Rooted in Rhythm: An Interview with Daniel

 

Hip-Hop Dance has developed and evolved from a variety of different street styles that we know today, and were created from the styles that came from the 1970s and became popular by dance crews in the United States. Some of the first films and shows that showcased hip-hop dance culture was the show "Soul Train" and the 1980s films "Breakin'", "Beat Street", and "Wild Style", which showcased these hip-hop crews and dance styles in their early development stages, which then, have hip-hop dance and culture more exposure in the mainstream media space. 

When hip-hop was introduced to the commercial studio dance space, it was introduced as "new style", and a hip-hop-influenced style of jazz called "jazz funk". Highly trained dancers developed these different studio styles to create choreography from the hip-hop dance styles that were performed on the streets. 

The commercialization of hip-hop expanded even more in the 1990s and 2000s, with the inclusion of lyrical hip-hop being introduced later on, which combined classical dance techniques from jazz to ballet to tell stories and emotions through movements. 

This was also the introduction to how dancers were able to showcase more fluid and interpretive versions of hip-hop dance styles. Television shows and movies like "The Grind", "Planet B-Boy", "Rize", "StreetDance 3D", "America's Best Dance Crew", "Saigon Electric", the "Step Up" movie series, and "The LXD", a web series created a very mild representation of hip-hop dance in the entertainment world and showed the differences between hip-hop and other dance forms, as well as its strong prescence in many urban areas. 

This created some of the dance styles we know today, like Memphis jookin', turfing, jerkin', krumping, and freestyle. This also created spaces for dancers to do freestyle dance competitions, usually referred to as "battles". After being exposed to all these entertainment productions like films and television shows, it has also encouraged educational and corporate dance competitions like World of Dance and Hip-Hop International, showcasing all of that culture across the world.

R&B as a dance style is known for its smooth, sensual, groovy, fluid, and isolated movements that are often performed to different styles of R&B music. It blends the elements of hip-hop, jazz, and soul, focusing on musicality, texture control, groove, and emotional storytelling expressions. R&B emerged as a dance style in the 1940s-50s, evolving from African-American jump blues, boogie-woogie, and swing. It originated from blending jazz, blues, and gospel music to create a "rocking" and energetic sound that was suitable for dancing. This dance style has evolved in recent years, lately blending with many other dance styles such as hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, and more. 

Many artists have helped develop moves that are very popular today, like body rolls, gliding, waving, C-walking, Knee drops, and floorwork, etc. Some well-known names would be Michael Jackson, the king of Pop, who created moves like the moonwalk, spins, sharp, angled movements, and popping movements. Usher, a Pop R&B icon who is famous for implementing intricate footwork and gliding into his 2000s choreography, Chris Brown, who is well-known for his krumping, and sharp and fast movements in choreography, among many others. R&B as a dance style has expanded globally since its development in countries like France, South Korea, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Africa, and many more, creating different expressive and fluid movements local to that country's dance and music scene, which has created a unique dance culture that has changed the world.

Today, I decided to interview with Daniel, who is the Intermediate/Advanced Hip-Hop/R&B instructor at Elemental Studios, to talk about his passion and love for both Hip-Hop and R&B. Before we get into the interview, let's learn a little bit about Daniel, shall we?

"My Name is Daniel! I'm a dancer/choreographer/dance instructor from Denver, Colorado! Dance is the funnest thing that I get the privilege to do, and I'm happy and grateful I get to share it with others!"

Let's get into the Interview!

1. What is your favorite thing about being an instructor at Elemental Studios?

Daniel: "I love being able to express myself through choreography and getting to see how others interpret the movements and expressions that I felt when choreographing and seeing that through their lenses!"

2. How did you start your dance journey?

Daniel: "One of my earliest memories was dancing as a baby, and I grew up inspired by my older sister, whom is also a dancer, and was also in the room dancing with me, so that has always been a memory that I return to often."

3. How do you stay current with the evolving hip-hop trends while still implementing the foundations of early hip-hop styles?

Daniel: "I just genuinely enjoy the current landscape of music and the changing of trends and what's popular! I know, as someone who enjoys and consumes hip-hop, that it is and has always been ever evolving, so it always feels so fresh, and I never get bored of it, and I appreciate seeing where it came from and where it is now."

4. What is your approach to teaching musicality in your Hip-Hop/R&B class? Do you focus more on lyrics, counts, techniques, or the music production itself?

Daniel: "All the above! It depends on the song, but for a song with bounce in it, I tend to gravitate towards that part of the song, or if the vocals stand out, I naturally move to those, and sometimes I focus on the adlibs as the memorable moments from the song so, it varies based on what stands out and can be heard easily without headphones or on a loud speaker."

5. How do you motivate your students to step out of their comfort zone and find their own flavor or attitude in your choreography?

Daniel: "I like to start each class with a warm-up across the floor so that they all feel eased into the combo for the day, as well as always keeping everyone in mind that dance can be intimidating, but we are all here to learn and feeling a little nervous or lost is okay because it is something that is unfamilar for now once you learn it you will feel more confident."

6. Do you have any dancers or people in the dance community that you look up to? If so, who are they and why?

Daniel: "The first person that comes to mind is Naomi Luna. She was one of my first dance teachers, and she inspired me to freestyle and got me acquainted with choreography, and has always spoke positivity into my early dance journey so I will forever be thankful to her for being such a big impact on me not only as a dancer but as a person as well. And I also MUST talk about Alicia Viezcas! She was also one of my first dance teachers and she gave me critiques that have always stuck with me, and she always pushed me to do better even when I was exhausted and still does to this day!"

7. What are some of your favorite hobbies/interests outside of dance?

Daniel: "I love rollerskating, hiking, and playing guitar! I am a very physical person, working out and moving my body is just always gonna be a part of who I am. I also love singing but I am a bit more shy about that part and I am still working on getting outside of my box with that one."

8. How does your R&B choreography differ from your Hip-Hop choreography?

Daniel: "For me, I always try to mimic the production of the song that I am choreographing to, so the thing I have gathered is that my R&B is definitely smoother and wavier versus my Hip-Hop, which is more hard-hitting and technical. But with both, I like to get into the vibe of the song and often use lyrics and wordplay to choreograph, which makes it easier as a student to understand and gives you something to latch onto while you learn."

9. Are there any particular dance styles that you would like to incorporate more into your classes?

Daniel: "I've always had a love for contemporary, so I would love to strengthen that part of my dance vocabulary as well as Popping! I feel they are both such valuable foundations that they will add layers and texture to any part of a freestyle, cypher, or choreography with the artistic freedom to put them wherever I feel they fit and sometimes places they "don't fit" as well."

10. If you were to describe your class and teaching style to someone interested who wasn't sure, what would you say?

Daniel: "I always do my best to explain 3 things in each class, no matter what: timing, texture, and relaxation. The more you rely on the tempo and vibe of the song, and most importantly, taking your time and relaxing your body, the more success you will have with mine or any choreo and if you follow those three things and apply (or at least try) them while learning, you're gonna have a fun time." 

Thank you to Daniel for interviewing with me. I really enjoyed getting to know you and your passion for Hip-Hop and R&B dance styles. Make sure to go to Daniel's class on Wednesdays at 7:15pm-8:30pm and follow him on his Instagram at @thelionsden7_ to see what song he will be doing for class!

See you in the next interview!