Hip Hop Dance History: Evolution and Technology's Role
This paper examines hip hop dance as one of the most influential dance styles of the 21st century, tracing its origins in 1970s South Bronx culture and following its evolution through key artists and groups. The author focuses on the fluid, improvisational style exemplified by the Pharcyde and Bobby Brown of New Edition, distinguishing this approach from formal breakdancing and choreographed boy-band routines. The paper also maps an intergenerational line of influence running from James Brown to Michael Jackson to New Edition to the Pharcyde, and argues that modern technology — including music videos, YouTube, and mobile internet access — has dramatically accelerated the transmission and universality of dance styles across generations and cultures.
- Introduction to Hip Hop Dance: Hip hop dance as personally significant and culturally influential
- Origins and Styles of Hip Hop Dance: South Bronx roots, breakdancing, and the Pharcyde's fluid style
- New Edition and Bobby Brown's Improvisational Style: Bobby Brown's agile, autonomous footwork as a hip hop ideal
- An Intergenerational Chain of Influence: James Brown to Jackson to Brown to Pharcyde lineage
- Technology as the Bridge for Dance Evolution: Internet and mobile devices universalize dance transmission
- Conclusion: Technology cements hip hop dance's global reach and legacy
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds abstract claims about dance influence in concrete, named examples — the Pharcyde, Bobby Brown, James Brown, and Michael Jackson — giving the argument specificity and credibility.
- The author draws a clear distinction between the type of hip hop dance they admire (fluid, improvisational, autonomous) and types they do not (formal breakdancing, coordinated boy-band choreography), which sharpens the thesis throughout.
- The concluding argument about technology's role in accelerating dance transmission is logically developed through a direct contrast between the mid-20th century (limited broadcast) and the digital era (YouTube, mobile devices), making the technological claim feel earned rather than asserted.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates the use of a traced lineage argument — establishing a chain of influence (James Brown → Michael Jackson → New Edition/Bobby Brown → the Pharcyde → Michael Jackson again) to support a broader claim about how cultural forms evolve over time. This technique is common in arts and cultural studies writing, where showing transmission of influence is a form of evidence.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a broad framing of dance history before narrowing to hip hop dance and the author's personal investment in it. It then develops three supports: the style exemplified by the Pharcyde, the style of New Edition and Bobby Brown, and the intergenerational evolution connecting these artists. The final section shifts to a macro argument about how technology has transformed the transmission of dance influence, bringing the paper to a forward-looking conclusion.
Introduction to Hip Hop Dance
The history of dance is a lengthy and rich one, certainly worthy of serious scholarly pursuit. It encompasses numerous styles and motivations for dancing, as well as a plethora of cultures, ethnicities, races, and religions. Many aspects of these different facets of dance remain highly visible in the 21st century, especially in a country such as the United States, which is a virtual melting pot of people from varying socioeconomic backgrounds. However, despite the multitude of dance styles, the one that has consistently been most compelling — ever since becoming aware of dance from a fully conscious perspective — is what is commonly referred to as hip hop dance. Although the term "hip hop" is used in a variety of contexts, the type of hip hop dancing discussed here is that which accompanies hip hop music. The vast majority of such music is rap, although there are also songs in which artists sing — typically in a variation of rhythm and blues — and dance in this style as well. A thorough deconstruction of this form of dance reveals that history and various tools today, most of which involve technology, have helped to catapult it into one of the most influential styles of dance in contemporary times.
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