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A certification and education resource program for all Hip Hop teachers.
We Do Not Own Hip Hop.
The Comix Method is a comprehensive, well-documented teaching system for Hip Hop and Street Dance education. When you pursue certification or training, you’re learning a proven, effective approach to teaching Hip Hop and related styles(Breaking, Popping, and Locking).
An Important Distinction
This is not “THE” certification for Hip Hop. Out of respect for the pioneers who trained me and my peers with their own valuable methods, I never claim ownership over Hip Hop or claim the right to officially define it. I simply offer a fully developed program to help you teach and understand the many dimensions of Hip Hop education. This certification is an established, refined system that makes movement make sense while guiding you toward deeper Hip Hop study. What matters most is giving teachers methods and options. That’s why it’s called The Comix Method, not “The Hip Hop Certification Program.” It reflects decades of training under my mentors and the success that followed.
If you’re here to strengthen your teaching and expand your understanding through long-term, detailed training... let’s begin.
How The program Works
There are two major programs for The Comix Method. One route is to take on the full certification course, earn your certificate, and all the perks that go along with it. The other route is to become a site subscriber and have unlimited access to a ton of perks and resources.
The Comix Method: Certification
Individual: $699.00 One Time Purchase
Studio Unlimited: $1,799 One Time Purchase for 5 year unlimited access. Small fee for additional staff members after 5 year period(More info at the Get Certified page.)
Certification is a training course, plus everything else all in one. This course, powered by Thinkific, is a text/video based course that you can take at your own pace online. There is no time limit for finishing, and you can take/retake the course at any time. The course gets updated annually. Beyond earning your certificate, there are a handful of perks waiting for you as a certified teacher:
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Certified teachers get LIFETIME ACCESS to the course material once the course is complete.
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Passing the course gives you an official "COMIX METHOD" certification, plus ONE YEAR FREE of The Comix Method: Resources. After the first free year, Comix Method certified teachers get a 50% discount on continued annual subscription.
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Free one on one consultation with John "Comix" Barrella.
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Free Curriculum for your classroom.
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Free feedback on all of your choreography.
Renewal
There is no renewal of certification, however teachers may opt to retain an "active practitioner" status through The Comix Method by maintaining site membership or taking renewal modules every 3 years.
The Comix Method Resources Renewal Fee(For Certified Members): $199/year
The Comix Method: Resources
Individual: $399/year
Studio: $799/year
This is everything you need for building or refreshing your Hip Hop class & curriculum. The Resources subscription grants you access to the Certified HQ and Resource Library of this site. With access to these two pages, you have a massive library of tutorials and downloadable files for you to use in your classroom. Some of the included perks:
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Hip Hop, Breaking, & Popping Technique/Terminology Videos
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Warmup Tutorials
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Choreography Composition Tutorials
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An ever growing library of video courses such as "Day 1 Series", "Introducing Freestyle", "Teacher Skill building", and more.
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PDF Files: Games, Skill Trees, Class lessons, Checklists, Advice Columns, etc..
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Full Curriculum Access
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Choreography Feedback
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One-on-One Consultation
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Free Access To All Live Webinars
Purchasing the Resources gives you annual access to the training material. This material is free for one year for Comix Method certified teachers, and half the price for each year after!
What is The Comix Method Like?
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All of the elements that form this program have been present in countless programs/events over the last two decades. From Dance Conventions to Ted Talks, podcasts to performances, & teacher training events to choreography workshops, professionals just like you have been learning about this method for years. Now, YOU get to be in the drivers seat and teach Hip Hop, The Comix way.
The Comix Method is an education method developed by street dance educator John Comix Barrella. This program is designed to offer solutions to common problems in Hip Hop education & fill in the gaps where key knowledge and important experiences are overlooked in dance schools.
Where many dance programs rely on a combo heavy approach to Hip Hop class, The Comix Method is representative of a class style that balances choreography with technique lessons, emphasis on grooves, dance history, and unique lessons designed to give students an experience more accurate to the dance culture the class is based on. The course and resources train you for a restructuring of the Hip Hop experience. One where much like other genres in the dance studio, history, technique, dance terms, and the full scope of the genres background become the foundation of class. Here, you have found your ultimate guide through your Hip Hop classes. A way to make it educational AND reminiscent of the culture in every way we can think of in the classroom:
Hip Hop's Actual Vocabulary
Concentration on Street Dance Beyond Hip Hop: Popping, Breaking, Locking , etc..
History: The "Why" Behind What Our Students Learn
Cyphers
Battles
The Social Experience of Hip Hop
Exploration of Music, Language, Fashion, & Any Other Element That Can & Should Contribute To The Hip Hop Experience.
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Who Is The Comix Method For?
Hip Hop Dance Teachers that don't feel like they've been able to access accurate and authentic Hip Hop in their training, and want to build their knowledge of Hip Hop in a way that inserts newfound authenticity into their classroom
Trained, Educated Street Dancers that want to understand how to structure their vast knowledge in a format that helps young, eager dancers better understand this dance culture.
Studios & Schools that want to start, reset, or elevate their Hip Hop program.
