The Evolution of Hip-Hop Dance, From Popping and Locking to TikToking

By the late '80s and early '90s, hip-hop was gaining more mainstream notoriety, and clubs throughout started to feature DJs in the genre. The incorporation of DJs into the club scene made way for dance competitions to emerge as an organic result. Club attendees would clear out space on the dance floor for different groups to go head-to-head. These impromptu battles eventually led to club promoters highlighting these competitions to get more people into their spaces. The elevation of these competitions enabled hip-hop dancers to stay connected to the genre's original nature of battling
. We see similar head-to-head battles in other dance genres, such as tap, as well.