I am video happy right now and I didn’t want this one to wait till friday so I thought I’d drop it today and brighten up your Mondays with some Urban Strides luv!
We pride ourselves on looking forward, innovating and bringing you guys the latest moves. So when we incorporated Krump into Hip Hop Don’t Stop 4 years ago we were doing something that no-one else was doing. But as art forms grow and develop so do the artists and choreographers of that artform. We always enjoy working with artists who are pushing the boundaries and moving our culture forward. During the summer our Urban Strides family member Kyle J did exactly that. He dropped a sik piece of choreo that just goes to show what you can do with Krump. Check it out.
Let me know your thoughts, drop your comments in the box below I want to hear what you think.
Have a good Monday,
Big luv
Andy
P.S. Just thought you should know there are only 4 places left in your class at Hip Hop Don’t Stop, if you haven’t already reserved your place but you want to hang out with us and Kyle J next week you need to go ahead and reserve your place. Call Alison now on 08448 488825 to reserve your spot.
Well the way life is at the moment the one thing we know we can usually rely on are the opinions and beliefs of those around us. Our peers, friends, colleagues, the ones that understand us best, the people that are closest to our lives and understand what happens in them. Well I think what your peers say about something is usually pretty powerful. Here is a video of people that feel very strongly about something and want to share it with you. They are your peers they have the same aspirations as you, thoughts feelings and fears. They are probably worth listening to.
Just to let you know today (Friday 14th October) is the last day you can book over the phone to save £50 on your place on Hip Hop Don’t Stop. The usual cost for the 3 days is £197 however if you book today you save £50 and receive it for the huge discounted price of just £147.
You can still book online up until Sunday 16th October at midnight but if you want to book over the phone now is your last chance the office shuts at 5 pm and then Alison has to go home and cook tea for the Mulford Massive!
If you haven’t already reserved your place for Hip Hop Don’t Stop remember you have nothing to lose. If for any reason after the first morning you don’t think it’s absolutely awesome let us know and we’ll give you your money back no questions asked.
To reserve your place right now call Alison on 08448 488825
We just got this out of our video footage from Summer Hip Hop Don’t Stop. It’s a video of Mekanikool P dropping a nasty freestyle and dancing to of all things a Phil Collins tune. It just goes to show you can do Street Dance to whatever music inspires you. Check it out.
This was a really dope moment during the summer and I remember heads were talking about it all week afterwards. One of the great things about Hip Hop Don’t Stop is every event something happens that is totally spontaneous and makes the whole thing worth it. If you were there and saw this freestyle live, let me know what you thought, hit us up with a comment in the box below i’d love to hear what you thought of it.
Have a fab wednesday
Andy
P.S. This Sunday is the deadline for the early booking discount for Hip Hop Don’t Stop the cost is £197 but if you book before Sunday you save a masssive £50 and you get the course for just £147. I know places are going every day, call Alison to reserve your place on 08448 488825 or you can do it online: Click here to reserve your place now If you want to be inspired and be there when magical moments like this happen, then make the choice now to come, we guarantee it will be a really positive experience, why wait?
I’m switching it up today and dropping you a monday blog of joy! Here is a video I think you should see. On it are the Uk’s leading lights in inspirational street dance teaching and choreography. These guys work all round the world and have taught at many events, workshops and masterclasses from New York to Malaysia. Here they say their piece on how important Hip hop Don’t Stop is to them. Check it out.
When the instructors feel just as passionately as the dancers you know you have created an atmosphere and something special that has to be experienced to be believed. We know the difference this event can make to you so We have done 2 things to make it simple for you to book.
1. We guarantee you will love it. If you don’t we give you your money back. simple
2. We are offering you a massive £50 discount if you book before Sunday 16th October
I know if you were serious about having fun and learning next level Street Dance knowledge in a fantastic environment then you would have already booked your place. 61 people already have. If you haven’t yet booked your place decide now to inspire yourself and come along, only good things will come of it.
Just so know places are limited and the special offer deadline is only 6 days away.
Happy Friday. Alison the video editing legend has just completed the brand new video of Hip Hop Don’t Stop.
Let us know what you think!
Hip Hop Don’t Stop is an event that you just need to experience. Make the decision to make this Hip Hop Don’t Stop the one you come to. 61 Places have already gone. Your special offer discount of saving a massive £50 expires on Sunday 16th October. The top instructors from Summer are going to be there, and remember we make it so easy for you to come you literally have nothing to lose! You will learn the foundations of all the street dance styles including Lockin, Poppin, Hip Hop, House krumpin, and New skool and MTV styles. Plus learn how to freestyle and create some dope routines.
