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March Newsletter from PAEC featuring URBAN DANCE

March 2019

Welcome to PAEC Newsletter

In the Spotlight – Urban Dance

DID YOU KNOW?

Waacking (or Whacking or Waackin’), as a style of Urban Dance, has its roots in the 1970s disco/funk era that also birthed styles like Cambellocking, and Boogaloo.  Waacking however originating in the L.A LGBT clubs as “Punking” with a whack or whaack being a specific movement in the “Punking” style named after the action sound from comic books and cartoons.  Though it employs fast wrist and arm movements similar to Cambellocking and a highly feminized posture and poses like Voguing, Whaackin is a style of its own and was popularized to the mainstream by a famous locker at the time named Shaba-doo and as well by the original “Punks” Arthur, Tinker and Andrew who were dancers on Soul Train.  The health crisis that hit the LGBT communities in the 1980s is largely blamed for slowing the progression of this style, which saw its resurgence in the early 2000’s through Brian Green who began teaching it again and encouraging older whaackers to pass on the style.  Now this style has become a mainstay in the Urban Dance culture.  

STRUCTURING YOUR URBAN DANCE CLASSES

Providing structure to your Urban classes is so important for your students’ dance development. It can be hard to resist the demands to teach fun combos every week and many dancers come to Urban classes because they see videos on Youtube and believe that’s what Urban Dance is all about. Don’t give in!  Make combos a special treat or a reward for in-class accomplishments. Not only will it save you lots of prep time, but your dancers will receive a quality Urban Dance education rather than just an arsenal of mini dances.  Providing a proper warm-up with focused exercises to compliment your choreo provides consistency that will also keep your students engaged and striving towards new goals.  Here are some recommendations on how to add structure to your Urban Dance class.

1. General Warm-Up

Urban dance styles are cardiovascularly challenging. Be intentional and use the warm-up as an opportunity to build stamina in your dancers. Introduce fitness movement like jumping jacks, burpees, planks, and lunges that will get large muscle groups warm and heart rates up! Also include strength training elements like crab walks, frog jumps and push-ups to prepare for break dance movements. If your kids dread warm up then try turning your warm-up into a game or a challenge. Offer rewards for the dancer who can complete a circuit (properly) in the least amount of time, create team relays across the floor, or play “What Time Is It Mister Wolf” using your warm-up moves. Get creative and soon warm-up will be their favourite part of class!

2. Bouncing and Isolations

Once our muscles are warm, it’s time to take that energy and “urbanize” it. In the centre of the room, practice bouncing in the pocket using proper technique. For older classes, bouncing can incorporate simple footwork patterns like two-step, step touch, grapevines, and direction changes. Follow up this loose bounce by contrasting it with isolations of the head, shoulders, ribs, hips, etc. Older dancers can combine isolation elements in moves like the harlem shake or 8-part wave.

3. Stretch   Yes! Hip hop dancers need to stretch too. No need to go crazy with oversplits. Just make sure you give those main muscle groups some love. Pay special attention to hamstrings, quads, back/shoulders, wrists and forearms to help for the break dancing part of your class should you include it.

4. Footwork Etc.

This is the bulk of your class. It’s also the section with the most flexibility. Regardless of the week’s focus, always try to include footwork pathways in this section of the class. For little ones, basic step touches, grapevines, top rocks, etc. For older dancers, the options are endless! Challenge them each week with new variations of old steps like kick-step-touch or pas de bourree (step ‘n’ step) by adding tempo changes, direction changes, or other choreographic elements. Some instructors may prefer to focus on a different urban style every few classes. If your focus is on break dancing this week, use this section to practice stalls, slides, and other floorwork in isolation. Maybe you’re kickin’ it old school and want to work on party grooves. This is your chance. Use this section of the class to take individual steps and drill them repeatedly.

5. Across The Floor

Take the moves you practiced in the centre, merge them with travelling steps, and take them across the floor! This is always a crowd favourite. It makes dancers feel like they are really dancing rather than just drilling a single step. You might also choose to use this part of your class to incorporate freestyle. Cypher circles can be intimidating for some age groups, but freestyling across the floor in a group of 2-3 dancers is a less scary way to foster freedom of expression.

IMPROV & CYPHERS IN YOUR URBAN DANCE CLASS

Improvisation is key in any Urban Dance style.  Structuring time into your Urban classes for improv opportunities is a fun way to develop this ability in your students.  Cyphers or improv circles are a great way to challenge your dancers to call on all the things they are learning in class and arrange it in their own creative way.   Urban freestyle can be far more intimidating than jazz or lyrical improv so if your kids are apprehensive use other sections of class to incorporate small freestyle opportunities and ease them into it.  For example, when going across the floor, leave four counts free for a movement of the dancer’s choice. Start small and work your way up to the real deal. It is also important to foster a culture of support and encouragement amongst the students.  Having the dancers cheer continuously throughout a cypher session helps encourage each dancer with positive reinforcement.  This also makes it fun for the dancers who are waiting for their turn in the middle of the circle.  If a Cypher or a freestyle circle is too intimidating, then another option is to have your dancers spread out and perform improv in the form of a freeze dance game.   Use a theme such as; “move like a robot” and every time you stop the music, shout out a body part they can use in the freestyle like a robot. This works for many different types of movement or direction. The options are endless!

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