Woodson Michel: The Voice That Touched My Heart

Woodson is the new face and sound of urban music here in Boston. His love for music began from his kitchen boom box blasting the sounds of Prince, R. Kelly , Dru Hill, and the late great Michael Jackson. Inspired by each artist, he acquired the skills and talents to transform into what an hard working artist should represent. This means being humble, diligent, and able to create sounds so unique it will please the soul of any ear. Woodson dedicated himself to being present in each and every talent event held within the city. With loss came determination and never the one to give up easily, he expanded his talents artistically throughout New Hampshire, Providence and Connecticut. During his travels he joined singers such as Maurice Hampton and Ralph G., learning to enhance his songwriting and technical skills. Through these experiences, Woodson has gained the self-confidence and drive to prepare himself for the cut throat realism of the music industry. Woodson's sound is crisp and inviting to an audience who is looking and longing for an artist who delivers in, sound , looks and performances. With his drive and his love for the art of music , we can sure expect great things from this new, fresh and driven artist. What can the world expect from Woodson in the future? Acting , Producing , Engineering are all on the horizon! Make sure you keep your ears close to the new sound blasting from your musical devices. It's called the Woodson movement from Beantown.

Hip Hop: Pop Lock and Drop It

Pop, Locking and Dropping It is a popular hip hop dance and a nice way of getting a workout. If you're trying it for the first time, it can seem a little complicated, but broken down into all of its parts, the dance is quite simple and fun. So break out your hip hop dancing shoes and get ready to Pop, Lock and Drop It.

• Step 1 Stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Bounce a little to loosen up before you begin the dance.
• Step 2 Hold your arms bent at your sides and twist your right leg in so you are slightly bent and your right knee is bent toward your leg. Your body should be slightly bent as well and leaning toward the left.
• Step 3 Unbend your right knee and then execute the same move on your left side. Remember to keep your body slight bent and leaning to the right side.
• Step 4 Place your hands above your head and then drop down to the ground as if you were doing a squat, but instead of stopping at a certain point, drop all the way down to the ground and immediately come, or "pop," back up.
• Step 5 Repeat Steps 1 through 4 until the end of the song.
  
  

Hip Hop: Pop Lock Walk

Popping and locking are two dance styles that emerged separately, created in Los Angeles by the street dance crews Electric Boogaloo (popping) and The Lockers (locking) and inspired by robotic movements. Today, these styles are combined in hip hop, and you can pop and lock while you're stationary or while you're walking. The pop lock walk takes a little more coordination and balance.

• Step 1 Prepare to learn the pop lock walk by first balancing on one leg. Bring one knee straight up and stay balanced on the other foot. Switch feet and balance on the other side. Once you feel balanced, you're ready to learn the move.
• Step 2 Imagine your legs and arms are directly connected, so when you pick your arm up, you also pick your leg up. To put this into practice, bend and raise your right knee while you simultaneously bend your right elbow and move your forearm up. Do it with the left side as well.
• Step 3 Create a more robotic look by making your movements both stiff and precise. When you lift your arm and leg, come to a distinct pause. Then come to another distinct pause when you set your leg down.
• Step 4 Lift your arm and leg up, pause and then step forward. Move your arm down as you step down just as you did when you were standing in place. Transfer your weight to the foot that you stepped onto, pause and then bring your feet together.
• Step 5 Take a few steps to create a hip hop pop lock walk, or just take one step forward and then reverse it to take one step back.
  

Hip-Hop: Directional Glides in Freestyle

In hip-hop dancing, directional glides make the dancers look like they're floating, that is, if the dancers do the movement correctly. In order to pull off this floating illusion successfully when you do directional glides in hip-hop freestyle dance, it's a matter of learning how to shift your weight on your feet.

