By Susie Chen
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The appearance of a Jabbawockeez trike team during the Homecoming Week celebration exemplified the growing popularity of hip-hop at this school, in both dance and music.

Senior Derek Jamerson, one of the Jabbawockeez members, said that although the whole Jabbawockeez ordeal definitely created some laughs, he is normally only seen dancing at school dances. He describes himself as a hip-hop dancer and said he has been dancing for as long as he can remember.

“I have just always loved to dance when I heard music,” he said.

Although Jamerson has never taken a class or had professional training, he said it does not interfere with his abilities as a dancer, a direction of thought Lorenda Carr said she agrees with Jamerson.

“Hip-hop dance has no specific format,” Carr, hip-hop teacher, choreographer and co-coordinator of competition teams at Performers Edge, said via e-mail. “No one needs training in a classroom in order to do hip-hop. There are many names for steps and dances out there, but for the most part, every person has their own style and flair when it comes to this form of dance. When doing hip-hop, teens or anyone, for that matter, can move in a way that makes them feel good.”

According to Carr, hip-hop dance has been prevalent in the United States since the mid-’70s. “Hip-hop has its roots and influences from Africa, but originated right here in the U.S., on the streets, in places like Los Angeles and New York. It was often used as a form of self-expression in very poor areas of cities,” she said.

The many forms of self-expression found through hip-hop are apparent through the numerous styles that this genre is comprised of; breaking, popping and locking are only a few of the forms of hip-hop that have evolved as a part of hip-hop culture.
Jamerson said that although he is a hip-hop dancer, he would specifically define himself as a pop-n-lock and liquid dancer. He said he gets inspiration for his moves by watching others on YouTube or on TV.

“People like Chris Brown, Omarion, Michael Jackson or even just randomly posted videos (inspire me). I see something I like, and I learn it,” he said.

Carr said there also might be certain styles that could evoke certain emotions; krumping, a more aggressive form of hip-hop, she said, could express anger in an effective way. “The best thing about hip-hop is that there is never any right or wrong; it is all about expression, feeling and personal style,” she said.

Music can additionally affect the style of dancing. According to Carr, hip-hop music and hip-hop dance really do go hand and hand. Jamerson also said that his dancing is definitely affected by the type of music he listens to. “I like rock, pop, whatever, but nothing beats a song with a great dance beat,” he said.

For anyone interested in hip-hop, especially dance, Jamerson said to not be afraid to try. “The difference between someone who can’t dance and someone who can is that one of them has tried to,” he said. “When there’s music, just move.”