music does not automatically make one a house dancer. Like hip hop, house comes with its own essence, better known as rhythmic movement called the "Jack." The style can be described as light-footed, graceful, feminine, and relaxed. The steps are hard to follow to the average audience, and many would describe the dance as a mix of tap and salsa. Floor moves, such as dolphin dives, complement spins and a few tricks and stunts that are common in house dancing. East coast cities, more specifically New York, are good places to see this dance. The scene is nearly non-existent in the west, but hopefully this site can help change that. as interpreted by Jardy of Soul Sector - 2002

Hip Hop dancing history by Buddha Stretch: this is the history of what is deemed today as "FREESTYLE HIPHOP DANCE",as LIVED by me!Freestlyle hiphop dance,came around circa late 84'.As the overexposure of FUNKstylin,& BBOYIN,(commonly refered as BREAKdance by the uninformed) reached it's apex,with the release of the movies,"BREAKIN, BREAKIN2/ELECTRIC BOOGALOO,&BEATSTREET",as well as several commercials,and videos,by the end of that year,the integrity of the culture,was being worn thin.The ROXY roller rink,was the place to be,before,during,& 4 a while,after the apex of bboyin& funkstylin,in NYC.This's where i went,and met most of the dancers that i knew then.@ that time,there were many other "street" dances,like the prep,the fila(in bklyn it was called the Rambo,cuz heads used to yell"GO RAMBO",when they did it),and many more.In the spring of 85',the ROXY closed,(I was workin there as a busboy),and the staff moved 2 a club called INFERNO,on 31st&6ave.That year the Original club LATIN QUARTER,started playin Hiphop on friday's,Freestyle(latino electronica),on Sat.Inferno played Hiphop on friday also,but closed down soon after.It was in 85',that i noticed heads were'nt bboyin,or poppin anymore,except on Saturday's @ the Quarters.Only the aforementioned dances,were rockin on friday's.This went on into 86',when i started goin 2 the ROOFTOP,a roller rink(Notice the irony!),in Harlem.it was there that i saw my first glimpses of CREWS forming,that would @ one time be strictly bboyin,or poppin,doing just the regular street dances,like the James Brown,etc.Later that year,a club called UNION SQUARE opened on 14st.It was @ this club that what we know today as Freestyle hiphop came together.My boy TRON,put together a show,with some bboys,& poppers,2 perform one night.On the night it was supposed to go down,the dancers,seeing all the ROWDY,THUGGISH,crowd @ the club,decided not 2 do it.So TRON,called my boys PETER PAUL,DANILO,(he was lookin 4 me,but i didn't go that night),on stage,and they ROCKED!The next day,Tron called me,(wondering why i didn't come),& told me what went down,and that they wanted US(notice how i thru myself in),2 perform every week.We opened up the show every week,from Sept 86',thru Jan 87',when it closed down,for the likes of BDP,HEAVY D,JAZZY JEFF/WILL SMITH,SALT&PEPA,etc.I was deemed the choreographer,and with the help of MICHELE ANN TRAVIS(R.I.P),who did the promotion 4 the club,& US,and first DJ's RED ALERT,then CLARK KENT,we rocked.This is the beginning's of freestyle hiphop dance,in that i incorporated ALL the dances i knew,or just learned,into our routines.From there,i went on 2 dance 4 the LEGENDARY group WHODINI,in the summer of 87'.Later that year,and early into 88',more dancers joined Rap acts,like Scoob&Scrap,with Big Daddy KANE,and my boy Trini,with SALT&PEPA.Nowhere in this post do i take credit for the invention of anything,just the honor of making this dance style popular,& being it's first choreographer..........peace Back to Homepage

