Watch This Hip Hop Dancer Show Us Her Fire Moves
Dance instructor Germaine Cheong drops it like its hot.
Germaine Cheong wants to debunk a common misconception about hip hop. "Hip hop is a culture," says the choreographer. "Some people mistakenly think of hip hop as the music or the dance."
For the uninitiated, here's the lowdown: hip hop originated in the Bronx in the late '70s among American communities of African, Latino and Caribbean descent. It branched out into DJ-ing, MC-ing, graffiti art and dance to give underrepresented groups an outlet of self-expression and empowerment during a time of political struggle.
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While breaking is often regarded as the OG dance style of the hip hop movement, it soon grew and morphed to adapt to the evolution of music through the generations. Today, it is not difficult to spot its fundamental moves – skate, roll, rock and bounce – living in dance steps you see in music videos from Doja Cat to BTS.
Cheong, who describes her interpretation of hip hop dance as "freestyle" has been practising the craft for a total of 15 years and has travelled the globe to conduct workshops and be part of judging panels in countries like Germany, Greece, Hungary, Australia, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia.
She's even apprenticed with international dancers including Kato, a renowned dancer in Japan's street and hip-hop dance scene and Mr Wiggles who's performed with dance crews Rock Steady Crew and Electric Boogaloo in the States.
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Now, the petite dancer who is known in the local dance scene as "Xiao Mei" has gone on to become an instructor at Recognize! Studios and in the interim spearheads an all-ladies dance event The Ladies Call that aims to provide a space for women to empower and inspire each other.
Did we mention, she's also part of Singapore pioneering hip-hop dance crew Radikal Forze and is part of Team Nike Singapore too?
Tell us about yourself.
“I have been doing hip hop for 15 years and teaching dance for more than a decade.”
How would you describe hip-hop dance to the man on the street?
“I would describe the dance as high energy and one that you also get to have fun when you do it! But of course, the dance can sometimes be slow too depending on the type of hip hop music that is being played.”
What are some signature moves specific to this genre that makes it unique?
“The bounce and rocking in hip hop is what makes it unique.”
How do you add your own spin/flavour to the genre?
“By being yourself and staying fresh! Your character and personality are uniquely yours, put that into your dance to add that flavour and spin to it.”
How did you gain interest in hip hop dance?
“Hip hop music is the reason I fell in the love with dance, especially if you're a music-lover and want to find a way to express what's on your mind.
When I listen to hip hop music I just feel it speaks to me. The stories, the struggles, the messages that the artist is trying to convey and how we can relate to it no matter which part of the world we come from is beautiful.”
What inspires your work?
“My mentor Mr Wiggles representing Electric Boogaloo from USA and Kato representing D'oam from Japan have greatly inspired me. They are great dancers but more importantly amazing people. Seeing the way they move despite being in their 40s and 50s is very inspiring and that makes me want to keep dancing for as long as I can too!
In addition to this, travelling's been an inspiration for my work too. When I travel I get to experience new things and being in a different environment gives me a whole new perspective. Seeing how others live their life in different countries and experiencing different cultures gives me new inspiration.”
Why is this genre of dance empowering to you?
“Hip hop is about the message and your expression. It's also a culture that brings people from different countries and backgrounds together because of the shared love for the genre; hip hop.”
Dance is a niche career choice in Singapore. What kept you going into pursuing this passion for dance into a career?
“I got to thank my mum for it, I was very fortunate to have a very supportive mum who encouraged me to pursue dance. I would also have to thank my other half KS for believing in me and being my pillar of support when the journey was tough.”
In the span of your career, what’s been your favourite project to work on?
“There is this project called 'Singapore Japan Xchange (SJX)' where I got to work with Kato, a very well known and respected hip hop dancer in Japan. It was a huge honour working with him and I took away many valuable insights and knowledge through this project.”
What have been some of your favourite songs to dance to for this genre and why?
“I have too many favourite songs! Out of all of them, I would pick The Learning and Quiet Storm by Mobb Deep. I really like the rhymes and sound of the beats in this two-track.”
What would be the dream project/achievement you’d like to pursue in your career?
“I hope to continue dancing and sharing this art form with as many people for as long as I can. I hope that doing what I love empowers others to do the same in their life too!”
What advice would you give to aspiring fellow dancers?
“Being consistent in what you do is very important. It's not about what you can do in a short period of time but how long can you continue doing it, that's the hard part. You have to constantly put in the work and show up every day.”