Now is the time to shake off the winter cobwebs and move. Timothy Brown looks into dance forms around Dunedin. Today he looks at hip-hop and contemporary dance.
Edgy, modern and raw, hip-hop dancing encapsulates the vibrancy of youth and the reality of street life.
RASA School of Dance principal Lisa Wilkinson has been dancing for 30 years and caters to those wanting to learn the dance of the streets.
However, she also teaches contemporary and says the two methods are ''pretty much opposite in terms of dance''.
''Hip-hop is more similar to jazz and contemporary is creative dance. It's done barefoot and involves a lot of stretching,'' she said.
''Hip-hop is energetic. It's performed with heaps of energy and done to pop music and hip-hop.''
Hip-hop dance came to predominance during the '70s and was popularised and evolved by dance crews in the United States.
Hip-hop is often improvised and ''free-style'' allowing the dancer to express themselves.
Contemporary allows for artistic expression and borrows heavily from classical styles but re-imagines them into innovative and expressive motions.
This was where the two forms converged, Ms Wilkinson said.
''Dance is artistic expression using your body, so all styles link,'' she said.
''Hip-hop comes from African dancing and goes into jazz dancing.''
Equally, contemporary borrowed from styles such as African and jazz, while also incorporating the strong and controlled movement of ballet.
As both forms were highly variable and energetic, dancers' fitness grew with their ability, Ms Wilkinson said.
''You are going to get dance fit,'' she said.
''I have been doing contemporary and hip-hop dance for 30 years, so I'm fit for that. But if I was to go and get on a bike and ride somewhere I would probably die.''
To master hip-hop or contemporary dance, like anything, took work, she said.
''If you want to be good at something you have to put effort in,'' Ms Wilkinson said.
''You can't expect to be good after one year. You have to train for years and you should be coming to two or three dance classes a week to be really good.''
That was why some of her students started dancing at such young ages. For hip-hop dancers it was appropriate to start at 4, but contemporary dancers needed to be about 9 or 10 to allow for increased concentration and co-ordination.
''People want to be good immediately and don't realise it takes a lot of effort,'' she said.
''Some people have natural talent and are really lucky, but they still have to work at it.''
Hip-hop
Does hip-hop and contemporary dance make a good wedding dance and how quickly could a couple master a routine?
Yes, I have done a lot of wedding dances. It can be learnt in five lessons, about five hours.
Describe hip-hop and contemporary dance in three words?
Energy, creative and - I can't think of another word, I could dance it though.
Why hip-hop and contemporary dance?
Because it is good for the mind, body and spirit.
What is the perfect song for hip-hop and contemporary dance?
Get Your Freak On, by Missy Elliott.
How many people are required for a performance of it and what is the maximum number that can be involved?
You can do a solo and you can have a flash mob with hundreds of people. We have done both. We have a finale in our show and over 300 students do that dance.