House Dancing history by Brian "Footwork" Green: Peace everyone,   This is Brian "Footwork" Green!! I have just read the reply from "spacecapital", and I have to admit, I even get lost from the history of House music.  But, I can clarify somethings for everyone.  DEFINITELY, there was a definite connection between Chicago and NY in the progression of House and the dance called the JACK!!!  I was one of the creative dancers that followed many dance styles since 1976, when I started TAP and first saw the bboy style in front of my church in HARLEM!!!   Strange enough, I heard from Barbara Tucker that Frankie Knuckles had said that NY was already playing House music and that Chicago had named it.  I can only see this, because I have read "spacecapitals" description of what NY dancers were doing at the time.  The dance that he is describing is, like, the mix of many Hip-hop steps with Jackin, we called that Hip-house in NY.  This was when the Hip-hop dancers started to invade House clubs in NY.    But the difference from these dancers and dancers like myself whose first street 70s street dance was Poppin!! There was a dance that I mentioned before on bboy.com called, The Webo!!  This dance was done to Freestyle music in the early 80s.  This is dance was added into House, bboy, and partly Hip-hop, but yet it stood on its own.  Because the music died out fast, many people just took the steps to whatever the next music was. For me, it was Hip-hop like Super Lover Cee, Big Daddy Kane, etc.... and House in the mid 80s.    I have traveled to Chicago many times in the 80s and went to the Warehouse, and I have to admit, the dance style back then was very similar.  But that was because of the bboy style, which is the style that was in everyone's dance.  House, Hip-hop, and Webo, are the evolution of the east coast's first dance the Top Rock, which is from the bboy style.  The beats definitely change our body venacular, but those who remember the abstractivitiy of the Top Rock, before floor moves were popular in the 80s, then you will see a similarity in all of these dances.   Chicago is definitely a contributor to the House style, but, if you see the evolution of House now, NY is definitely the evolution and the developer.  Though I know I talk like this only for history sake, we have to realize that the most important thing is to respect what we do no matter where it comes from, so that we can finally start getting paid right for it.  Also, so that we can start showing people that not anyone can do it!!!  Dance, just like being a doctor, lawyer, etc., is a talent from GOD, and we all don't have the same talents, because we are all different people.  But, why then does everyone think they can dance??   I have been studying all kinds of dances since I have been 5 years old, and I have seen many steps of the 70s to the millenium in African and Latino dances, and even Tap and Swing era dances like Lindy-hop.  As you study other dances (seriously), you will see it does matter where it really comes from, but most important is that you really learn the creator of the technique of the dance and then try to put it in your personality.  When you learn a technique, the location does matter, but in this case, if you wanted to learn to JACK, you could go to NY or Chicago, the are both the originators. Brian "Footwork" Green

House dancing history as percieved by: Spacecapital Brian "Footwork" Green Hip Hop dancing history: Buddha Stretch

House dancing history as percieved by: Spacecapital Brian "Footwork" Green Hip Hop dancing history: Buddha Stretch

House dancing history by Spacecapital: Well, House music (at least what I know of house) started in Chicago, Illinios, not New York.  New York took disco music to a different direction.  Chicago focused on the Phil. sound and church music.  This is the foundation of House music. The name House came from a old club that frankie Knukles used to dj at called the Warehouse.  This was in the mid '70s to early '80s.  People started stating that the WareHouse was one of the first places that mixed disco music with drum machines.  At first it was all about having a drum machine and blending it in with the disco music.  As years went on they started making House tracks.  Now Jacking, is what we called the dance, the scene, the style.  It was all about Jacking.  If you listen to the earlier tracks from Chicago (I have a lot of them) it was many sounds about Jacking.  'Time to Jack', Jack your Body, 'This is Jack house', 'Jack, Jack Jack your body', Jacking all nigh long', etc.,  It was about Jacking.  It was a dress style and a scene.  It was very big in the '70s and '80s in Chicago.  I even was in a Jacking group, because I did many different dances back then.  It wasn't about staying with one dance, it was about doing them all.  These where the people that were considered the dopest dancers. I do believe that Chicago and New York were connected, but House is what we did, and New York called what they did something else.  In the mid '80s a lot of Chicago DJ's and Dancers moved to New York and London, because these are the Entertainment evironment.  Chicago is not a entertainment city.  Most people had dreams of becoming big in Entertainment.  Their also were many Producers, Djs, and dancers that moved to California because of the entertainment.  House started in Chicago.  Detroit were into House, but they came up with something different.  Their sound evolved to be called Techno.  House started in Chicago and evolved through the Midwest.  Most of the midwest states was into House before other states. Many of New Yorkers used to talk about House Music.  Then once it became the in thing in New York they jumped on the bandwaging.  House took over most of New York city party scene.  House is still big in Chicago, but it a little different now.  Most of the old movements in House was very similar to what Big daddy kane, heavy d, and other New yorker rappers were doing around 1987.  Alot of people didn't know that most of these rappers were rapping over House music tracks from Chicago.  The jungle Brother track ( I can't think of the name) was straight from Chicago.  Big Daddy Kane also rapped over some House music.  Teddy Riley came up with a mixture of House and Hip hop and called it New Jack Swing.  See many people moved to New York and California because of the entertainment. It very hard to get into the music of entertainment in Chicago.  Chicago is not a entertainment city.  Anyway this is all can think of now.  I have talked too many people who used to make house music.  I'm thinking about interviewing them because I was a part of this scene.  SpaceCapital

