NYC Popping dance Academy

Mind Training workshop 01

2010-04-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

A tree with many branches
Each branch hold a final manifestation of one desire.
One can not learn the meaning of the tree by looking at one branch
Need to start from what makes up the tree
Need to start with the seed
Core teaching teach basic
Free mind with no style of any
Strong basic build strong discipline
Life and art teaches each other
Good Seed, Good Soul into good future
Your life meaning will become your style
You style is not the same as my style but we are from the same tree
Good roots can fix any darkness
Don’t expect but react with your core
The end is a new beginning
Practice is forever

Tommy 'Hypno' Chan
NYC popping Dance Academy

Start your Tutting training in the right mind set and your future will be unlimited

2010-03-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

One major mistake that most beginner make with tuting is they start out thinking is all move base and everything have to be new with each movement. Tutting is really not just moves set to another set, its really about how you build your groove.

In later level you really don’t go in thinking you will do these set tut combos. You just go and let the music build with your tutting technique. Just this mind set alone can help a young dancer understand how to create movement.. Also don’t be afraid to look bad at 1st we all need to start from step one then beyond . The more you watch and copy the harder it is to break out and really enjoy your own tutting style.

Tutting also is not always about yourself , when we do team or partner tutting you have to build in a way that your partner can vibe off of your set up and make everything comes together.

Try to just tut to a whole song and not use any waves or other technique in it. Don’t worry about repeat just do what is right to you with the music. Once you are really empty with ideas or moves then you will begin to step into the new dimensions of creativity and only at that point where you will truly begin your explanation of tutting. This might take 5min to 20min or 45min into just tutting depending on your level.

Sometime we forget why we dance and what truly matter.

2010-03-18T12:09:00.001-07:00

After years of dancing in event, battles, shows and having the ups and downs with this dance. People hating or loving you or you hating or loving people because of dance. There will be all kind of drama as you get deeper into any culture but some where deep inside our soul ,we must understand what is real and not. It easy to get all fried up and hate everything when its not going your way, but the easy way is to simply step back and take a look at what you are fight for . Are you ready to make a real change for what you believes in by making real things happen? Are you ready to not follow the same path you hate and create a new one . This path is not just for yourself but for the future. Give the next generation a chance to pick what they want to do. That is what I learn from this dance. It can teach you something real about yourself. Pointing finger , judging other action don’t change anything unless you step up and make your own history with real people to people interaction and understand we all learn from each other.

Fast Popping Workout to help you keep or build power

2010-02-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

Practice it more important then anything you do. If you don’t enjoy practice then you will never get to a higher level of popping. Here is a simple fast workout that I do 3 times a week but if you can take it or have time you can do this every other day or every day. This workout with help you keep the hits you have or build stronger ones.
Warm up
Jumping Jack 25x
Sit up 20x
Shoulder roll 15x
Jumping Jack 25x
Push up 10x

Arm Hitting one count
2min
Knees Hitting one count
2 min

Arm hitting 2 counts
2min
Legs hitting 2 count 2min

Basic Arm Clicks ( hard clicks no hits)
Left to Right 15x
Basic Arm clicks with hits
Left to Right 15x

Arm hitting 2 counts
2 min
Knees hitting 2 counts
2 min

Arm waves combo with 1 body waves set
10 times ( clean with hits at the beginning and end of each waves)

Full Body hitting ( Arm and legs) 2 counts
2 min

Cool down
Dime stop free form
Chill and cool your mind.

What are some of the key things to keep in mind when performing on stage?

2010-02-13T06:49:00.000-08:00

Some key thing to keep in mind is when you are performing you are doing it for other people and you are no longer just dancing for yourself. Understand your stage set up and who is watching. Also keep in mind how much time you have. You never want to get down so much to a point that people are tired of watching you. Your eyes should always look out and beyond and never just watch your feet dance. You face and how you act on stage is a big part of performing so make sure you are aware of your expression . There are lots more things to keep in mind but these are some quick tips you can use to start with.

