What BPM should we practise to?

Start at half speed with no music, then move to tracks around 90 to 100 BPM, which is a comfortable hip-hop tempo for beginners. Fast tracks above 120 BPM make every move feel rushed.

We have no rhythm. Can we still do this?

Yes. Rhythm is mostly counting and repetition. Count out loud, keep the bounce going even when you forget a step, and practise without music until the order is automatic. The music is the last thing you add.

How much does a hip-hop class for couples cost?

Drop-in classes at city studios usually cost $20 to $30 per person. A private lesson for the two of you is roughly $80 to $150 an hour. Learning from free YouTube tutorials at home costs nothing.

How do we film our routine so it looks good?

Landscape, phone at hip height, about 3 metres back, both of you fully in frame, light in front of you rather than behind. Film several runs and keep the best. Nobody posts their first take.

🕺 Dates for Couples

hip-hop dance routines for couples

The easiest hip-hop routine for a couple is 32 counts long, built from three grooves (the bounce, the rock and the two-step) and learned at half speed before you put the music on. That is four eight-counts, roughly 20 seconds of dancing at a normal hip-hop tempo, and most beginner pairs can run it clean in about an hour. The full routine is written out below, count by count, with no dance background assumed.

by An Nayal, founder of Flamme · Updated October 2026

time: 60 to 75 minutes for a first session
cost: Free at home. Drop-in classes usually $20 to $30 per person.
space: About 2 by 3 metres of clear floor. Socks on wood, trainers on carpet.
music: Any track around 90 to 100 BPM with a clear beat

what does counting in eights mean?

Almost all pop and hip-hop music is grouped in phrases of eight beats, so dancers count '1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8' and start again. Half beats between the numbers are called 'and', which is why you will hear '5 and 6'. Count out loud together the whole first session. It sounds silly and it is the single thing that keeps two beginners in sync.

the three grooves to learn first

groove	how it feels	how to do it
Bounce	The engine under everything	Soft knees. Drop slightly on every beat, come up between beats. Shoulders loose, not stiff.
Rock	Chest and torso swinging forward and back	Lean your chest forward on 1, back on 2, keep the bounce going underneath. Arms hang and swing with it.
Two-step	Side to side travelling	Step right foot out on 1, bring left foot to meet it on 2. Step left on 3, right meets it on 4. Keep bouncing.

how to learn the routine together in one evening

step 1

Warm up with the grooves (10 minutes)

Put on a slow track and just bounce, rock and two-step until they stop feeling strange. One of you calls the groove, the other follows, swap every minute.

step 2

Learn one eight-count at a time (30 minutes)

Walk through counts 1 to 8 with no music, counting out loud, at half speed. When both of you can do it twice without stopping, add counts 9 to 16 and run 1 to 16. Keep chaining until you have all 32.

step 3

Add the music (15 minutes)

Pick a track around 90 to 100 BPM. Start on the first strong beat after the intro. Run the routine five times in a row and do not stop for mistakes. Keeping going is the skill.

step 4

Film the sixth run (5 minutes)

Phone propped at hip height about 3 metres away, landscape, both of you fully in frame. Watch it back once together, laugh, then run it again. The second video is always better.

the 32-count routine, count by count

Counts 1 to 8, two-step. Stand side by side facing the same way. Two-step right (1, 2), left (3, 4), right (5, 6), left (7, 8). Bounce on every count, arms relaxed.
Counts 9 to 16, rock and point. Chest rock forward and back (9, 10), again (11, 12). Point your right arm across your body to the left (13), hold (14). Point your left arm across to the right (15), hold (16).
Counts 17 to 24, kick-ball-change and freeze. Kick right foot forward (17), step on the ball of it (and), change weight back to the left (18). Repeat with the left foot (19 and 20). Turn to face each other (21, 22). Freeze in any pose with a sharp stop on 23, hold 24.
Counts 25 to 32, running man and finish. Running man in place for four counts (25 to 28): lift the right knee while sliding the left foot back, then swap. Step towards each other (29, 30), mirror each other's arm pose (31), high five or handshake on 32.

where can couples learn more hip-hop?

YouTube choreography channels post tutorials broken into eight-counts with a mirrored view. Search the style plus 'beginner tutorial mirrored'.
Online dance subscriptions such as STEEZY teach structured beginner programmes if you want a week-by-week path.
Drop-in studios in big cities run beginner hip-hop classes most evenings. In New York, Broadway Dance Center and Peridance both list open hip-hop classes on their schedules.
A private lesson for two is the fastest route if you have an event to dance at. Expect roughly $80 to $150 an hour depending on the city and teacher.

variations & upgrades

long-distance version

Learn the same routine on a video call with both cameras showing your full body. Count in together, dance it in sync, then each film a solo take and stitch the two clips side by side in any free video editor. It is a good thing to send each other on a bad week.

go out instead

Book a beginner drop-in class together, then go for food straight after while the moves are fresh. Pick a class marked 'beginner' or 'fundamentals'. An open-level class with fast choreography is a rough first night.

write your own eight

Each of you secretly choreographs one eight-count using only the grooves above, teaches it to the other, and you stick them together. A routine that is half yours and half theirs is the one you will still remember in a year.

good questions, answered

A 32-count routine built from the bounce, rock and two-step, plus one kick-ball-change, a freeze and a running man. It is written count by count on this page and most beginners can run it to music after about an hour of practice.

An Nayal

Founder of Flamme, the couples app used by more than 200,000 partners. He writes the relationship guides here and builds the free tools that go with them. annayal.com

also try

Date ideas turns a game night into a full date: 260 plans, filtered by budget and vibe.

keep the night going

💃 Couples Dance Classes in NYC

Salsa, swing, ballroom, tango and hip-hop in New York, by style.

⏱️ HIIT Workouts for Couples

Three 20-minute partner HIIT workouts, timed and scaled.

🎭 Couples Charades

Act-it-out classic with a timer and couple-life decks.

🎉 Party Games for Two

Ten party-energy games needing zero kit.

🎲 Date Night Generator

Hand-written date plans by budget and vibe, with an AI planner.

keep the beat going between dance nights

Flamme gives you a daily question, couple games and a shared streak, so there is something small to do together on the nights you are not dancing. Free on iPhone and Android.

scan to get the app 📱

Point your camera at the code - it opens the App Store or Google Play on your phone.