House Dancing history by Brian "Footwork" Green: Peace everyone,   This is Brian "Footwork" Green!! I have just read the reply from "spacecapital", and I have to admit, I even get lost from the history of House music.  But, I can clarify somethings for everyone.  DEFINITELY, there was a definite connection between Chicago and NY in the progression of House and the dance called the JACK!!!  I was one of the creative dancers that followed many dance styles since 1976, when I started TAP and first saw the bboy style in front of my church in HARLEM!!!   Strange enough, I heard from Barbara Tucker that Frankie Knuckles had said that NY was already playing House music and that Chicago had named it.  I can only see this, because I have read "spacecapitals" description of what NY dancers were doing at the time.  The dance that he is describing is, like, the mix of many Hip-hop steps with Jackin, we called that Hip-house in NY.  This was when the Hip-hop dancers started to invade House clubs in NY.    But the difference from these dancers and dancers like myself whose first street 70s street dance was Poppin!! There was a dance that I mentioned before on bboy.com called, The Webo!!  This dance was done to Freestyle music in the early 80s.  This is dance was added into House, bboy, and partly Hip-hop, but yet it stood on its own.  Because the music died out fast, many people just took the steps to whatever the next music was. For me, it was Hip-hop like Super Lover Cee, Big Daddy Kane, etc.... and House in the mid 80s.    I have traveled to Chicago many times in the 80s and went to the Warehouse, and I have to admit, the dance style back then was very similar.  But that was because of the bboy style, which is the style that was in everyone's dance.  House, Hip-hop, and Webo, are the evolution of the east coast's first dance the Top Rock, which is from the bboy style.  The beats definitely change our body venacular, but those who remember the abstractivitiy of the Top Rock, before floor moves were popular in the 80s, then you will see a similarity in all of these dances.   Chicago is definitely a contributor to the House style, but, if you see the evolution of House now, NY is definitely the evolution and the developer.  Though I know I talk like this only for history sake, we have to realize that the most important thing is to respect what we do no matter where it comes from, so that we can finally start getting paid right for it.  Also, so that we can start showing people that not anyone can do it!!!  Dance, just like being a doctor, lawyer, etc., is a talent from GOD, and we all don't have the same talents, because we are all different people.  But, why then does everyone think they can dance??   I have been studying all kinds of dances since I have been 5 years old, and I have seen many steps of the 70s to the millenium in African and Latino dances, and even Tap and Swing era dances like Lindy-hop.  As you study other dances (seriously), you will see it does matter where it really comes from, but most important is that you really learn the creator of the technique of the dance and then try to put it in your personality.  When you learn a technique, the location does matter, but in this case, if you wanted to learn to JACK, you could go to NY or Chicago, the are both the originators. Brian "Footwork" Green

