How to Dance to Trap Music

Dancing to the Beat

Make major movements on the second and fourth beat. The bass and snare drum usually hit on the second and fourth beat so listen for them in the music. Groove along with the music to find the beats so you can jump or move side to side with them. This helps you time your dance moves to the same time as the music. The bass lines in trap music are prominent, so use the bass hits to emphasize your dance moves. Many trap songs are in the 4/4 time signature, meaning they have 4 beats every measure.

Keep your body loose. Staying stiff is important for some dance moves like popping or doing the robot, but stay loose if you want to switch between dances easily. Relax your muscles so your body moves fluidly and so you don’t get any sprains or strains. If you plan on dancing, stretch before and after to help prevent injury and loosen your muscles.

Watch routines or tutorials if you want dance ideas. If you don’t have any ideas of how people usually dance to trap music, watch videos of concerts or freestyles that showcase the dancers. Watch how their body moves and follow their instructions to perfect your own dances. Youtubers like Jardy Santiago and Matt Steffanina are great to watch for ideas on choreography.

Move however the music makes you feel. There are no rules for dancing, so do whatever makes you happy while you’re dancing. Don’t care about what others are doing around you or what others think of your dance moves. The most important thing is that you’re having fun with the music! When it doubt, pumping your arms and jumping along to the beat works just fine!

Incorporating Advanced Hip-Hop Techniques

Practice moving your body in slow motion. Start by quickly jerking your chest and shoulders to one side, then pretend that your body movement is pulling your arms in slow motion. Slowly lift your arms to the side opposite of your body before pulling them closer to you. Practice the movement on each side of your body until it looks smooth and fluid. This technique is also known as “warping.”

Try "ticking" to make it look like your body is glitching. Start with your arms relaxed at your sides, and then tighten the muscles in your upper arms to jerk your forearms up slightly. Make them come to a hard stop. Try raising and lowering your arms in these short, jerky movements to make it look like you’re robotic. Practice ticking your arms in up, down, and side to side to add variety to your dance moves. Ticking can be done with your chest, legs, or neck as well. This technique is also referred to as “strobing” since it resembles what you’d look like if you were dancing under a strobe light.

Pop your body to the rhythm of the music. Popping is flexing and releasing your muscles to make it make your body pop. Start by holding your arms up at a 90-degree angle and then flex your biceps. Immediately relax them so it looks like your arm jerks slightly when you move it. Try to keep your full body stiff each time you pop. Try popping your legs by moving your knee backward and flexing your quads.

Move your shoulders while keeping your head in place. Practice shifting your chest and shoulders to one side of your body while moving your head to the opposite side. Then move your shoulders to the other side. This gives the illusion that your head stays in the same place while the rest of your body moves. Once you feel comfortable moving your shoulders side to side, start rocking them forward and backward while keeping your head still. Practice in front of a mirror so you can watch where you position your head as you do the movements.

Practice finger tutting. Tutting is an advanced style of popping where you move your arms and fingers in sharp, articulate movements. Keep your hands and your elbows stiff to form boxes and lines with your arms along to the rhythm of the music. Continue working on the movements to make different combinations of shapes and to increase your speed. Watch videos and tutorials online to learn basic combos and routines.

Glide from side to side on your toes. Lift one of your legs slightly and try to hold it so your sole is parallel to the floor. Then move your raised foot back and forth so it doesn’t change height, doing your best to keep your foot in a straight line. Use the toes on your other foot to push off the floor, and cross your raised leg in front of the one on your floor. Once you finish the movement, plant your raised foot and glide with the other. Practice this dance move on a smooth surface with flat-soled shoes. Try to make your body look as fluid as possible as you move by balancing your weight distribution.