How to Do the Crosswalk House Dance Move

How to Carry Off the House Dance Crosswalk with Style

Straddle the pulsing heart of House music with the sleek "Crosswalk" dance move, a pivotal element in any House dancer’s arsenal. This fluid step weaves together the core principles of House dance – flow, rhythm, and the interplay of the feet and floor – inviting dancers to traverse the space with an air of effortless swagger. As we dissect the mechanics behind the Crosswalk, we're not only learning a move; we're stepping into a movement, one that harmonizes the body with the elemental fibers of House beats.

Video Demonstration

Dance History of The Crosswalk

The Crosswalk is a testament to the innovative energy that fuels House dance, which burgeoned amidst the club cultures of the East Coast in the '80s and '90s. With its roots intertwined with electronic music, House dance lends itself to improvisation and personal expression. The Crosswalk, in particular, illustrates the connective threads between an individual's interpretation and the communal floor patterns quintessential to this genre. While it doesn’t have a single creator, it carries the legacy of countless dancers who have stamped their mark on its evolution.

Step By Step Instruction

1. Stand with your feet parallel and comfortably apart.

2. Begin the movement by stepping your right foot outwards and slightly forward.

3. Cross your left foot in front of the right, stepping out as if walking on a tightrope.

4. Continue walking forward, alternating the crossing steps with each foot.

5. Keep your movements smooth and emphasize the glide with each step to maintain the House flow.

6. As you grow more confident, increase your speed and incorporate upper body grooves to match the footwork.

Tips For Learning The Crosswalk

• Keep your knees slightly bent for better flexibility and fluidity.

• Pay attention to the rhythm and pace of the music; let it guide your step tempo.

• Experiment with varying the width and length of your strides to find your unique Crosswalk style.

• Practice transitioning in and out of the Crosswalk from other House moves.

• Watch and study experienced House dancers to understand the nuances of the move.

Conclusion

The Crosswalk is more than just a journey of the feet; it's a rich visual tapestry that honors the expressive roots of House dance, inviting you into a world where each step is a stroke on the canvas of the floor. It grants dancers a glorious mix of discipline and playfulness, paving the way for an individual's flavor to emerge. Embrace the Crosswalk, and you dance along the very crossroads where style and technique meet uninhibited joy.

More Hip Hop Dance Moves

If you liked the Crosswalk, these moves share the same traveling quality or cross-step footwork:

• How to Learn the Crossroads House Dance Move — Crossroads uses a very similar cross-step mechanics where one foot crosses in front of or behind the other, making the two moves essentially variations of the same family.
• House Dance | Sidewalk — both are traveling moves that cover ground laterally; once you own the Crosswalk, the Sidewalk gives you a complementary way to glide the floor from side to side.
• House Dance | Skate — like the Crosswalk, the Skate is about moving fluidly through space with smooth, gliding footwork, and the two pair well when you want to chain traveling sequences.
• House Dance | Train — the Train is another floor-covering traveling move with a strong rhythmic side-to-side pulse, and it's a good foundational reference for understanding how house dance moves through space.