You've all heard of ballet, and most likely hip hop too. The two styles couldn't be more different. Ballet is graceful and elegant, while hip hop is, well, the polar opposite; forceful and hard-hitting. What would happen if we fused the two? Artistic Director Homer Hans Bryant already has! Hiplet, made in the 1990's, is a genre of dance that showcases ballet and pointe technique to fast-moving hip hop music. Although it sounds fake, Hiplet is as real as it gets, and is practiced in European countries, including Germany, France, Spain, South Korea, and Hong Kong.
Although hip hop is lacking in age-old ballet technique, Hiplet is definitely not easy. This fun, new style requires at least 4 years of pointe training just to hopefully get accepted into a class at the Hiplet Ballerinas company. Dancers who are accepted get to tour around the United States. Throughout this summer and upcoming fall, the tour will continue.
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Picture taken from hipletballerinas on Instagram