• Step 1 Step forward with your right foot, putting your weight on the ball of your foot. Your knee is slightly bent at this point and your right heel is off the floor.
• Step 2 Slide your left foot forward past your right foot. When doing this, your left foot isn't touching the floor but it has to look like it is. So, lift your left foot only slightly off the floor.
• Step 3 Shift your weight. When you slide your left foot forward past your right foot, shift your weight to the balls of your feet on your left foot and lift your right foot slightly off the ground.
• Step 4 Repeat Step 1 through Step 3 to do a forward directional glide.
• Step 5 Go over Step 1 through Step 3 again, but stepping backward instead of forward to do a backward directional glide.
• Step 6 Repeat the same steps when doing a directional glide to the side. When gliding to the side, shift your weight the same as you do when going forward or backward, except slide your feet to meet each other instead of sliding them past one another.
  

Bboy: The Wu Tang Move

The Wu Tang dance was started in Philadephia, specifically on the north side. The dance is basically a freestyle method that involves jerking arm motions to Baltimore club style hip hop.

• Step 1 Put on some Baltimore club style hip hop. If you do not have that kind of music specifically, try any kind of hip hop. The faster the beat is, the better.
• Step 2 Assume the Superman pose by putting your hands on your hips and making 90 degree angles with your elbows.
• Step 3 Tighten the muscles in your upper body. Your arm muscles should be flexed and your fists should be balled up. You should look like you are expecting to be hit by a wrecking ball.
• Step 4 Move your arms up and down, in sync or not. Keep your muscles tight and the movements jerky. You should feel every muscle in your upper body.
• Step 5 Move your arms side to side, together or separately. Keep your elbows locked so that it looks like you are elbowing people.
• Step 6 Do not look stiff during steps three and four. Allow your shoulders, neck and head to move with the motions of your arms, but keep the movements tight and jerky.
• Step 7 Let your fists go in front of you, against your stomach, or in back of you against your back during the dance. You will be rubbing your forearms against yourself with each motion.
• Step 8 Incorporate your legs into the dance. You can do anything you want as long as you keep rhythm, and the movements between your upper and lower body are cohesive.
• Step 9 Get used to the basics of the dance. It may seem a little strange, but after trying it while listening to different Baltimore club tracks, you will start to understand.
• Step 10 Get creative with your Wu Tang dance. Change speeds, break the rules a little and incorporate other hip hop dance styles. This is a showy dance and often only one or two people will be dancing while the rest of the group watches and cheers.
• Step 11 Develop your own signature style. The Wu Tang dance is a very expressive dance style. People will not take kindly to their moves being copied at a club.
  

Hip Hop: Freestyle Dancing

Dance is about creativity, style, movement and freedom of expression. Hip hop is no exception. Driven by the music's beat, hip hop freestyle combines and plays off of existing dance steps to help you imagine and perform new ones.

• Step 1 Wear the proper clothing, shoes and accessories that allows you to move freely and comfortably and broadcast your personal style.
• Step 2 Take a class or attend a workshop taught by an experienced hip hop dancer or choreographer. Once you learn basic steps and techniques, you'll be more at ease as you freestyle.
• Step 3 Practice at home to develop your ability to think up moves on the fly and avoid being anxious about dancing in public.
• Step 4 Listen to different songs and hip hop artists and let the music inspire you to move. Let your self-consciousness go so you're completely free to interpret the beat and do what you feel.
• Step 5 Develop your own moves. Base them on existing steps or create completely original stances, poses and combinations. Give each new idea a creative name in case it catches on with the public.
• Step 6 Choreograph the high points of a routine if you'll be dancing at an exhibition or competition. Use the planned moves as a framework, then freestyle the moments in between. If you need to fall back on well-known moves, combine them in unusual ways for a fresh look.
• Step 7 Dance with friends to play off each other. Mirror moves or use their steps as jumping off points or inspiration to create a few of your own.
  

Bboy: Puppet Dance Steps

Foot work like the popular heel toe or the puppet walk is performed in hip hop and break dancing all over the world. They are somewhat complicated but once mastered can wow any crowd. Learn how to do both the heel toe and the puppet walk.