Lets Talk About It Some More
Fill out this brief form and we'll get a conversation going so I can answer all of your questions.
My Philosophy on Hip Hop Education
(...and your role in it)
Hip Hop Has an Identity Crisis.
Well...Hip Hop doesn't....but Hip Hop as it's presented in dance education certainly does. It's no secret by now that there is an ongoing conversation regarding what is "real Hip Hop". Many teachers want to view what they do as Hip Hop, so it's often labeled as a "kind" of Hip Hop. It gets suggested that what is being taught in dance studios is the evolution of Hip Hop. You know what we're talking about:
Commercial
Jazz Funk
Jazz/Hip Hop Fusions
Sassy Hip Hop
Studio Hip Hop
All of these things are often presented as "Hip Hop", yet none of them really are. What they actually represent is a presentation of dance that is performed with a Hip Hop aesthetic. It borrows concepts, without immersing itself in the full scope of Hip Hop. This sort of cherry picking has made it easy for people with no real access to Hip Hop's culture to claim they represent it in some way. The truth is, there is a major difference between being inspired by Hip Hop, and being representative of Hip Hop.
That distinction is what The Comix Method sets out to establish.
I should note that there is absolutely nothing wrong with performing choreography in any of those categories listed above. I also set work that is commercial, abstract, or a fusion of some kind. The difference here is that I will be quite clear to my dancers so that they know when we are "doing" Hip Hop vs. ""borrowing from concepts within" Hip Hop. The Comix Method asks that you educate on Hip Hop accurately. Even if it speaks to you to perform some jazz/Hip Hop fusion...even if ALL your students want to do is commercial dance, you're doing Hip Hop a huge favor by making sure that a class titled "Hip Hop" gives exactly that in its training. After that, you can make all the creative choices you want. Just make sure your dancers are clear on the differences.
Why Does it Matter?
I cannot tell you how many times I've walked into a studio to find that the "Hip Hop students" don't actually know a thing about Hip Hop. At a bare minimum, there should be a trust that "Our students are trained in Hip Hop" also means they have a general understanding of things like groove. They should be aware of the role of their torso in their ability to bounce. They should know some terminology. Due to their often combo-heavy experience, they don't know much beyond their last few routines. This isn't inherently frustrating for me as a teacher. I am here to help with this exact issue. I totally understand that many people don't know better. What IS a problem, is when the program has created a resistance to actual Hip Hop. There is a categorization of Hip Hop into "that old school stuff" as if it is a choice. As if foundation is an optional route to take in learning. In turn, this creates serious apprehension. When students lean on their current trends or technique from other dance styles and call it Hip Hop, they might not want to be told they are actually a beginner. That foundation is relevant to ALL avenues of interest, and that their foundation is in need of a ton of work.
Basically, we want to make sure that students understand what foundation training is. With the Comix Method, you're learning how to use foundation the way Ballet uses its foundation. By no means does it suggest you're ONLY doing "old school stuff". It means you're using the actual foundational technique to drive more modern Hip Hop work..whether the intention is to use it creatively in non-Hip Hop pieces, or develop modern work that is truly representative of Hip Hop.
Students, Representatives, Allies, & Educators
Which brings me to YOU. After doing this job for over 20 years, participating in culture, experiencing my own perspective in Hip Hop, I believe that there is so much value in changing where we set the standard for what makes a Hip Hop teacher. As I continue my work to train teachers, students, and judges, it is my goal to get more and more people on the same page about what Hip Hop is, one event at a time. I, like many of my friends in this industry, want the definition of Hip Hop to stick far more frequently. To become the majority understanding. This doesn't come from shunning or punishing people that don't know better. It comes from offering ways people can participate when they show a willingness to and want to do better.
Students
Through my work, I want you to become a student of Hip Hop. This requires the time and effort to learn(and unlearn) in a variety of ways. I aim for new found appreciation in you for Hip Hop's actual dance culture. One that encourages you to keep learning, and to keep seeking out others like me.
Representatives
Through your work, I hope for you to become a representative of Hip Hop. Someone that wants to bring authenticity to your classroom on such a level that you begin(or deepen) your participation in Hip Hop culture. Becoming a teacher that knows the culture from personal experience, and can therefore offer elevated training experiences in their classroom.
Allies
For teachers that love and appreciate Hip Hop, but do not have access to its culture, there is still such value in what you can offer your classrooms. As an ally, you are doing the best you can with what you have. You're offering students real knowledge. You're respecting Hip Hop enough to continue studying it. You're so eager for more that you're seeking out veterans and pioneers of Hip Hop to continue your personal growth. Even if you can't represent Hip Hop to the level in which the culture requires, being an ally as a teacher is far more valuable for Hip Hop than vacating your position for a teacher that doesn't care about this stuff.
Educators
This one is for street dancers. If you are all about the culture and want to find ways to make it make sense in the classroom, we're working from a whole other angle. This is till where The Comix Method thrives. Let's take all that fantastic knowledge you have and find a way to make it work tot he language of every student you encounter.
See you inside!
