The Origins and Main Styles of LA Style

LA Style is one of the newest dance styles, emerging in the 1990s. The acronym 'LA' subtly hints at its birthplace—Los Angeles. But that's not entirely accurate. The foundations of LA Style were actually laid by New Orleans choreographers teaching jazz classes back in the 1980s.

After the dance 'moved' to Los Angeles, hip-hop became—and still is—its core foundation. Indeed, the dance and music are inseparable, and no other genres can influence such movements.

There is no official history of the style. What is known is that the dance has evolved significantly and moved to the stage, becoming a public dance. People gradually became interested in the collective spirit of the style and synchronized performance while maintaining tempo.

Moreover, it is often confused with New Style, which is inherently a New York City concept. The distinguishing feature of LA Style is its precision and discipline in movements, as well as group execution, whereas New Style involves freer, improvisational body movements.

Like many other American styles, LA Style incorporates several influences. Once again, African-American roots come into play. The dance's popularity was driven by funk and West Coast motifs, such as Breaking, Popping, and Locking. There is also a belief that LA Style had vastly different variations across different US states.

Today, the dance is used in global TV and stage shows, as well as in music videos by popular artists and commercials. But it has not lost its significance on the streets or at discos. Perhaps this is a unique selling point of such events—people are attracted to these synchronized, rhythm-changing movements—but many remain silent about it.

Perhaps this is the first dance to have two names. Its original name is 'Hip-Hop Choreography,' but hardly anyone uses that term now. After all, a name rolls off the tongue better when it's simple to pronounce. Moreover, when the brain hears 'LA Style,' it conjures images of the famous Los Angeles: towering skyscrapers, constant energy, and simply indescribable beauty!

The dance also has its notable figures. Popular dancers in this field include Nick Wilson, Marty Kudelka, Ian Eastwood, and David Moore.

The most sought-after among these performers is Marty Kudelka. He led Justin Timberlake's dancers for most of his career and actively developed many forms of dance combinations and choreography with him.

It is said that if Timberlake didn't have a voice, he would be a great dancer—all thanks to Marty. They once visited Russia for a masterclass. Kudelka has worked with major companies like Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and Citroën. Interestingly, by age 20 he already owned his own dance studio. Throughout his career, he had the opportunity to work with Michael Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Pink, and Janet Jackson. This is how modern trends can actively influence people.

Many dance styles have achieved global popularity over decades, often having to adapt, evade bans, and evolve. Los Angeles showed an example of how to perform individual actions while remaining steadfast and inviolable through LA Style, even though it has undergone many changes.