The difference between a beginner and an intermediate hip hop dancer isn't the number of moves they know — it's how they move between them. If you can hit a running man, hold a basic isolation, and stay on beat but freeze when the tempo picks up or the combo gets longer, this guide is your bridge to the next level.
Below, you'll find accurate breakdowns of essential intermediate moves, common mistakes to avoid, and a practice structure you can use immediately.
Why Your Foundation Still Matters
Before adding complexity, your basics need to be automatic. At the intermediate level, three foundational elements should feel effortless:
- Rhmic accuracy: You can land movements cleanly on the beat, the off-beat, and in the spaces between.
- Body isolations: Your head, shoulders, chest, and hips can move independently without throwing off your center.
- Foundational steps: The running man, the prep, the bounce, and basic grooves are second nature.
If any of these feel shaky, spend one week drilling them in front of a mirror before moving on. Intermediate moves fall apart when the foundation is rushed.
Essential Intermediate Moves: Accurate Breakdowns
The Moonwalk (Backslide)
What it is: A signature illusion of walking forward while sliding backward, popularized by Michael Jackson. It belongs to the larger "glide" family but is distinct from side glides or reverse glides.
Key mechanics:
- Raise the heel of your supporting foot so your weight sits on the ball.
- Slide the flat of your other foot backward across the floor, keeping continuous contact.
- Transfer weight smoothly and silently to the new supporting foot.
- Keep your upper body relatively still — any shoulder bounce breaks the illusion.
Common mistake: Lifting the sliding foot off the floor. The toe should drag lightly across the surface throughout the movement.
Practice drill: Start holding a wall or barre. Slide one foot back 6 inches, return to center, repeat. Build to alternating feet without support. Aim for 3 sets of 16 slides per foot.
The Wave
What it is: A continuous, fluid transfer of motion through the body, creating the visual effect of a wave traveling across your form.
Key mechanics:
- Initiate from your fingertips, not your shoulder. Tuck one fingertip, then the next knuckle, then the wrist.
- Let the motion travel sequentially through the forearm, elbow, shoulder, chest, opposite shoulder, and down the opposite arm — or continue through the torso and legs.
- Speed control matters. A wave can be fast and sharp or slow and liquid; intermediate dancers should practice both.
Common mistake: Moving two body parts at once. The wave collapses when the elbow and shoulder move simultaneously instead of in sequence.
Practice drill: Practice "segment isolation" daily. Hold all body parts still except one. Move only your wrist. Then only your elbow. Then only your shoulder. This builds the independent control the wave demands.
Popping
What it is: A funk style built on quick muscle contractions (hits) that create sharp, robotic illusions. It originated in Fresno, California, in the 1970s.
Key mechanics:
- Contract specific muscles suddenly and release them just as fast. Common entry points: the biceps, triceps, chest, neck, and legs.
- Popping is not about moving your limb — it's about flexing the muscle so the limb appears to snap into place.
- Combine hits with dime stops, angles, and waving for fuller vocabulary.
Common mistake: Tensing your entire body. Effective popping isolates contractions. If everything is tight, nothing stands out.
Practice drill: Set a metronome to 90 BPM. Hit one muscle group on every beat for 2 minutes. Switch muscle groups every 30 seconds. Gradually increase tempo and combine two muscle groups.
Locking
What it is: A distinct funk style created by Don Campbell in Los Angeles during the early 1970s, characterized by sharp stops (locks), exaggerated hand gestures, and an upbeat, playful attitude.
Key mechanics:
- Move into a position, then "lock" it by freezing suddenly and holding the tension.
- Common positions include the wrist lock, the point, and the split.
- Locking emphasizes performance and character — smile, make eye contact, and own the moment.
Common mistake: Confusing locking with popping. Locking freezes at the end of a movement's range; popping contracts muscles during the movement. The aesthetics, origins, and techniques are different.
Practice drill: Practice the "lock and drop." Move your arm up, lock at the top, drop to a new position, lock again. Do this to upbeat funk music (James Brown, Zapp) to internalize
