Whether you think you’re born to groove or believe you have two left feet, taking the first step to join a dance class takes some courage – especially for those of us whose only dance experience is mass dance in school.
Incorporating elements of popping, locking, and even tap dancing at times, hip-hop is a type of fusion street dance and a fairly beginner-friendly genre to delve into if you’re completely new.
As a good starting point for you to build a foundation in your hip-hop dance journey, here’s a list of dance studios in Singapore that offer hip-hop dance classes for beginners.
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Sprawled across eight locations in the heartlands of Singapore, DF Academy is an established hip-hop and K-pop dance school. If you’re looking for maximum exposure to performance opportunities, they’ve got you covered with local workshops and camps. You may also get to display what you’ve learnt through public dance showcases and annual dance concerts.
Those who are just starting out can enrol in their hip-hop intro class, capped at 15 students each. This means you’ll be able to receive more attention from the instructor and get extra assistance to grasp unfamiliar dance steps.
Price: $50 for 4 sessions
Trial class fee: $10
Full list of DF Academy outlets.
DF Academy website
Flanked by three MRT stations in the CBD area, Converge Studios is ideal for office workers in the area to let loose and groove after a hectic day at work. Converge also specialises in open classes, meaning you can drop by whenever is convenient for your schedule instead of committing to a full course.
New learners would find their Hip-Hop Basics class suitable, because it focuses heavily on different technique drills and exercises each week in order to solidify your foundation. This is good for newbies who get flustered over not being able to memorise a full choreo, because you would really be building your skills from the ground up.
Price: $15/class | $220 for 20 classes
Address: 137 Cecil Street, #02-01 Hengda Building, Singapore 069537
Telephone: 6221 7980
Opening hours: Mon – Fri 5PM-10.30PM | Sat & Sun 11AM-5PM
Just a stone’s throw away from Parkway Parade, the instructors at Ritz Dance Studios tailor the pace and difficulty of the choreography according to the standards of the class. Their adult hip-hop classes here also incorporate K-pop dance so you will get the best of both worlds and be trained as a versatile dancer.
This studio also offers dance classes for toddlers as young as two years old, so mummies and daddies who would like their young ones to try out dancing as well can enroll in the same studio. Students of all ages will also get to learn performance expressions and stage work, should you ever want to perform recreationally or even professionally.
Price: $22/class
Address: 1 Marine Parade Central, #06-01 Parkway Centre, Singapore 449408
Telephone: 6951 7751
Opening hours: Mon – Fri 5PM-10.30PM | Sat & Sun 11AM-5PM
Ritz Dance Studio class schedule
Ritz Dance Studio website
A faculty under Dancepointe Academy, 5th Avenue boasts 13 studios islandwide. They even offer an educational syllabus for dance, with hip-hop dance examinations and certificates available for those who are looking to get professional graded qualifications.
The school is helmed by a team of award-winning instructors, including some well-known choreographers from Korea. Check out their “StreetAVE” class for choreographies to hip-hop music, which focuses on teaching you groove, rhythm and musicality through techniques like breaking, house and popping.
Price: $185 for 11 lessons
Telephone: 6565 6368
Full list of 5th Avenue outlets.
5th Avenue website
Nestled between multiple MRT stations including Dhoby Ghaut and Bugis, STEP Studio offers two main types of lessons based on your personal preference and schedule.
You can choose to enrol in intro level walk-in open classes, where you will be taught a simple choreography routine with basic moves in the span of one hour. Open classes are unique and independent from each other, so you will also get to learn a different routine each week.
Alternatively, if you like progressive mastery, you can opt for the Beginner Level 1 dance course, consisting of eight weekly progressive lessons that focus on basics and technical skills for you to execute a simple dance choreography, and slowly work your way up.
Price: $18 for an open class | $10-$15 for an open class (members) | $136 for an 8-week dance course
Address: 1 Sophia Road, #04-13 Peace Centre, Singapore 228149
Telephone: 6397 4989
While they offer hip-hop classes and even contemporary dance, the mainstays of Elevate Dance Academie are classical ballet, modern and jazz, making it ideal for those who foresee expanding and trying out a range of dance genres conveniently at one location.
Although they house one of the biggest studios in Singapore, Elevate Dance Academie limits their classes to eight to 12 students for more personalised attention and engagement while learning your moves.
Price: $25/class
Schedule: Sun 6.30-7.30PM
Address: 27 West Coast Highway, #02-01/24 Westway Mall, Singapore 117867
Telephone: 8111 3601
Opening hours: Wed – Fri 6.30PM-10PM | Sat & Sun 8AM-8PM
Elevate Dance Academie website
O School is that studio that young dancers flock straight towards, and the school that most of your dancer friends would know about. Nestled within SCAPE a.k.a. dancer haven, it also offers you the choice of going for a course or for open classes.
Hip-hop foundation open classes are good for developing technique, muscle memory and performance skills. Each sesh lasts for an hour and is broken down into four parts: warm-up, technique drills, dance routine steps, and culminating in a performance at the end of class to showcase what you’ve learnt.
Alternatively, you can enrol in their latest dance course for complete beginners, which comprises lessons every Saturday. There will be 10 lessons, each lasting 1.5 hours, where choreography and interactions will be taught. The best part – upon completing the course, you will get four free open class credits as well.
Price: $15 for an open class | $230 for a 10-week dance course
Schedule: Tues 6.30PM (Open class)
Address: 2 Orchard Link, #04-04 *SCAPE, Singapore 237978
Telephone: 6509 0016
Opening hours: Mon – Fri 6PM-10PM | Sat 9AM-6.30PM
A subsidiary of AC Music Entertainment which specialises in music production and event management, P.A.T.H ACME Academy trains professional artistes. But before you quickly scroll away thinking this school is only for those looking for a professional debut, hold your horses – because they also offer introductory basic hip-hop classes.
Known as the “Rhythm And Groove” class, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of hip-hop dance through weekly classes that help to develop your potential. Plus, it’s also kinda cool to proudly proclaim that you learn hip-hop in an academy catered to emerging local talents.
Price: $18/class
Address: 17 Leng Kee Road, Aik Chuan Building, Singapore 159092
Telephone: 6890 6325
Opening hours: Mon – Fri 10AM-8.30PM
A stone’s throw away from Orchard MRT, you will find Beatfactory Fitness in Far East Shopping Centre. True to its name, the studio offers both high-energy hip-hop dance classes as well as fitness classes with the likes of Zumba and Cardio Jam. This would be ideal if you avoid outdoor runs like the plague, because you hate exercising unless you’re grooving to music.
Their Level 1 Hip Hop class incorporates upper and lower body conditioning so not only will you be learning the choreography, you can also keep in shape with all that muscle strengthening and toning.
Price: $16/class
Address: 545 Orchard Road, #10-11 Far East Shopping Centre, Singapore 238882
Telephone: 6909 2204
Opening hours vary depending on class. Refer to full class schedule.
Beatfactory Fitness website
Hip-hop dance classes are a great way for you to stay in shape, inject some cardio into your hectic schedules, and build self-confidence – all while having fun.
Whether you’re looking for the most convenient studio to commute to after work or exposure to performance opportunities you won’t find anywhere else, we’ve got you covered with this list of beginner-friendly classes. All you need to do now is to sign up and get down to practising those moves.
For more classes you can enrol in:
Cover image adapted from (L-R): STEP Studio, DF Academy
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