Heel Toe

• Step 1 Stand with your feet together.
• Step 2 Jump out with one foot forward and one foot back. Land on the heel of your front foot forward at a 45-degree angle across the body. Keep the knees slightly bent and your upper body forward just a bit.
• Step 3 Twist the front foot, on the heel, outwards. As you twist out with the front foot, the back foot will step out on the toe in the opposite direction. So if the right foot is front it twists right and the back foot steps out to the left.
• Step 4 Hop and switch feet so that the other foot is forward at a 45-degree angle across the body, twist out on the heel and step on the back foot's toes.
• Step 5 Continue hopping and twisting on the heel and toe from side to side then add an extra twist to one side.
  

Puppet Walk

• Step 1 Bend your arms at the elbows and relax your wrists so that they hang down loosely.
• Step 2 Stand hips width apart and take a step forward at a 45-degree angle. As you step, move your arms up and down with your leg. Bring your chest up and down with the step as well.
• Step 3 Repeat to the other side.
• Step 4 Add a pop to the movements to make the puppet more of a pop-lock style of move.
  

Bboy: Chicken Head Dance

If you're new to the world of hip hop dance, the chicken head dance is a good place to start. It involves simple footwork and flexible arm motions. Just as the name implies, when you do the chicken head dance, you'll resemble a chicken walking.

• Stand upright with your feet slightly apart.
• Step your right foot out in front of you, placing the ball of your foot on the ground. Keep your heel off the ground. Tilt your right shoulder a bit forward. Make loose fists with your hands and bend your arms up in front of you as though you were wearing boxing gloves. If you were to draw a line between your left and right feet, your right foot would be in front of the line and your left foot would be behind it, even though they're not directly in front of each other.
• Bring your right foot back to its starting position and lower your arms a bit.
• Move your left foot out in front of you just as you did with your right foot in Step 2. Tilt your left shoulder a bit in front of you, again pretending you're wearing boxing gloves. Bring your left foot back to its starting position and lower your arms a bit.
• Continue to step with your right and left feet multiple times in a row.
  

Bboy: Clown Walk

The clown walk or C-Walk, as it is often referred to, is a series of dance moves that include the Heel-toe, the Shuffle and the Snake. Many hip hop dancers enjoy performing the clown walk because they are free to use their creativity and individual talents. If you learn the basic moves, you too can use the Hip Hop Clown Walk to express your individual style.

• The Hip Hop Clown Walk is a series of smaller dance moves that when put together create this dance move. Below are some of the basic moves and how to perform them. Once you learn these moves, you can combine them into your own version of the C-Walk.
• To perform the Heel-toe, which is a popular move when doing the Clown Walk, cross one leg to create a semi-twist. The trick to this move is getting the angles of your feet in the correct position. Most people try to create 90 degree angles in order to perform a clean move. While the Heel-toe may seem easy, it can be difficult to maintain your balance, so practice it many times before combining it with another move.
• The Shuffle is an easy step to master. All you have to do is move your feet frontwards and backwards to the music.
• The Snake is another popular move when performing the C-Walk. This move, similar to the Heel-toe, requires dancers to place their left leg on their right heel and move forward. The back leg is used for support. This move can also be tricky as you will have to learn proper balance in order to achieve it.
• Once you've mastered these moves, you can combine them to create a C-Walk routine. Many Hip-Hop dancers use the C-Walk during longer routines.
  

Bboy: The Superman Step

Hip hop is a dance with attitude and syncopation that picks up moves from everywhere and adds attitude. A case in point is the Superman in hip hop. This move should satisfy those fans of Superman and hip hop by combining the two.