How to do well in a battle with judges?

2010-02-02T05:26:00.000-08:00

When it comes to battle where there are judges there are a few thing you should keep in mind. 1st you are dancing to please the judges so before the battle start ,go ask each judges what are they looking for as far as style. Never get trap and do style or technique that you are not good at ,just because the other guy is getting down with it don’t mean you have to. Try not to over dance your set.. It is very good to keep your set under 1 min or so . Start out the set showing some groove then hit a sick moves if the music let it. The most important thing for each set is your hits, always keep it clean , hard and show level when hitting. The final things to keep in mind is that any time there is a battle with judges it will be base on the taste of each judges, if you the type of person that hate to loose and always want everyone to think the same way you think then battling ( with judges ) might not be best for you.

Musicality 101

2010-01-26T18:53:00.001-08:00

Not everyone will dance to the same style of music. Most of the time popping will be done in funk or electro , but not everyone are into that kind of music so lets break it down to the basic. 1st lets break down technique . For a beginner use one technique for one layer of the music. For example. Hitting with back beats ( drum beat) the beat that keep the groove of the song. The next layer sound might be Guitar, base, or what ever sound use isolation with that layer. So the idea here is to match one technique with one layer of music .This is a great way to start to understand your own groove and how you like to dance to a song. The more you work on it the more ideas you can use to express yourself.

How to get Clean Waves?

2010-01-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

To perform a clean wave dancer must understand their own limitation. Waves is made up by many different isolation of the join. Some isolation is full and some are half set to give it layer. Clean wave is when a dance perform a control wave isolation . To work on this , you must work on your clicks ( hard full join isolation).

Should I learn digit ? Will it help with my popping ?

2010-01-17T13:00:00.000-08:00

Digit is a total different dance then popping. Digit is all about finger control, flow and builds more like tutting technique. Will digit help with your popping technique that is a NO. Will it help? That is base on your style. If you are more of a tutting person then learning digit will totally help but if you are a grove and hit person then digit would not be too much of a use in your every day flow. Digit will help you with your waves starting points and end because of the finger control. In the end of the should you learn some digit foundation the answer would be yes .

NYC Popping Week 2010 News 001

2010-01-16T18:51:00.001-08:00

Its finally 2010 and this year we are gearing up early for our popping week. Just like our past 2 years we will have our free workshop for 2 days. One day for basic and one for adv student. We will also add a new workshop day that will work on creative ideas.

Boogie Nation NYC will have the One on one battle and we are adding a King Tut contest as well. I will post more detail later this year.

Please tell you friend about our event, join our e-mail list, or groups to get news and update.

How do I start to learn about tutting ?

2010-01-14T18:32:00.000-08:00

Tutting is a funny techniques. The more you copy the harder it is to get your style but if you don't copy then you cant understand pattern So how do you do it? Well the main thing is to learn what is Foundational Pattern . These are set moves that will always show up in any tut set and they are the basic form. This is kind of like looking for the basic building block then build you home. One very important thing to understand is Tutting is not about how many moves you can make , it is a dance that flow by building angle . Don't watch a video and only looking for moves but look at the flow and if its clean.

Why technique is so important?

2010-01-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

Technique is what make up this dance! If you are just doing moves and combos with no ideas on how things works, then you will never really do your style ( doing you! ). A lot of people want to understand how to get their style but have no idea that style only comes from techniques.

How to get started with popping ?

2010-01-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

Back in the days if you wanted to get started with popping you have to go to a party or meet someone that does it. Now a day you can learn from online and videos. I still think the best way to learn this dance is to take a class and meet someone that does it. Then use the video or online to add on what you learned from your teacher. As a beginner its always important to learn the foundation and then build your style from it.

What does popping means to you?

2010-01-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

Popping mean the world to me. It gave me a tool to reach out to all type of people from all over the world. I think the best thing about this dance is the more you learn the more you feel like you need to learn more about yourself. There is really no end to each technique and style. Sometime I feel like Popping is not even a dance but an idea that have no limits.