Notes:
Popping is a large section of hip hop dancing and has many different moves,
variations, styles, etc… There are some generic things to learn first
and some general understanding is needed as a base of how to flow. That is
what I will try to teach. My tutorial will focus on a simple pop with your
arms, which is usually the very first thing you learn. From watching videos
and stuff you can learn new moves and slowly start to create your own style. Instructions:
Start with your hand in a flat karate chop, positioned right below your chest
about a foot and a half away from your body.
Now
the key in the beginning is to only move one specific part of your arm at a
time. Remember to do this slowly then build up in speed and fluidity. First
drop your fingers up to your middle knuckles so that it makes a 90 degree angle.
Then
drop the rest of your fingers up to your real knuckles, remember not to move
anything else.
Now
drop straight down your hand up to your wrist.
This
next part is the most confusing and messes people up all the time. First your
elbow at this point should be below your wrist and your hand should be pointing
down, so your arm makes a slight triangle. Now raise both your fingertips and
your elbow and drop your wrist. It should be sort of like a piston. Your fingertips
should almost come up automatically with the dropping of the wrist so you don’t
have to focus too much on that.
Now
in this position raise your shoulder up, then the opposite shoulder.
By
the time your opposite shoulder is raised your first arm should be near straightened
out. Now all that’s left is coming down the opposite side, which is relatively
easy. Most of the time people don’t even learn the actual mechanics,
they just sort of flop it out, which normally doesn’t look to bad, but
you can tell and it’s a good mark for beginning people who have lazy
left arms. So to go down the opposite side you have your shoulder up and your
going to do the exact opposite as before, raise the elbow, keep the wrist down
and fingers up, then switch and then role out the finger tips.