• Start to do the Superman in hip hop by jumping up and landing with your feet crossed. Make sure you hop when you do this move so it has style. Uncross your feet by hopping up and landing with your feet about a shoulder's width apart.
• Bend the knee of your right leg and tap the heel with your left hand. Place your right foot back down on the floor so they're a shoulder's width apart.
• Do the snap by rotating your torso so that your right shoulder is facing the center of the room, and lean back. Keep your face turned toward the center of the room. When you lean back, snap your fingers.
• Turn your body so you face to the right or to the left, and stand with your left foot forward and your right foot about a shoulder's width back. Step forward with your back foot and plant your toe, keeping your heel off the ground. Bring your back foot back behind your left.
• Step forward again with your right foot, but this time keep your foot off the ground with your knee bent and tap it with your left hand, then place your right foot behind your left.
• Jump sideways so that your feet are facing front but your torso is facing the left. Lean forward and extend your arms. Glide like Superman, baby. Hop up and turn your torso to the right, and glide like Superman to the right. Glide to the front as well, but this time extend one leg to the back as you extend your arms forward as you lean forward.
• Put all the moves together and you will be doing the Superman in hip hop.
  

Bboy: Air Chair

A Bboy is a male member of the hip-hop or break dancing community. The name Bgirl is applied to female members. The air chair is a fairly basic break dance move that's a staple of most Bboy performances. While doing the air chair requires more strength and balance than an average sedentary adult may have, anyone can learn to do it with enough consistent practice. No special gear is required.

• Squat down on your toes, with your thighs against your calves.
• Lean to the right and place your right hand on the ground beside you.
• Continue leaning to the right as you bend your right elbow and tuck it against your ribs directly above your hip bone.
• Shift your entire body weight onto your right arm and hand, keeping your right elbow braced against your rib. Do not lean forward: Keep your chest perpendicular to the ground.
• Raise your legs slowly off the ground until your body is parallel to the ground, resting on the right elbow that is stabbed into your ribs.
• Pike the air chair move by shifting either leg until it points straight up at the ceiling. You can reach up to grab the foot of that leg with your hand. The pike can be done quickly or you can hold it.
• Exit the air chair move by lowering your legs back down to the ground in an arm and pushing with your hand to shift your body weight back on to your legs and feet.
  

Bboy: Windmill

The windmill is one of breakdancing's most iconic power moves. The maneuver involves the b-boy or b-girl spinning his or her upper body in a tight circular path on the floor while their legs rotate in a V-shape in the air. The windmill requires a good amount of strength and balance to pull off correctly. Learning more basic floor work and power moves is suggested before attempting to learn the windmill.



How to Do the Windmill

• Position yourself in the "turtle" position. Sit on your knees and lean forward onto your right hand, which should be situated palm down with fingers facing back towards your body. Place your right elbow on the left side of your right hip bone and straighten your left hand out and place it on the ground for balance.
• Balance so that most of your weight is on your right arm and stretch your legs out in a V-shape.
• Wind up for the windmill by pushing your right foot up and over to the left as far as it can go.
• Unwind your legs by twisting them in the opposite direction while you use your left hand to rotate clockwise.
• Bend your torso so that your back and shoulders roll onto the floor as your legs start to spin.
• Continue to roll from shoulder to shoulder until your body makes a complete revolution. When your chest is facing towards the ground, keep your arms bent and use them to push off the ground to maintain momentum.
  

Here are the common mistakes bboy do while dancing Windmill.

Bboy: Salsa Step

The salsa step in break dancing is very easy to do and makes any dance look awesome. It is very similar to the Indian break dancing move. This step has a Latin salsa dance root and will resemble actual salsa dancing.

• Step out with the right foot. This will lead you off into the step.
• Step out to the side with the left foot. At the same time raise both of your arms out to the side.
• Return your left foot back in beside your right foot. The right foot should not have moved up to this point in the dance step. Also, bring your arms down and in when you return your left foot.
• Repeat the same thing with the right foot. Step out to the right and take your arms and hands up at the sides at the same time. Return the right foot in. Once again, your left foot should not have moved during this part of the dance step.
• Shake your booty. Put a little bit of a shake into the moves to make it look authentic and add spice to the dance step.
• Combine the salsa step break dancing move with the Indian break dancing step to have an awesome looking dance step that everyone will love.
  