2 concrete reasons why you have nothing to lose and every thing to gain by coming:
No.1 – If you don’t have the time of life we give you your money back. Simple
No.2 – We have a massive saving of £50 if you book before Sunday 16th October.
What are you waiting for? Make the decision to be part of something special. If you want more info call Alison on 08448 488825 or take a look at the reservation page: Click Here to find out more
Hope you have a fab weekend,
Big luv
Andy
P.S.
Leave a comment and let us know what you think of the vid, and if you’ve been to Hip Hop Don’t Stop before let us know what you thought or if you’re coming in October let us know what your looking forward to, just pop a comment in the reply box below, have a fab friday x
3 days of exciting real deal authentic Street dance delivered by the most sought after instructors in europe.
For those of you who have not heard of the legend that is Hip Hop Don’t Stop let me fill you in.
7 years ago I realised there was nowhere in the UK to learn real Street Dance foundations in one place in an intensive course. During my research I found the following:
Some people did intensives that were purely based on choreography and commercial dance. Fun but not great in actually making you a better dancer. After all, just learning a combination of movements without any names or context will not make you a better dancer, it will just help you learn choreo faster.
I also found places that did teach authentic foundation (those places were in Europe) but they did not give off a friendly vibe and there was little interaction between the participants. So I wanted to create the Ultimate Street dance event which brought all these things together.
My goal was:
1. To create a positive and friendly environment where people would feel cared for and supported while they were learning.
2. Somewhere to laugh! when we laugh we relax, when we relax we learn better. We understand this so we create an environment where having fun is absolutely fundamental.
3. To offer the opportunities for different ages and abilities so whoever you were you had a class that was suited for you. We have classes for absolute beginners, young people, adults, And for the last 2 yrs we’ve also included a space for teachers to come and work on their skills to ensure not only do they improve but that they can take the best info back to their students.
4. To give people space and time to ask questions and work on their freestyle and routines so you can work at the pace that best suits you.
5. To select the best possible teachers who are not only exceptional dancers but incredible teachers.
6. To make it your event, You’re in control, after each event we ask you who you’re favourite teachers are to make sure we bring them back.
Here is a video from last year to give you an idea of the kind of fun you can have!
Here are 7 facts you may not be aware of:
1. We have run 14 Hip Hop Don’t Stop’s and after every event we listen to your views and make changes to make the next one an even better experience for everyone.
2. Every single Hip Hop Don’t Stop has sold out without exception.
3. This year we have more pre-booking’s than before, we have already pre-sold 61 places!
4. As with every single Urban Strides experience it comes with a money back guarantee
5. Our instructors are just as keen to return as our students such is the positivity passion and power of the event
6. All of our teachers that have received distinctions on our “World’s first accredited teacher training qualification” have been to Hip Hop Don’t Stop to learn.
7. Teachers that bring their students regularly win 1st places in national and regional competitions.
8. This is the biggest early booking discount we’ve ever given, if you book before Sunday 16th October you save a massive £50!
Here is a list of Master teachers (in no particular order) who have all been to Hip Hop Don’t stop:
Kenrick Sandy – Boy Blue – Lawrence Oliver winner
Simeon Qsyea – Birdgang – Choreographer JLS, Alexandra Burke
BBOY Mouse – world BBoy champion
Mukhtar Omar Sharif – Plague – world champion- Cirque Du solieii Las Vegas
Kimberley J – Nike Athlete – Style fest – Serious about Street
Mekanikool P – 2 x Uk Poppin champ
Dickson Mbi – 2 X Uk Poppin Champ
Andy Instone – Urban Strides – 36 TV channels – 128 Countries – 68 Arena performances
Fred Folkes – Honourary Electric Boogaloo family
Mark Webb – Take That – Elton John
Maria Swainson – Timbaland – Alexandra Burke
Brook – Plague – Street Dance The Movie
This is just a small amount of the phenomenal teachers and dancers we have had at Hip Hop Don’t Stop, but it does give you an idea of the caliber of our instructors.
If you want to have fun, learn real authentic Street Dance foundations, have an experience of the brand new styles and choreography which is happening right now, plus you want to interact and spend time with like minded positive and passionate people this is the event you have been waiting for.
It’s for 3 days from 25th-27th October in High Wycombe ( for accommodation info call Alison 08448 488825)
To reserve your place call 08448 488825 or book online here http://www.urbanstrides.com/hhdsinfo.php
We have just uploaded our performance we did for my boy JP. JP runs a street dance company in Brighton and puts on a wicked show every year called Straight up. This year he asked us to headline along side Chris and Wes (Got to dance winners) We have had such a manic summer we have only just had time to get it on the blog! The show was a great success and we got a standing ovation which we were not expecting! – Thanks for all the love we really appreciate it.
