Hip hop dance never stands still. What starts in a basement studio or regional battle can explode across TikTok feeds and international competition stages within weeks. Right now, several documented styles and techniques are gaining measurable momentum—driven by viral choreography, Olympic breaking's global spotlight, and cross-cultural fusion.
Here are five real movements defining the current moment, where they came from, and how to start learning them.
1. Animation & Advanced Tutting
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Origin roots: Popping, West Coast funk styles
Robotic isolation and geometric hand formations have evolved far beyond their 1970s funk origins. Crews like Jabbawockeez and Kinjaz pushed tutting into theatrical territory, while TikTok choreographers such as @besperon and @karalynndance have made rapid-fire arm tunnels and finger waves go viral with millions of views.
What distinguishes the 2024 wave is layered storytelling—dancers combining tutting with mime, character work, and even AI-inspired movement concepts.
Try this: Practice 90-degree angles in a mirror, then film yourself at 0.5x speed to check whether your lines stay clean through transitions.
2. Airflares and Power Move Revival
Difficulty: Advanced
Origin roots: Breaking (breakdancing), 1990s New York
With breaking now an Olympic sport, foundational power moves are experiencing a technical renaissance. The airflare—a horizontal rotation supported entirely by the hands and core—has become a benchmark move at competitions like Red Bull BC One and the WDSF World Championships.
Contemporary b-boys and b-girls are stacking airflares into longer sequences and combining them with 1990s (one-handed spins) and UFOs (floating circular motions) in ways that blur the line between power and style.
Try this: Build shoulder and wrist conditioning with handstand holds and pseudo-planche leans before attempting any airborne rotation.
3. Gliding and Floating (The TikTok Resurgence)
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Origin roots: The Lockers, Jeffrey Daniel, Mr. Wiggles; later Michael Jackson
The illusion of walking forward while sliding backward—the backslide, popularly known as the moonwalk—never really left. But 2024 has seen a surge in creative gliding variations across platforms, from side-glides to circle glides and airwalks.
Dancers like Slim Boogie and Poppin John continue to innovate within this space, while casual creators on TikTok are rediscovering how musical gliding can make even simple choreography look cinematic.
Try this: Master the weight shift on a slick floor in socks first. Control matters more than speed.
4. Memphis Jookin'
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Origin roots: Memphis, Tennessee, 1980s–1990s
Once a regional street style, Memphis Jookin' has broken into mainstream visibility through Daniel "Cloud" Campos's films, Lil Buck's performances with major orchestras, and sustained TikTok exposure. The style blends footwork-heavy gliding, toe-driven spins, and balletic upper body control.
What makes Jookin' especially relevant now is its musicality-first philosophy—dancers don't just hit beats, they stretch and compress time in ways that reveal hidden layers in a track.
Try this: Start with the buck hop, the foundational bounce-step, and practice dancing on the balls of your feet for extended periods.
5. Afrobeats Fusion in Commercial Hip Hop
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Origin roots: West Africa; global diaspora club culture
Afrobeats has reshaped popular music, and its dance vocabulary—the gwara gwara, shaku shaku, legwork, and zanku—is now embedded in mainstream hip hop choreography. Artists like Burna Boy and Tems tour with dancers who blend Lagos street moves with LA commercial training.
Choreographers such as Parris Goebel and Aliya Janell regularly incorporate Afrobeats footwork into their sets, making this one of the most accessible entry points for newer dancers in 2024.
Try this: Pick one foundational step (start with the gwara gwara) and practice it to different tempos before layering in upper body isolations.
Where to Watch These Moves in Action
- Red Bull BC One (breaking and power moves)
- World of Dance and Urban Dance Camp (commercial fusion)
