Hip-Hop dance, a 70’s retro street dance form, is making a comeback in America in 2026.  Reportedly, this resurgence is marked by high-profile championships and community events like the USA Hip Hop Dance Championship in Los Angeles (April 10–12), Red Bull Dance Your Style qualifiers, and university-level national competitions. 

Here in South Florida, hip-hop classes are also making a comeback. So, while this is news to many, here at BAK, we’ve had some of you asking: “So what is it, really?”

Well, for one thing, it is not just people spinning on their heads and hands, or some other completely awesome move that you could never do without breaking at least a few bones. While the beatboxers in the background hype the dancers up, you think that that’s it, that’s all that hip-hop is, right?

Wrong. Hip-hop is a both an art and dance form. It surfaced in the 1970’s in New York City  and Los Angeles as a high-energy dance style and creative outlets with graffiti involved for marginalized urban youth.

At the time, hip-hop dance and graffiti were deeply connected as two of the four original foundational pillars of hip-hop culture. Throughout its history, they’ve shared a common purpose of artistic expression, territorial identity, and rebellion against mainstream norms. 

To sum it up, hip-hop is a very vibrant type of street dance with many types and forms, and it’s a way to express yourself through dance! Fun, right? It is. It it is also very different from other dance forms and styles, like ballet or jazz. 

“Other dance forms, like ballet and jazz are more graceful and elegant ,” said sixth grader, Zoe Maddock, communications major, who recently joined a hip-hop class, and loves it. As Maddock explained, while jazz has a faster pace and it is more energetic than ballet, which focuses on graceful, light movements, they are both traditional forms that are typically more rigid.  

Well, where do I sign up for a class? You may ask. If you live in Palm Beach County, there are several locations for kids of all ages. So, if you like to dance to upbeat songs like “Sneaker Night” and “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift, then give hip-hop a try. Find a class nearest you and join the hundreds of kids who are experiencing this 70s retro dance form in 2026.