Bboy: Latin Rock Moves

The Latin rock moves in break dancing are derived from the basic steps of salsa. Rather than putting focus on more subtle whole body movements, though, the Latin rock moves emphasize power and strength. At the same time, they still allow you to roll your hips if you want to.

• Get familiar with the basics of salsa. If you understand what break dancing Latin rock moves derive from, you can better develop your own take on them. You don't necessarily need to learn salsa; just observe some salsa dancers to understand the basic movement of that dance.
• Start with the basic Latin move footwork, which is simple to learn. All you need to do is step out strongly to the side, then bring your feet together, change weight and step out to the other side.
• Repeat the basic footwork until you feel its rhythm. Now, add a little bounce to your step to accentuate each beat and make the Latin move more musical.
• Punctuate your steps with arm movements, bringing your arms out when you step and back together when you bring your feet together. Allow your arms to swing in a relaxed manner.
• Vary the move by stepping to the back or the front in the same way that you stepped to the side. As you step to the back or front, keep your knees soft and flexible rather than locking them.
• Add some sexy hip rolls if you want to convey more of a Latin feeling to the dance. Just be sure that your hip rolls are strong rather than delicate and feminine.
  

Bboy: Indian Step

I can usually tell immediately if a b-boy is going to do power or flavor depending on their style. Many people incorporate different dance and martial arts moves to add originality to their movements.

Remember that adding your flavor or personal touch is what makes it. Whatever you do it should look planned and deliberate. You do not want to look like you are just buying time before you get to foot work or power.

A good top rock can win a battle by inspiring the crowd to participate and feel the music. I have seen this happen alot. The last thing you want to do is go out in the middle of the circle and look like you have no rhythm at all.

So find yourself a mirror and get ready to practice. Most importantly remember to let the music lead you. More and more it has come down to riding the beat and getting the crowd to feel the music. Consider this as your first line of defense during battle time.

Indian Step

• Feet Shoulder Length Apart
• Step Forward With Right Foot in Front of Left Foot
• Hop Backwards
• Step Forward With Your Left Foot in Front of The Right Foot
• Hop Backwards
• Repeat
  

Basic Top Rock Moves & Steps in Breakdancing

The Toprock is a set of moves which are performed in a standing position. Toprock moves are generally easier and are used by the b-boys as a warm up before the real stuff starts.The easy breakdance moves in toprock are

• Basic Toprock
• Side-Step
• Boyoing
• Power Step
• Power Step Hop
• Latin Rock
  

Basic Top Rock Moves & Steps in Breakdancing
Top rock is the standing up part of break dancing that dancers begin with and use to transition to the flashier down rock moves. Although top rock is sometimes thought of as basic, it is a central part of break dancing and helps define a dancer's style and skill.

1. Stand with your feet together and arms at your sides. Take a step forward with your right foot, landing only briefly on the balls of your feet.
2. Spread your arms up from your body to a position that resembles a broad hug just as you start to take your step forward.
3. Bring your right foot back to the starting position. Do a little hop on your left foot as you bring your right foot back to add some style. Bring your arms back to the starting position as you do.
4. Step forward with your left foot once your right foot returns to its starting position. Complete the step by performing the same arm movements and hop that you did when you stepped with your right foot.
5. Start doing the move in a rhythm. As you get comfortable moving forward and back in the top rock, add some more bounce to your initial step. Make sure you're not leading with your hips by staying upright throughout the top rock move.
6. Turn to the side as your perform the top rock so you face different parts of the room. Keep the top rock moving and turning so you face different directions to add some more style.
   

Bboy: The Back Spin

The backspin is a breakdancing classic. If you grew up in the early 80s, you may have tried it a few times on your own piece of cardboard. The spin is all about the momentum you gain by whipping your legs into the spin and slowly drawing them in towards your body.

