Street Dance is the umbrella term for a range of urban dance styles including Locking, Popping, Waacking, Hip Hop, House, Breaking (Breakdance).
Street Dance is made up of a range of dance styles that mainly originate from the African and Latin American Communities in the USA. These include Locking, Popping, Waacking, Hip Hop, House, Breakin’ (Breakdance).
Music influences the development of street dance styles, which are often a response to social and political matters within communities. Street Dance is constantly evolving, introducing newer styles such as Krump and Litefeet. Each style has its own history, technique, cultural influences and music that inspired its creation and evolution.
Our Street Dance Syllabus helps students develop their solo and group dance and performance skills.
Street FAQs
The progressive medal test examination framework offers non-regulated qualifications from under 6 through to Higher Awards. It is designed to support teachers in building street dancing skills in their students and entering them for examinations.
Examinations can be entered as an individual at all levels, and as a crew at Social Dance Test and pre-Bronze through to Gold Star.
Students will creatively explore a range of Street Dance styles, old and new, by creating and presenting street dance routines for examinations.
To support an authentic student experience, teachers are encouraged to engage in continual learning through attendance at ISTD courses and personal research on street dance styles, their history, and musical influences as well as new and upcoming trends.
Our teachers tailor Street Dance classes based on students' abilities in a range of settings, whether for fun, fitness or to progress in a career in dance. Using our Find a Dance Teacher directory, you can find an ISTD dance teacher in your area who offers Street Dance tuition.
Whether you are a dancer or a qualified teacher, taking the Street Dance Associate teaching qualification, provides you with street dance knowledge and teaching skills, to enable you to work professionally in practical settings, as a qualified ISTD teacher.
The Street Dance Associate qualification is built upon three street dance foundation styles: Breaking, Locking and Popping, providing teachers with a sound understanding of the foundations and origins of street dance. You’ll learn how to create routines for students of different ages, abilities, and levels in preparation for entering Street Dance Medal Test examinations.
A Street Dance Student Teacher qualification is also available for those wishing to begin their teaching journey to learn and develop initial teaching skills.
We offer a range of opportunities for members and non-members to engage in CPD courses throughout the year. We are proud to provide a diverse mix of courses, including Syllabus and examination-focused courses with leading industry specialists. To book an upcoming course, visit our Events and Courses page.
Teaching Street Dance and submitting students for examinations is a fantastic way to increase your repertoire and expand your business.
The short, performance-based examinations engage new students and offer fun and participatory activities for a range of learners. They are also a great way to increase your exam days, providing an accessible opportunity for all your students to take examinations.
Additional Street Dance assets for members can be found on our Member Resources Hub:
ISTD members that hold full membership can enter students for ISTD Street Dance examinations. We recommend that teachers undertake the Street Dance Associate Qualification to ensure that they have the relevant street dance skills and knowledge to provide an authentic learning experience for their students.
Our Street Dance Syllabus teaching resources are available to purchase online:
Street Dance Foundation Styles Glossary Notes
Street Dance Foundation Styles Glossary Videos
Street Dance Hip Hop Routines, Under 6 – Platinum Award Videos
Download a copy of the specification, which provides detailed information about the Syllabus and examination process:
Testimonial
ISLA SELLEY,
ISTD STREET DANCE TEACHER
Contact streetdance@istd.org or join us for one of our Street Dance teacher support sessions where you can ask our Street Dance team your questions. To book one of our teacher support sessions, check out our Events and courses page.
If you’re an ISTD Member, you can also join our growing street dance community by joining our Street Dance Facebook group.
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