Commercial street dance is one of those styles that you might recognise without actually knowing the name. Back in 2011, when an episode of So You Think You Can Dance drew ‘commercial’ into the mainstream. Since then we love commercial dance with lots more people taking commercial street dance lessons – here’s why:
Hip-hop dance
Commercial has its roots in hip-hop dance, which was the dancing side of the culture that emerged in the 1970s. TV shows such as Soul Train and later Breakin’, Beat Style and Wild Style in the 1980s saw that hip-hop dance become something that everyone became aware of.
The dance industry looked at this new culture and started to create its own versions of these dances and styles. Classically trained dances learning from hip-hop dancers. They then start choreographing dances in these styles and the nature of hip-hop meant that these dances happened both in dance studios and even in the street.
The birth of commercial
This newly choreographed version of hip-hop with its classic trained dancers and choreographers quickly led to the creation of a commercial version of the hip-hop style. This new style was also seen in pop music videos and concerts for rap, pop and R&B artists and groups, forming a bridge between the culture and the mainstream.
This new style commercial street dance started to spread around the world. For example, a dance documentary in 1992 called Wreckin’ Shop from Brooklyn brought the new style to countries like France and Japan where it was really popular. These New York hip-hop dancers took new style to be their own and created ‘New York Style’.
All you need is lots of energy and a sense of fun. Dancing is great and helps boost confidence and increase fitness levels, so why not join one of our amazing commercial street dance classes! Message us at redxdance@outlook.com
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