How to Do Street Dance Moves
Street dancing incorporates some of the most unique music, moves, and techniques out there. If you want to wow a crowd or immerse yourself in the fluid, intricate movements of street dance, there are a variety of styles you can learn. In this article, we’ll outline a few of the most popular street dance styles and show you how they’re done with free video lessons. Learn how to do street dance moves!
How to Krump
Krumping is a popular style of street dance, especially among the hip-hop crowd. We’re going to show you how to do a simple krumping move that will still leave spectators speechless, no matter your current skill level.
Just Four Easy Steps
- Step 1: Put one of your hands out in front of you, fist closed as though you were holding something.
- Step 2: Move that hand down, across your body, and release your fist as though letting that thing go.
- Step 3: Bring your other hand up, across your body, as though catching something mid-air.
- Step 4: Swipe that hand down, across your body, as though throwing that thing to the ground.
Watch the video lesson above to see how pro dancer Jino Fort pulls it off.
Additional Notes
For this move, there’s a particular focus on retraction. Retraction is the fluid “bounce” motion that happens when you’re flowing from one step to the next.
In the krumping move we outlined above, this retraction comes into play between each step. In particular, it’s important to pause between steps two and three. This helps create the sense of retraction and makes the dance more believable.
How to Pop & Lock
In this section, we’re going to teach you how to do a pop, lock and wave move. You’re probably familiar with waving, but just in case: waving is a dance move that creates the illusion of a wave moving through your body. As you can imagine, this looks very cool, and is a great way to really feel the music.
There are three basic types of pop, lock and wave moves: straight waves, kick waves, and full body waves. Let’s take a closer look.
Straight Waves
This is the easiest type of wave to master, especially as a beginner street dancer. We recommend that you practice this move a lot before moving onto the other ones.
Here, the “wave” starts in one of your arms, goes through your chest, and then exits through your other arm:
- Step 1: Put both of your arms out to your sides. Make sure you keep them straight out.
- Step 2: Begin the wave in one of your arms, starting at the very fingertips and working the wave up until it reaches your chest.
- Step 3: Let the wave roll through your chest, and into the shoulder of your other arm.
- Step 4: From that shoulder, let the wave roll all the way down your arm, exiting through your fingertips.
Kick Waves
Kick waves are the next level up from straight waves, incorporating many of the same movements. In fact, some people like to combine the kick wave and straight wave for a more unique dance combo.
Here, instead of simply rolling the wave from arm to arm, you perform the wave in segments while kicking one of your legs. Each time you kick, you perform another segment of the wave:
- Step 1: Kick your right leg up. Start the wave in your right hand.
- Step 2: Kick your right leg up. Roll the next part of the wave into your wrist.
- Step 3: Kick your right leg up. Roll the next part of the wave into your forearm/elbow.
- Step 4: Kick your right leg up. Roll the next part of the wave up the rest of your arm, to your shoulder.
- Step 5: Kick your left leg up. Continue the wave into your left shoulder.
- Step 6: Kick your left leg up. Roll the wave down into your forearm/elbow.
- Step 7: Kick your left leg up. Roll the wave down into your wrist.
- Step 8: Kick your left leg up. Roll the wave into your hand, and let it exit through the fingers.
Full Body Waves
Okay, now the full body wave is tricky and will take lots of practice. As you can guess from the name, this is a wave that goes all the way through your body.
Starting Position: Arms out in front of you, crooked at the elbows, and shoulders up.
- Step 1: Start the wave in both sets of fingers.
- Step 2: Roll the wave into both wrists, and then into your shoulders.
- Step 3: From there, roll the wave to your head.
- Step 4: Your head will bring the wave into your chest.
- Step 5: Roll the wave from your chest into your stomach.
- Step 6: From your stomach, roll the wave into your pelvis.
- Step 7: Now roll the wave into your legs.
- Step 8: Roll the wave back up through your pelvis, stomach, chest, head, and arms, and release the wave through your hands.
It may take some time before you can pull this move off, but in the meantime, don’t be afraid to play around and experiment with pop-lock-waving. To get a better visual of how these moves play out, watch the Howcast video above!
How to Do a Simple Robot / Botting Routine
Everyone has heard of the robot. It’s one of the most popular dance styles ever, but it takes time to get the hang of. This is because botting is stiff. Many people are used to looser, more fluid street dance moves, so restricting themselves to the stiffer, more isolated movements can be difficult at first. But it’s those very stiff, isolated movements that make botting like nothing else!
The Basics
Start by doing a “robot” walk. Keep it slow, and keep it robotic. Then get botting:
- Step 1: Turn around, lean slightly forward, and then pull back. This will be like the retractions we mentioned earlier.
- Steps 2-4: Slowly come back forward, in thirds.
- Step 5: Pull one of your arms back.
- Step 6: Pull the other arm back.
- Step 7-8: Shimmy back up like a robot would, in two parts.
While practicing this routine, remember that your body should be moving one part at a time. You pull one arm back, and then pull the other one back. This gives the robot moves the stiff, mechanical illusion.
How to Do a Two-Step Turfing Routine
Turfing is commonly seen in clubs, and is a popular type of street dance as well. It’s great, because you can learn a turfing routine regardless of your current skill level. Plus, it’s really versatile and you can do a variety of things with it.
Here, we’re going to outline how to do a simple two-step turf dance. Remember, it’s as straightforward as doing two moves over and over again, but adding your own flair each time to keep it interesting. Here’s the breakdown. Pay special attention to steps 7 and 8, because that’s where the real magic happens.
The Basics
Starting Position: It’s best to start standing straight, with your feet together.
- Step 1: Step your right foot to the side.
- Step 2: Step your left foot toward your right foot, so that they’re together again.
- Step 3: Step your left foot to the side.
- Step 4: Step your right foot toward your left foot, so that they’re together again.
- Step 5: Step your right foot to the side again.
- Step 6: Step your left foot toward your right foot, so they’re together again.
- Step 7: Step your left foot to the side, and start sliding your right leg over to it.
- Step 8: Finish with a bang. Add your own creative move here. For example, swing your right leg behind your left leg.
Easy, right? There is something you need to keep in mind, though. Your movements need to be smooth and clean, especially in steps 7 and 8. If your movements are too sloppy, the two-step just won’t work.
Start Street Dancing Today!
In this article, we covered some fun and unique street dance moves that you can take with you anywhere. For even more street dance lessons, explore the rest of the video series below!
ABOUT THE EXPERT
Jino Fort
Jino Fort is a hard-working choreographer who goes through enough of the struggle to know where he wants to go in life. He has gone on tour with Nadia Ali and is currently with MSA Agency. Not only is his dance phenomenal, but his attitude, hard work, and drive match it.