Hip Hop dancing history by Buddha Stretch: this is the history of what is deemed today as "FREESTYLE HIPHOP DANCE",as LIVED by me!Freestlyle hiphop dance,came around circa late 84'.As the overexposure of FUNKstylin,& BBOYIN,(commonly refered as BREAKdance by the uninformed) reached it's apex,with the release of the movies,"BREAKIN, BREAKIN2/ELECTRIC BOOGALOO,&BEATSTREET",as well as several commercials,and videos,by the end of that year,the integrity of the culture,was being worn thin.The ROXY roller rink,was the place to be,before,during,& 4 a while,after the apex of bboyin& funkstylin,in NYC.This's where i went,and met most of the dancers that i knew then.@ that time,there were many other "street" dances,like the prep,the fila(in bklyn it was called the Rambo,cuz heads used to yell"GO RAMBO",when they did it),and many more.In the spring of 85',the ROXY closed,(I was workin there as a busboy),and the staff moved 2 a club called INFERNO,on 31st&6ave.That year the Original club LATIN QUARTER,started playin Hiphop on friday's,Freestyle(latino electronica),on Sat.Inferno played Hiphop on friday also,but closed down soon after.It was in 85',that i noticed heads were'nt bboyin,or poppin anymore,except on Saturday's @ the Quarters.Only the aforementioned dances,were rockin on friday's.This went on into 86',when i started goin 2 the ROOFTOP,a roller rink(Notice the irony!),in Harlem.it was there that i saw my first glimpses of CREWS forming,that would @ one time be strictly bboyin,or poppin,doing just the regular street dances,like the James Brown,etc.Later that year,a club called UNION SQUARE opened on 14st.It was @ this club that what we know today as Freestyle hiphop came together.My boy TRON,put together a show,with some bboys,& poppers,2 perform one night.On the night it was supposed to go down,the dancers,seeing all the ROWDY,THUGGISH,crowd @ the club,decided not 2 do it.So TRON,called my boys PETER PAUL,DANILO,(he was lookin 4 me,but i didn't go that night),on stage,and they ROCKED!The next day,Tron called me,(wondering why i didn't come),& told me what went down,and that they wanted US(notice how i thru myself in),2 perform every week.We opened up the show every week,from Sept 86',thru Jan 87',when it closed down,for the likes of BDP,HEAVY D,JAZZY JEFF/WILL SMITH,SALT&PEPA,etc.I was deemed the choreographer,and with the help of MICHELE ANN TRAVIS(R.I.P),who did the promotion 4 the club,& US,and first DJ's RED ALERT,then CLARK KENT,we rocked.This is the beginning's of freestyle hiphop dance,in that i incorporated ALL the dances i knew,or just learned,into our routines.From there,i went on 2 dance 4 the LEGENDARY group WHODINI,in the summer of 87'.Later that year,and early into 88',more dancers joined Rap acts,like Scoob&Scrap,with Big Daddy KANE,and my boy Trini,with SALT&PEPA.Nowhere in this post do i take credit for the invention of anything,just the honor of making this dance style popular,& being it's first choreographer..........peace Back to Homepage

This page's purpose is to inform you of the history of new school hip hop and house dancing. This page contains accounts from originators/innovators of these dance styles, but there will also be general background information on how these styles are distinguished. First, some general background information: New School Hip Hop:     New school hip hop is expressed in a number of varying styles, though they all share one trait: having a strong hip hop essence. That itself explains why hip hop dancing (i.e. solo dancing) is a rarity in the mainstream scene. There are routine dancers all over the place, don't get me wrong, but a lot of these dancers have been taught studio "hip-pop," which lacks the street essence. New school hip hop isn't primarily about stage dancing. It's about rawness, soul, and playing with the music in a circle environment. Isn't that what dancing's about in the first place? Hip hop dance is influenced by old school hip hop moves such as the Roger Rabbit, Cabbage Patch, Reebok, etc. Its floor moves are reminiscent of James Brown, with Colt 45s, spins and splits in its broad repertoire. To be more accurate, new school hip hop dance is a direct evolution of those dances and is often mixed with a bit of popping and waving. That is why the majority of hip hop dancers are in their mid-late 20s-they were able to learn the foundation/structure of new school hip hop during its golden era. Even without the old school experience, hip hop dancing is still very possible to learn. Unfortunately, it is rarely taught as a solo dance, thus the meager numbers of this particular type of dancer. Cali, particularly The Bay and LA, is a good place to catch this type of dancer, with both regions having their own distinguishable styles. Still, you'd be hard pressed to find them easily-it is still an underground scene. House:    House dancing was created in the east coast and has been around since the 80s. House dancing is a very touchy subject, mainly because there are a large number of people who claim they're house dancers when they simply are not. It is an established style (like ballet and jazz), therefore there are certain foundation moves one must learn to be a house dancer. Because its popularity never hit the west, the majority of west coast dancers do not know of this dance style. In short, dancing to house music does not automatically make one a house dancer. Like hip hop, house comes with its own essence, better known as rhythmic movement called the "Jack." The style can be described as light-footed, graceful, feminine, and relaxed. The steps are hard to follow to the average audience, and many would describe the dance as a mix of tap and salsa. Floor moves, such as dolphin dives, complement spins and a few tricks and stunts that are common in house dancing. East coast cities, more specifically New York, are good places to see this dance. The scene is nearly non-existent in the west, but hopefully this site can help change that. as interpreted by Jardy of Soul Sector - 2002