Put “Street Dance” as a single item on a competition schedule and you’ve already made the judges’ job harder than it needs to be. Breaking, popping, hip-hop choreography and krump are built on different skills, use different music, and reward different things — scoring them all against one generic “dance” rubric is how a panel ends up disagreeing with itself on stage. This list runs through the ten street dance styles that actually show up on school, college and youth-fest schedules, what a judge should be watching for in each, and a suggested weightage split you can turn into a real scoresheet.
Why one dance rubric doesn’t work for street styles
A classical or group-dance item can be judged on a shared set of heads — synchronisation, formation, costume, expression — because every team is doing a version of the same thing. Street styles don’t share that baseline. A breaking battle has no formation to judge; a hip-hop choreography round has no improvisation to judge. Decide the style (or styles) you’re accepting as separate competition items before entries open, publish the criteria for each, and keep battle-format rounds (head-to-head, no fixed routine) separate from choreography/show rounds in both the schedule and the scoring sheet.
The 10 styles, and how each is actually judged
1. Breaking (b-boying / b-girling)
The oldest competitive street style and usually run as a battle — one dancer or crew answers another, typically to a DJ’s unseen music selection. Judges weigh musicality (dancing to the beat, not just near it), execution (clean power moves, freezes and footwork without falls), originality, and “flavour” or character. Suggested split: Musicality 25, Execution 30, Originality 25, Battle Presence/Flavour 20. See our dedicated breakdance judging criteria guide for a full worked rubric.
2. Hip-Hop (choreography)
Distinct from breaking — this is a rehearsed group or solo routine set to a chosen track, closer in format to a group dance item than a battle. Judges score technique and sharpness, musicality/rhythm interpretation, formation and spacing for groups, and overall performance energy. Suggested split: Technique 25, Musicality 25, Formation/Spacing 20, Performance Energy 30.
3. Popping
Built on sharp muscle contractions (“pops” or “hits”) timed tightly to the music, plus waves, tutting and robotic isolations layered on top. A judge is listening as much as watching — a pop that lands a beat late loses the point of the style. Suggested split: Hit Precision/Timing 35, Isolation Control 25, Musicality 20, Originality 20.
4. Locking
Comic, upbeat and built around sudden “locks” — a freeze that snaps into place mid-movement — combined with points, wrist rolls and big, exaggerated character. Judges reward clarity of the lock itself, groove and musicality between locks, and stage presence/comic timing. Suggested split: Lock Clarity 30, Groove/Musicality 25, Stage Presence 25, Originality 20.
5. Krump
High-energy and expressive, with big chest pops, stomps and arm swings, often performed in a battle format with a strong emotional or “aggressive” character that is part of the style, not a flaw. Judges look for raw energy and commitment, technique (chest pops, stomps, arm swings executed cleanly, not flailed), musicality, and battle presence. Suggested split: Energy/Commitment 30, Technique 25, Musicality 20, Battle Presence 25.
6. House
A fast, footwork-driven style built around jacking (the torso bounce), footwork patterns and lofting, usually danced to house music’s steady four-on-the-floor beat. Judges weigh footwork complexity and cleanliness, musicality (the jack has to sit on the beat), and stamina across a battle or routine. Suggested split: Footwork 35, Musicality 30, Stamina/Consistency 15, Originality 20.
7. Waacking
Built on fast, dramatic arm movements combined with posing, often to disco or dance music, with a strong performance/attitude component. Judges score arm technique and control, musicality, and performance/posing quality. Suggested split: Arm Technique 30, Musicality 25, Performance/Posing 25, Originality 20.
8. Litefeet
A newer, fast-footwork style with signature moves (the “harlem shake” arm move, the “chicken noodle soup” step and similar named steps) plus acrobatic tricks. Judges reward footwork speed and cleanliness, correct execution of the style’s signature moves, and showmanship. Suggested split: Footwork 30, Signature Moves 25, Tricks/Acrobatics 20, Showmanship 25.
9. Street Jazz / Jazz-Funk
A choreographed hybrid of jazz dance technique and street/hip-hop movement, usually performed by a group to a pop or R&B track. Judges score technique (lines, control, turns carried over from jazz training), musicality and groove, formation/synchronisation, and performance quality. Suggested split: Technique 25, Musicality/Groove 25, Formation/Sync 25, Performance 25.
10. Dancehall
A Caribbean-rooted style built around a large, constantly evolving vocabulary of named moves performed to dancehall riddims, danced solo, in pairs or in a group. Judges look for correct execution and sharpness of the named moves, musicality, energy, and stage presence. Suggested split: Move Execution 30, Musicality 25, Energy 20, Stage Presence 25.
Running a multi-style street dance event without the scoring breaking down
The organiser work is the same regardless of which styles you accept: decide the age groups and whether an item is Individual or Team, fix the criteria and weightage per style before entries open, and keep battle-format rounds scored separately from choreography rounds even if they run back-to-back on the same stage. In eTalenter you set each style up as its own competition item under your event’s Arts category, with its own scoring rubric, age-group and Individual/Team rules — judges mark on their phone as each battle or routine finishes, and the points table updates instantly instead of waiting on a notepad backstage. Our judge scoring and tabulation guide covers how to build a rubric, handle multiple judges fairly, and publish results once a round closes.
FAQs
Can breaking and hip-hop choreography be judged by the same panel in the same event?
Yes, but not on the same scoresheet. Keep breaking (and any other battle-format style) as a separate item from choreography rounds, each with its own criteria — a battle has no formation or spacing to score, and a choreography round has no live battle presence to score.
Do we need all 10 styles for a school or college event?
No — most school fests run one or two (usually hip-hop choreography and, if there’s a crew scene locally, breaking). Add more styles as your participant base grows; the scoring approach per style stays the same regardless of how many you run.
How do we handle a style that mixes two of these, like a crew that blends popping and locking in one routine?
Judge it against whichever style’s criteria matches the routine’s dominant content, and say so in the published rules before entries open — the goal is that every entrant in that item knows which heads they’re being measured on.
Setting up a street dance item, or any judged competition, is quicker to see than to describe — open eTalenter’s live demo and log in as a demo coordinator or judge, no sign-up needed. If you’re running a school fest, our kalolsavam management software page covers the full event setup; for a college dance night or fest, see college fest management software. Questions are welcome on WhatsApp at +91 96056 56508 or by email at support@etalenter.com.
