Street

In 2009, a dance group known as Diversity captured the attention of British audiences with a spectacular routine which secured their victory in the popular TV show 'Britain's Got Talent'. Their routine included an amazing performance of synchronized and acrobatic movements. This event was the trigger for the expression "street dance" to come to the notice of the general public.

Street, as it is now informally known, is a broad term used to describe a range of dance styles more precisely characterised by descriptions such as hip hop, breakdancing and funk. Street has since spawned a whole new dance lexicon, including terms such as popping, locking, waving and krumping.

A dancer pops by jerking their body - quickly contracting and relaxing the muscles. The resulting movements are commonly referred to as pops or hits. Locking refers to fast and exaggerated movements which freeze into a rigid, locked position. Waving describes fluid movements that appear to ripple through the limbs. Krumping is the execution of free, expressive and energetic movements of the arms, legs, head and chest.

The origins of the word Hip-Hop are often disputed, and it is also argued as to whether Hip Hop started in the South or West Bronx. While the term Hip Hop is often used to refer exclusively to Hip Hop music, also called rap, Hip Hop is characterized by nine elements, of which only four are considered essential to understand it in a musical sense. These four main elements of Hip Hop are now known as:

• rapping - a rhythmic vocal style;
• DJ-ing - making music with record players and DJ mixers;
• break dancing and;
• graffiti art.

A fifth element of Hip Hop is considered by some to be either street knowledge, Hip Hop fashion, or beatboxing. Bronx Hip Hop emerged from neighbourhood parties thrown by an African-American group. Hip Hop culture has since spread throughout the USA and the world. Its elements have been adapted as it spread to different cultures. However, the four elements still exist as the fundamentals of Hip Hop culture. Hip Hop is both a new and old phenomenon. Utilizing elements of older culture and reusing it in a new context, is known as "flipping" in Hip Hop culture. It has become the language of urban youths and their environment all around the world.

In the twenty-first century, with the rise of numerous new media platforms and social networking, fans have been introduced to Hip Hop and have been able to download or stream the music.