And 5, 6, 7, 8 and pose.
Dozens of students are frozen in the moment at the request of Jimmie Green--one of the few times in the new dance instructor's upbeat, high-energy hip-hop dance class that he will direct his students to be still.
For the first time in the University's history, hip-hop fans are now able to obtain formal instruction in the art of dance. Green's class is open to students of all dance backgrounds, as long as they think they can keep up with a fast-paced introduction to an extremely lively art form.
"It's pretty hard and I'm not used to this kind of movement," said junior Natalia Dorfman, sweating and tired after over an hour of dancing, "but it's a lot of fun."
Although hip-hop dance is rigorous and many students come into the class relatively inexperienced, Green said most of the students are able to learn the moves at the fast pace in which he teaches. Many students noted that it was a love for hip-hop that prompted them to enroll in the class.
"I love hip-hop because of the music and the chance to dance something that I consider part of my [African-American] roots," said junior Debo Aderibigbe.
Though Aderibigbe has never gained any dance experience through formal classes, he did note that he has been able to incorporate moves he learned "in the club" into his hip-hop routines.
On the first day of class, Green began teaching his students the first of several dance routines, onto which he adds piece by piece during each class period. A handpicked group of students will be invited to showcase these routines in a professionally-produced show in November, alongside numerous other dance classes.
Hip-hop dance, which encompasses numerous old and new styles set to a urban beat, is a relatively young hybrid but Green said he is sure it will be around for a long time. He called it a "dream" to teach.
Early in his life, Green grabbed dance by the drawstrings and has yet to let go. He danced professionally for over 15 years with Chuck Davis, who is the founder and artistic director of the nationally renowned African American Dance Ensemble, before breaking off from the team seven years ago to teach others.
Although Green has just recently made his way to the University, he has taught dancers of all ages and skill levels ranging from school-aged children to professionals in dance studios. He decided to bring his skill to Duke partly because of the American Dance Festival, which has been held at the University for the past 25 years and has established Duke as a major destination for dance.
"The dance program is popular at Duke, and Durham is a good place for the arts," said Green.
The addition of Green's class has further diversified the long list of dance courses available at Duke. "[Hip-hop] is an exciting cultural dance form that we should be offering when we can," said Barbara Dickinson, director of the dance program.
Green hopes to explore the cultural roots of hip-hop dance in greater depth by emphasizing the African dance elements that have influenced it. Although he said many hip-hoppers do not fully appreciate the connection between the two, some students in his class are beginning to notice the similarities.
"Some of the dance motions are borrowed from other genres," said junior Takiyah Leerdam, who was able to draw parallels between hip-hop and her experiences with African dance.
And what of next year? Hip-hop's return to the dance curriculum partly depends, like many things at the University, on the budget. "We only have a certain amount of money for courses not taught by regular Duke faculty," said Dickinson.
This means that like dance forms such as swing and tap, hip-hop dance will likely be offered every other semester. Financial issues aside, Green said the demand will certainly be there.
"The kids are eating it up," he said. "As long as they're hungry, I'm gonna feed it to them."
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