The pure adrenaline rush of hip-hop music transforms the body into a live instrument.  Arms move in a rapturous intertwined motion like a rapper’s flow weaving in and out of the beat, the chest and torso spins round and round like a record on the turntable, and hips and buttocks bounce like the drum beat of an 808.  There’s perhaps no one who knows this powerful effect of hip-hop music on the body better than acclaimed choreographer Dave Scott. 

With his energetic rhythms, daring moves, and eye-catching choreography he has become one of the most in-demand contemporary choreographers.  Scott is responsible for the awe-inspiring dance moves from the hit films You Got Served and Stomp the Yard which captivated viewers and further solidified the art of hip-hop dance in mainstream film.  Scott aims to continue his success with the February 14th, release of Step Up 2 The Streets which is the sequel to the hit film, Step Up.   

Scott took a break from the dancefloor to speak with Sixshot about his upcoming film, why he’s fine with hip-hop dance moves being watered down for the mainstream, whether or not he uses digital enhancements for his film’s wild moves, his upcoming project for Nickelodeon, the state of hip-hop dance, what pisses him off most about aspiring dancers, and more.

Congratulations on the BET Best Hip-Hop film award for Stomp the Yard.  How does it feel to win that award and to see hip-hop dance moves entering mainstream cinema?

It’s very rewarding.  One of the good parts is that people are appreciating it.  The big thing to me is that it’s still a little watered down.  So that gives me a lot more room to give you more stuff.  [Laughs]

How are the dance moves in the film watered down?

Well it’s a lot more hardcore.  Hip-hop is hardcore and there’s a lot of underground stuff.  With it becoming mainstream and a lot of people doing it, it becomes a little more fun.  It’s becoming friendlier to people who are afraid of hip-hop.  People think that hip-hop is aggressive because it’s an underground dance form.  A lot of people fear it think that it’s too aggressive like crunk.  When putting it out in the mainstream you have to add certain elements to it, or dilute it a little bit to make it friendlier to the eye.

Does that bother you at all?  Would you prefer to see the real form of hip-hop dance come into acceptance as opposed to the diluted form?

It doesn’t bother me at all.  When I did, You Got Served, it gave me the opportunity to put hip-hop there so you can see it.  As long as there’s an open door for you to see hip-hop there’s room to grow.  So I’m not mad at all.

What can we expect from the upcoming project you helped choreograph, Step Up 2 The Streets?

This movie stems from Step Up.  In that one it was a hip-hop kid coming to a technically trained studio and trying to bring hip-hop to the school.  In this one it’s reversed—they’re trying to get street credibility coming from that school.  So it tells a different story on the urban edge.  The dancing got to be a lot more creative because I got a chance to use some of these technically trained dancers, on top of b-boys, on top of hip-hop, and take it to the next page on a whole hip-hop level. 

Some people look at the films you choreograph and wonder if there are computer enhancements to any of the dance moves and effects.  Can you clear the air about that?

I don’t even like stunt doubles, less alone strings attached.  I want people to know that this can be done.  You may not be able to do it, but that’s the part that makes it amazing.  When you go to a Cirque du Soleil show they get these characters that can do outstanding things to their bodies, and that’s what I want to bring to these films with hip-hop. 

What’s the status of the pilot, Dance Throw Down, which you shot for Nickelodeon?

That’s coming along cool.  Right now it’s in the whole beginning stages.  It’s a different kind of show.  It’s for kids, it’s fun, and it’s like a dance competition show with that Nickelodeon edge.  That means the slime, the gak, and all the good stuff but with younger kids that have to battle each other with the quirky Nickelodeon thing added in.   

You’re from Compton and when people hear that they immediately think of gangs and violence.  What was your childhood like growing up in Compton?

There are gangs and violence there.  I come from a family with a few gang members.  I think being from the hood strengthens your mind and you have to determine the direction that you want to go in life.  A lot of people choose sports and I chose a form of athleticism with dancing.  I think being from inside and looking out it’s not as bad to me, but you definitely want to raise your kids somewhere else.

You got a basketball scholarship and were planning on going pro.  What made you finally decide on a career in dance?

It was a lot of things that built up to it.  I was having fun dancing as a hobby and I didn’t really think of pursing it as a career.  Back in the day when we started breaking it was fun and nobody was like, “I want to do this for a living.”  Everybody that danced wanted to be an artist like Michael Jackson—they wanted to sing and rap.  I got an opportunity in school and someone approached me and asked me to tour.  It was a no-brainier and I didn’t even think twice.

What dancers do you look up to?

I look up to Mr. Wiggles and Popin Pete.  They’re like the originators of this hip-hop form.  Pete’s brother Sam is the one that came up with poppin’ lockin’ and boogaloo. They still jump in the circle and still murder people.

How do you feel about the state of break-dancing in mainstream hip-hop today?

I feel that because it’s become mainstream people feel that it’s not hard.  When you look at the evolution of breaking and b-boys the things that they do today blows some off the stuff that they did in the past away!  There’s still a lot that you don’t see with b-boys.  They keep theirs underground and at the summits.  When you look back in the day at Wigs, Pete, and Crazy Legs they were putting it on TV and in music videos.  So I don’t feel like it’s a mistake.  I just feel like a lot of the stuff is made for TV and movies.  Plus there’s stuff going on underground that will kill your mind off.

Compared to rap it’s much harder to make money as a dancer since it can’t be easily packaged and distributed in many forms such as a CD, over airwaves, or digitally.  So how does one make money as a dancer?

I was just talking about that today.  My thing is becoming an individual in the dance world.  If you don’t have that individuality, you can’t freestyle, and don’t have that thing that sets you apart then you become part of this big group of dancers.  You don’t stand out.  I think the best way to make money in this industry is to become that name to become that dancer.  You don’t want to just be the dancer that dances for Janet [Jackson].  You got to become that artist and also grow from being a dancer.  The dancer is just a step for other things to become.  You can go from dancer to choreographer to producer to director because you’re in that game and you’re learning.  So use that crack in the door to kick it open!

Where do you see the future of hip-hop dance going?

I feel like it’s here to stay.  It’s an open avenue for a lot of dancers.  What I do not appreciate are people that feel like they can just get off their couch one day and be a professional hip-hop dancer.  They feel like hip-hop has no technicalities to it.  You have to know your basics and history just like jazz, ballet, and modern dance.  You have to know it.  People don’t know it but hip-hop and tap are the only two American dance forms that came from here.  If you look at them it’s one in the same.  It comes from aggression and street performance.  So you gotta know your history and have some technique about yourself.  You can’t just do it. 

Do you recommend dance school for aspiring hip-hop dancers?

No because in schools you’ll be learning from one person.  I think you need to get out to these classes and dance with different choreographers.  Hip-hop has evolved to a different level and there are a lot of people developing different styles of hip-hop.  I think you need to get in touch with different people so you can get a piece of that and be versatile in your craft.