Lyrical Hip-Hop: For Believers in The "Rap Is Crap" Mantra

For all fuddy-duddies out there who don't understand hip-hop at all, lyrical hip-hop presents a middle ground for street urban dance. Here's an official definition that will make it easier for you to visualize it:

Lyrical dance: A fusion of the ballet and jazz dance styles, Lyrical Dance aims to interpret the accompanying music in an emotionally expressive way. The dancers’ movements attempt to illustrate the actual meaning and emotion communicated in the song. This passionate dance style is usually used to portray stories of love or loss. (www.dancejam.com/dances/lyrical-dance)

Combine that with hip-hop and you get, you've guessed it Lyrical Hip-Hop. Instead of booty shaking and breakin' all over the place, what you end up with is dancers that play characters conveying emotions normally expressed in jazz/contemporary pieces. It's softer, more subtle, and it's danced to R&B music. The choice of music then becomes critical: it must be soulful, evocative and memorable.

Prolific in this sub-style are choreographing tandem Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo. Their ingenuity and chemistry is palpable. Above, you'll see an example of how both styles are interwoven to form movement that anybody can appreciate. Below is another choreography of their where chemistry and emotion are key to the performance.