Black History x Hip Hop: Honouring Black Excellence
It’s February. The first thing you probably think of is Valentine’s Day. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find this month invites reflection, gratitude, and care. These are the ingredients of love. And that love shows up through remembrance, teaching, and the stories we pass forward. Cue Black History Month. If your studio offers Hip Hop, that history is already in the room. Even when your studio is far from the Black communities where it all began, the influence is still there.
For studio owners and directors like you, this is a meaningful opportunity to lead with intention and respect. Choreography and technique are still your bread and butter, but those alone are not what give a studio its heartbeat. Love for the culture, the people, and the origins behind the Hip Hop movement continues to shape strong dance studio culture today.
Key Summary
- The global rise of Hip Hop began within Black neighbourhoods
- Studios play a role in honouring origins through education and storytelling
- Marketing and communication can reflect care, respect, and gratitude
- Marketing executed with care can determine the longevity of studios
Did you know Black History Month started as just a week?
History lesson time. Black History Month began in 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson established Negro History Week to recognize Black contributions that were largely excluded from American education. Schools, textbooks, and public narratives rarely acknowledge Black leaders, artists, or innovators actively erasing their cultural contributions. It opened the door for Black stories, leaders, and creators who had long been left out of the conversation.
Fast forward 50 years to 1976. Negro History Week became Black History Month, officially recognized across the United States. February was chosen to honour the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, figures who stood for freedom, education, and the right to be recognized. What started as a short week of recognition became a shared moment for reflection, education, and acknowledgment. Pretty powerful, right?
1970s + New York + hard times = The birth of Hip Hop
Still in the 1970s timeline, we find ourselves in the Bronx, New York, where Hip Hop was born. Young Black and Latino communities gathered outdoors and indoors, pulling up with sound systems, vinyl, and raw energy. Movement became conversation. Shout-outs to DJ Kool Herc, widely considered the grandfather of Hip Hop, who organized some of the first Hip Hop parties and gave young dancers space to explore power, individuality, and shared presence.
Dance has roots worth acknowledging
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Hip Hopping from community to classrooms
As Hip Hop evolved, Black communities continued to innovate. Styles expanded, techniques were refined, and dancers began travelling, battling, and exchanging ideas across neighbourhoods and cities. Knowledge was passed on, while movement adapted to new music, new spaces, and new generations.
Only a handful of dance studios in the 1990s embraced Hip Hop in their programming. It did not become a staple offering until the early 2000s. Today, it is rare to find a dance studio that does not offer Hip Hop as an option. See what awareness and celebration can do with time?
Marketing Movez has witnessed this Hip Hop emergence firsthand. Before marketing, we are dancers and teachers first and foremost. We have been teaching Hip Hop in dance studios for nearly 30 years. We have experienced the ebbs and flows, the trends and the constants, and we recognize and celebrate the contributions of Black dance pioneers and innovators for giving us a creative outlet that became our careers.
We want to highlight Anwar Ali, one of Vancouver’s emerging Black artists, whom we began teaching when he was just 10 years old. He is now a teacher, actor, and dance ambassador, representing Black and Hip Hop culture with pride. Check out Marc and Anwar’s Dance Video Collection collaboration, Black King, where they explore Anwar’s early experiences with discrimination through this creative dance film.
Hip Hop goes global
The growth of Hip Hop could not be contained in New York alone. By the 1980s, it had reached global audiences through music videos, film, competitions, and live performances. As social media became part of the cultural zeitgeist, the culture grew even more accessible, reaching every corner of the world.
What started as a creative outlet for Black youth navigating poverty and oppression became a global phenomenon that represents Black creativity, innovation, and leadership.
We had the opportunity to interview several Black artists from PULSE’s dance community, who shared their origins, insights, and gratitude in a thought-provoking article titled Black History Month with PULSE’s Black Artists.
Celebrating your wins with Marketing Movez
From celebrating Black History Month and Hip Hop to highlighting the everyday wins that define your studio, we help tell the stories that matter with clarity and respect. From thoughtful writing to engaging graphic design and videography, our work explores your values and community so new families can connect with what you stand for and feel inspired to join.
DM us @marketingmovez or email info@marketingmovez.com for a free discovery call. Let’s get to the heart of your needs and find the right support together to help your studio grow with intention.
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