It’s our brand new piece and I’d love to hear what you think. Hope you enjoy it.
Hit me up in the comment box below I’d love to hear your thoughts.
One of my good friends and one of the first people to show me the depth of authentic Street Dance styles Brooklyn Terry dropped a nasty freestyle in a battle. I’ve shown this clip to a few peeps on the TTQ and on the masterclass on saturday so I thought I should put this on here so everyone can revel in the joy!
Key things to notice are the way Terry (He’s on the right by the way) feels the music, and the brilliant use of foundations ie glides and loose legs. As we are doing House this term I thought you guys would appreciate this!
Let me know what you think.
Tell me which bit was your favourite in the box below.
Hope your cool. I know your just getting back into work mode. It’s a bit of a mission when you have come off holiday and you get straight back into the usual routine of the daily grind. Because of this I have decided to appoint myself chief cheerer upper ( ahem.. yes that is a proper title) so I thought this friday’s blog would just be about putting a smile on your face and making you laugh, an underrated activity but one of vital importance. I say if you can’t fit 90 sec of your day in to watch two sesame street characters cover “Ante up” what is the world coming to? Big up to my gal Mel for the link thanks hun you rock x
Enjoy:
I’m a personal fan of the trumpet section hit me up with your fave bits in the reply box below and let me know if this made you smile x
During the Teacher training course I delivered over the summer I kept stressing the importance of understanding the history of Street Dance, and the most common questions that accompany it-Where, when, why , how and who. These questions are absolutely key in our development for the future. At the end of my Street Dance history seminar I asked the question – “Why is this relevant to you?” because sometimes you can get lost in history, digging around in the past is fun but ultimately we like moving forward and fundamentally life is not to be lived in the past it’s about the future.
However there is one truth that no matter how hard we try to escape we cannot get away from. The fact that the more you understand about the history of your craft the more successful you will become. It has also definitely been my experience and that of my peers. The big turning point in my career was when I decided to jump on a plane and begin my journey to learn from the pioneers. Find out what these dances were really about, their history, why they were created, the social climate of the area in which they were created, the background of the soul artists that created the songs they danced to, what their intention was of the music, what influences were around at that time and so on.
Since I first made that decision to remain a student and to never stop learning my life has become so much more fulfilling, I believe and understand what I do so much more. I can now create with ease because I understand the very fabric of what I’m creating.
So sometimes when we have such a desperate need to go forwards what we really need to do is take a step back and discover what has happened before us. In order to succeed in the revolution we need to understand the evolution.
The best way to look at this is to see the artists, companies, and institutions that have been successful longer than a decade. Find out what most of them have in common….you’ll find apart from a thirst and need to develop and innovate they also deeply understand their subject. Blaggers can be successful for a period of time, sometimes even as long as a year or two but if they fail to learn, grow and develop they’ll quickly be forgotten. If they don’t understand the fabric of what they are creating and realising the ultimate truth…In creation all we are doing is a remix. An interpretation or a re-working of what came before us then the brief success will fade. For evidence of this you only have to look at the long line of street dance crews that don’t survive longer than 2 years, musicians that can only manage one good album, the writer with only one good book, the flash in the pan.
This is why I constantly name check my teachers and mentors both in class and in conversations with others because I am merely a vessel of the incredible leaps and bounds that have come before my time.
The real truth is this, when you understand the rich history and depth that has come before you, you stop trying to reinvent the wheel and you begin to accept that learning is everything. You only have to look how happy a young child is when they play with a toy for the first time or their eyes when they first go to the cinema or try a new food, it’s amazing because learning is at the very core of what we’re about. Also it’s a hell of a lot of fun! And if you feel like you haven’t found joy in anything new recently I suggest you try something new today, have something new at dinner, try a new hobby, notice how learning and discovering makes our heart sing.
So when I found this video I just thought you would really appreciate it so have a look and let me know your thoughts. It’s fascinating to realise that this has been going on for decades.
I think the key point here is to realise that is ok to be inspired with what came before and to create your own thing, that fundamentally is the circle of life any way, but when we realise that actually the more we understand and give respect to our heritage the better we become it’s a fundamental truth which when we grasp it makes things so much more fun.
Keep learning
Keep creating
keep discovering
Have a great weekend
Big luv Andy
P.S. Let me know what you think hit me up with your thoughts. inspiration or ideas in the comment box below x