• Sit on the floor.
• Open your legs out in front of you as though you're getting ready to stretch or do a center split.
• Swing your right leg with as much power as you can over your left leg.
• This whipping motion of the right leg is what gives you the momentum to start your spin.
• As your right leg comes around, go down to your back.
• Don't spin on your lower back. Spin closer to the area between your shoulder blades. You want to keep your hips lifted off the floor.
• The left leg catches up and comes together with the right leg. As you start to spin, draw your legs and arms slowly in.

Bboy: The Baby Freeze

A freeze is exactly what it sounds like. The dancer stops and poses before moving on to the next step or ending his or her turn on the dance floor. One of the easiest freezes to do is the baby freeze because you can use your head as well as your arms for support, and you don't have to lift your legs into a full headstand position. The number one rule with learning a freeze, however, is to take it slow.

• Start in squatting position.
• Reach both of your hands over to the right side of your body.
• Place both of your hands on the floor. (Your hands should be pointing in opposite directions—one to the front, one to the back.)
• You want to keep your arms as close to your body as possible. Your bended right arm is actually going to push into your side during the freeze, and your bended left arm is going to form a shelf to rest your right knee on during the freeze.
• Lean your body (still in the squat position) all the way over your bended arms, and rest your head on the ground. Your right foot should be off the floor with your knee resting on the shelf formed by your left arm.
• Lift your left leg up. You are now in the freeze position. Your body weight is being supported by your head and your two bended arms.
  

Bboy: The 6-Step

The 6-Step is one of breaking's essential moves. A funky toprock and a smooth 6-Step is your home base on the dance floor. You can always come back to it.

• Start on the floor in a crab position.
• To get into this position, sit on the floor, plant your feet in front of you, place your hands behind you and lift your hips off the floor. Your weight is now fully supported by your legs and your arms.
• Count One: Extend your right leg to the front. It should cross slightly in front of your left leg. Stretch your left arm out above your head.
• Count Two: Extend your left leg back. Both your right and left legs are now straight.
• Count Three: Take your right leg back. Lower your left hand. You're now in a plank or push-up position.
• Count Four: Lift your right hand above your head, and put your left leg through—extending it from the back to the front.
• Count Five: Bend your right leg, and place it behind your left knee. Your left knee should bend when you do this.
• Count Six: Return to the original crab position.

The 6-Steps demonstrated
The 6-step is a key move in breakdancing because it establishes momentum and puts you in position for other, more complex moves. You use your arms to support your body while your legs walk around in a circle. This article will describe two variations of the 6-step, with step-by-step pictures and a video.

From a pushup position, bring the right leg forward and extend it in front of the left. Don't move the left leg yet. Lean on the outside of your right shoe. Take your left hand off the floor.


Pull the left leg forward until is bent and touching the back of your right leg (right leg should now be wrapped around your left leg). You should almost be in a tilted cross-legged position. Keep your left hand in the air.






Go into the crab position. Bring your right leg out from around your left leg. Plant your right foot down next to your left foot (shoulder width apart). Put your left hand on the floor behind you.








Bring your left leg around and in front of your bent right leg (wrap it around your right leg). Lean on the outside of your left shoe. Lift your right hand up. This is a mirror image of step 2.








Move your right leg behind you. This is a mirror image of step 1. Keep your right hand up.










Extend your left leg back and put your right hand down, going into a pushup position again.

Top Rock Moves and Steps

Top rock is the standing up part of break dancing that dancers begin with and use to transition to the flashier down rock moves. Although top rock is sometimes thought of as basic, it is a central part of break dancing and helps define a dancer's style and skill.

