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.