Online Hip-Hop Dance Classes

Hip-hop starts with groove: how you sit in the music, shift your weight, and make movement feel like yours. Train the foundations and the choreography at your own pace, with professional instructors who each bring a different feel.

Browse hip-hop classes See plans and free trial

Train the feeling, not only the counts

Plenty of dancers can memorize hip-hop choreography and still look stiff doing it. The counts are right, but the groove isn't there. What's missing usually lives underneath the steps: bounce and rock, relaxed knees, weight that drops into the floor, and timing that sits inside the music instead of on top of it.

Hip-hop dance grew out of Black and Latino communities in New York, with deep roots in social dance, music, and culture. Knowing that history, and listening closely to the music, will make you a better hip-hop dancer than memorizing steps alone.

Hip-hop is DancePlug's largest style, with classes from basic through advanced. Use them to work both sides of the style: the foundations that make movement feel natural, and the choreography that asks you to pick up, perform, and make choices.

At a glance

Levels: basic, beginner, intermediate, and advanced
Class types: exercises, combinations, and warm-ups
Practice tools: back and mirror views, speed control, and section loops
Instructors include: Jian Pierre-Louis, JJ Rabone, and Gus Bembery

What to build

Groove and bounce

Down and up bounces, rocks, and grooves, practiced until they no longer need thought.

Musicality

Hearing the beat, the snare, the melody, and the lyrics, and choosing what to hit.

Texture and dynamics

Sharp versus smooth, hard hits versus soft ones, big versus small.

Footwork and weight changes

Clean transitions, so you're always ready for the next step.

Pickup and retention

Learning eight-counts quickly and holding onto them under pressure.

Performance

Face, focus, and intention, whether it's for class, camera, or an audition.

How to practice a hip-hop class

Warm up with a groove. Put on a song you love and bounce, rock, and step touch for a few minutes before class.
Learn the combination in sections using the back view, slowing the video down where the footwork gets busy.
Once the steps are in your body, bring the speed back up and dance with the music, not just the counts.
Retake the class on another day and choose one quality to work on: timing, texture, levels, or performance.
Film one full run and compare with the mirror view. Look for where you lose the groove, not only where you miss a step.

Try it with Simple Groove, a beginner hip-hop exercise from Gus Bembery.

Choosing your level

Dancers with lots of training in other styles often still benefit from starting hip-hop at beginner level. Groove is its own skill, and it's much easier to build before the choreography gets fast.

Beginner

New to hip-hop, or still finding bounce and rhythm. Hip-hop has more beginner classes than any other style on DancePlug.

Beginner classes

Intermediate

You can learn a short combination in one session and dance it through at full speed.

Intermediate classes

Advanced

You pick up quickly and want faster, more detailed choreography with room for personal style.

Advanced classes

Learn from the instructors

Find your bounce with Jian Pierre-Louis

Jian Pierre-Louis has performed with artists including Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, and Beyoncé, and has taught at studios such as Broadway Dance Center and Movement Lifestyle. His beginner classes are a great place to build groove: start with the bounce exercise, then put it to work in the combination.

Bounce Around the Clock with Jian Pierre-Louis

Learn from different instructors

Hip-hop is personal. Every instructor brings a different feel, and learning from several teachers is one of the fastest ways to widen your range.

If you enjoy a sharper, more stylized commercial feel, jazz funk is a natural next style. If you want to go deeper into social dance and footwork, try house classes.