1. Stand with your feet together and arms at your sides. Take a step forward with your right foot, landing only briefly on the balls of your feet.
2. Spread your arms up from your body to a position that resembles a broad hug just as you start to take your step forward.
3. Bring your right foot back to the starting position. Do a little hop on your left foot as you bring your right foot back to add some style. Bring your arms back to the starting position as you do.
4. Step forward with your left foot once your right foot returns to its starting position. Complete the step by performing the same arm movements and hop that you did when you stepped with your right foot.
5. Start doing the move in a rhythm. As you get comfortable moving forward and back in the top rock, add some more bounce to your initial step. Make sure you're not leading with your hips by staying upright throughout the top rock move.
6. Turn to the side as your perform the top rock so you face different parts of the room. Keep the top rock moving and turning so you face different directions to add some more style.
   

Formulating a Breakdancing Routine

Breakdancing is highly improvisatory. A b-boy or b-girl has a certain vocabulary of moves, but how he or she strings those moves together into a sentence is entirely dependent on how he or she feels at any given moment. Breakdancing is as much about developing your own style and voice as it is about perfecting acrobatic tricks.

While you decide which moves to bust out and when, there is a loose overall structure to a breakdancing routine. When you watch someone take their turn on the floor, you'll typically see the following:

• Toprock: Any combination of rhythmic steps performed in a standing position. This is used both as a warm-up and as a means of displaying a dancer's style.
• Downrock: Footwork performed on the floor using both the hands and feet for support. The most basic move in a downrock is the 6-step.
• Power Moves: The most physically demanding and acrobatic breakdancing moves. Power moves include windmills, swipes and flares.
• Climatic Move: The punctuation mark on the sentence. The climatic move is typically a freeze or a suicide. Most freezes are a posed variation on a handstand. A suicide is a dramatic fall to the floor that looks uncontrolled.

Toprocking
The toprock is any combination of moves done standing up. While there is a standard toprock movement, you'll see everything from modified Charlestons to fancy spins incorporated into a dancer's standing routine. Toprocking is used both as a means of warming up and as an expression of a dancer's style.

The following describes one of the most basic toprock movements:

• Start with your legs shoulder-width apart.
• Cross your right leg in front of your body. Jump onto the right foot. (Put all your weight on it. Your left foot should be lifted with no weight on it.)
• Come back to your starting position.
• Cross your left leg in front of your body. Jump onto the left foot. (Put all your weight on it. Your right foot should be lifted with no weight on it.)
• Come back to your starting position.
• Repeat.

Throughout the movement, your upper body should stay centered over your hips. It shouldn't lean into the step. Your arms should be loose and can open up as you step forward.

Dress to Kill! Look like a Hip Hop Star

Music has long since influenced the way people dress. For example, take the Greatful Dead in the sixties and Disco in the seventies. The Hip Hop music of such artists as LL Cool J and Alicia Keys has also affected the fashion industry. The main accessory to have when dressing hip hop is attitude; everything else is just extra detail.

1. Dress in bright, flashy suits. Feel free to express yourself and go bold with color.
2. Accessorize each outfit with loads of bling such as shiny platinum or gold chains and rings.
3. Wear t-shirts with big logos, baggy pants and name brand boots or kicks (sneakers) for an everyday street look. Oversized athletic jerseys are also very popular in the hop-hop style. Add a visor with your bling to complete the style.
4. Expand your perceptions of what you can wear. Missy Elliot paved the way for women to pull off the once all male style. Now it's perfectly acceptable for women with attitude to wear baggy jeans, tight singlets, big polo shirts and trainers. Don't forget the trucker caps.
5. Wear low-wasted skirts and jeans to show off your hips for a more feminine touch. Wear tight fitting shirts to draw attention to your chest. Sexy and powerful is the look you're going for. Go to BabyPhat.com for more examples of the feminine hip-hop style.
6. Look to artists such as Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams, Eve and Lil Kim for more fashion examples.
7. Look through your closet and make 2 piles.One is a totally diferent style from Hip-Hop,and one is a Hip-Hop style pile.
8. Look through your second pile for baggy pants,tight shirts,jeans,sweatshirts,camoflauge things,and jackets.
9. Mix and Match to find your fave picks.Try baggy pants with a tight shirt.Or a camo skirt with a sweatshirt.
10. Now,go shopping for more stuff.Try these stores:Underground Station,Charlotte Russe,and Aeropostale.These are popular brands:Baby Phat,Derek Heart,AppleBottom Jeans,and BillaBong and south pole.

