Many hip hop dance moves can be traced back to the late 1960's with popular soul artists such as James Brown:



Around the same time and throughout the 1970's breakdancing emerged as a form of street dance. Break dancing was a way for young people to express themselves through movement and was inspired by the Afro-Brazilian Martial Art, Capoeira. Here is a video of Capoeira being performed, followed by breakdancing videos from both the 1980's as well as modern day styles.







As you can see, breakdancing is still performed in a "battle" type setting to preserve the original spirit of this form.

As breakdancing developed further into the 70's, other moves were incorporated such as popping, locking, liquid and rocking. The following videos are examples of these styles:





The combination of these styles created many of the commercial dance moves we see on TV today. Michael Jackson was the most famous artist to popularize these moves in his dance performances, though many of his dances originated from local street dancers in New York.



Hip Hop dance today has begun to move back towards it's roots in mainstream culture, with more breakdancing seen in music videos and the recent popularity of hip hop movies such as You Got Served or Step Up 2. These movies have provided a mainstream platform for breakdancing crews such as the Jabbawockeez as well as a way for street dancers to perform in Hollywood film.



In addition, shows such as "America's Best Dance Crew" have given America a new stigma for street dancing and have helped to popularize hip hop dance in local suburban dance studios, fitness centers and dance shows. Only recently have dance recitals begun to showcase hip hop and breakdancing routines.