Freestyle Dancing 101

Freestyling is a type of improvisational dance. When you freestyle, you create dance moves on the spot rather than choreographing the entire routine ahead of time. Freestyling can be done at parties and clubs, but it’s not limited to such venues—any time that you’re dancing and letting loose, you’re freestyling!” Freestyle dancing requires the creation of an algorithm in your body that can understand the basics of movement, and combine that with your natural sense of groove, style, and spontaneity.

Listen to the music

When freestyling, you dance to the beat of the music rather than a set of moves. So, you’ll need to get in sync with the rhythm/tempo of the song. First, move your body in time with the beat. Find the groove and then let loose. Then, listen to the melody—this is the part of the song that you “sing.” It doesn’t have to be lyrics; it can be any part of the song that helps you express yourself. Dancing to this part of the song is a great way to switch up your freestyle from hitting the 1s and 2s in the song.

‍Listen to the music and notice any patterns you can emphasize.

For example, do you hear a bass drum on every even-numbered measure? A snare drum at the end of every eight-measure phrase? Take mental note of sounds that appeal to you. You can use these sounds later in your work. Basically, actively listen to the music, taking in each sound and its effect on you.

Groove on it

Hip Hop dance styles have a foundation in their foundational grooves. Drilling techniques and moves will always start with a solid groove. So what is a groove? It’s essentially a pattern of movement or steps that you repeat again and again. It’s key to understand the basic movements before moving on to more complex choreography. Knowing how to execute these grooves will help you no matter what style of dance you perform. For more information on this topic, check out Michael’s Dance Studio!