Understanding Hip Hop & Interpretting the Hip Hop Music

Hip hop is a music genre and a dance style. Hip hop skills can include producing your own beats, freestyling vocals and a number of dance techniques. The truly skilled hip hop artist is good at all three.

1. Improve your rhythm. When listening to hip hop music, tap your fingers and feet to the beat. Hip hop is a highly rhythm based music style. If you do not have rhythm, then there is very little hope for you.
2. Practice at a local hip hop night club. Glance around and see how other people are dancing. If you see something you like, try it out. Otherwise, experiment with your own moves.
3. Take a class at a local gym or dance studio. Most colleges offer beginner hip hop classes and gym classes are usually pretty cheap if you have a membership. Dance studios will be more expensive, but if you are looking for a higher level, studios are the places to go.

Make Better Hip Hop Beats

1. Buy a good music system and practice mixing at home. One of the main skills a hip hop producer needs is to know how to DJ. Learn to mix and develop new beats.
2. Buy some music studio software (sequencing software) for your computer. Some professional producers make all of their music on programs like Fruity Loops (see Resources below).
   

Improve Your Freestyling Skills

1. Buy or download some instrumental hip hop songs that have no vocals. If your friend knows how to make a beat, then you can have him make a beat for you instead.
2. Practice your freestyling or flowing skills by improvising rap lyrics to a neutral beat. Try and rap at the right tempo and rhythm of the background music provided.
3. Try your hand at beatboxing. Try to mimic a hip hop beat using only your mouth. This is a form of freestyling too.
   

Varying Levels in Freestyle Hip Hop

Hip-hop dancing is first and foremost about feeling. If you're feeling a song, people can tell. But no matter how hard you're feeling a beat, if you can't vary your moves, nobody will notice. Adding levels to your freestyle dance will help distance yourself from other dancers and add a layer of complexity that not only looks good, but also feels good.

1. Think about your dancing as being on three levels. Most beginners just think about their footwork, how their upper body relates and combining them to match the music. While this might be true, think about incorporating your moves at three levels: high, middle and low.
2. Begin high moves by standing up and incorporating your freestyle routine. This is the most natural position, and you will have a tendency to want to remain here. However, if you are incorporating levels, that won't last.
3. Drop down to the middle level. This means in some cases to crouch down and perform some moves and to improvise moves you would normally do standing in a lower position. In freestyle you can do whatever you like. However, to consider your moves middle level, do not take your feet off the floor.
4. Perform your low-level routine while taking your feet off the floor. Many people choose to add breaking moves at this point.
5. Mix all three levels in your routine. By taking your moves to different levels, you add a lot of variety to your freestyle dancing. Not only is this visually exciting, but it becomes a new way for you to express yourself on the dance floor.

Beats per Minute in a Hip Hop Song

DJ mixes are made by putting songs together that have the same or similar beats per minute (BPM). Hip Hop songs have eight counts and use a kick, snare drum pattern. For your first attempt, use a track where you already know how many BPM there are in the song. Here are ways to tell beats per minute in a Hip Hop song manually.

1. Set the pitch to zero either by hand or by pressing reset on your board to be sure the song is playing at its original pitch. Use a part of the song that doesn't have a lot of changes.
2. Start to play the Hip Hop song. Use a stop watch or watch to keep track of the time. Wait until a one count of the music and start the stop watch.
3. Count out one through eight until you have counted to eight four times. Stop the watch on the next one count.
4. Take 32 beats and divide it by the length in seconds that it took to get to that number of beats. Multiply this number by 60 and you should have the BPM for that hip hop song.
5. Try to play the hip hop song and count the number of beats you hear in 30 seconds. Double this number and you will get the approximate beats per minute.