How Hip-Hop Dance Competitions Are Scored
From HHI choreography panels to freestyle battle judging — every scoring method explained with real criteria, scales, and examples.
Last updated: March 16, 2026
Hip-hop competitions use two distinct scoring formats. In choreography events (like Hip Hop International), a panel of 6–8 judges rates crews on a 1–10 scale across Performance criteria (creativity, staging, showmanship) and Skill criteria (musicality, synchronization, execution). Judges are split into specialists — performance judges and skill judges — and each specialist's vote carries more weight in their category. In battle format, judges simply vote for the winner of each 45–60 second round, and the dancer or crew with the most rounds won advances.
Choreography Competition Scoring (HHI System)
Hip Hop International (HHI) is the gold standard for crew choreography competitions worldwide. A panel of 6–8 judges splits into two specialist groups: Performance judges and Skill judges. Each judge scores on a 1–10 scale (including decimals like 8.5) across five criteria in their specialty. The final score is calculated at exactly 50% Performance + 50% Skill — no weighting bias toward either category. Within each category, a musicality expert's score on synchronization counts more in the Skill average than a generalist's would — this protects the integrity of the ranking. Scores are trimmed: the highest and lowest marks per criterion are dropped when you have 6+ judges, which cuts down on scoring outliers and bias. This extreme score trimming is critical — it means judges can't single-handedly skew results toward outlier 9.5s or 5.0s.
| Category | Criteria | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | Creativity | Originality of choreography, formations, and concepts. Judges reward routines that feel like they belong to this crew — fresh ideas instead of recycled trending moves. Strong use of levels, transitions between concept shifts, or thematic storytelling all score here. |
| Performance | Staging | How the crew uses the stage. Are they covering the full performance area or clumped in one spot? Do they use depth — moving front-to-back — or just side-to-side? Good staging looks intentional, not random. Transitions between sections should feel like part of the routine, not filler. |
| Performance | Showmanship | Stage presence and the crew's connection to the crowd. Are they locked in to their own performance, or are they performing it? Do you see real confidence or do they look nervous? Facial expressions matter — bored faces kill an otherwise clean routine. Energy should feel controlled but present from first beat to last. |
| Performance | Entertainment Value | Did the routine keep you watching? Did anything surprise you, make you laugh, or catch your breath? A technically perfect routine with zero personality will drop points here. This is where crews who can balance precision with memorable moments score high. |
| Performance | Street Presence | Does this crew look like they believe what they're doing? Do they move like hip-hop dancers, or like contemporary dancers doing hip-hop? Street presence is about authenticity — not about costume or attitude alone, but whether the crew actually embodies hip-hop's energy and cultural foundation. |
| Skill | Musicality | How tightly the choreography locks to the track. Are they hitting bass drops, snares, and lyrical accents? Or just dancing on the beat? Top crews make the music feel like part of the routine — movements answer the song, not just answer the tempo. |
| Skill | Synchronization | Are all crew members locked in together? Every arm angle, snap, and step should land at the exact same moment. Judges also look for intentional canon and ripple effects — these have to feel deliberate and controlled, not like someone just slightly missed the mark. |
| Skill | Execution | Are the movements clean? Full extension, sharp isolations, controlled power moves. Sloppy footwork, half-committed isolations, or inconsistent technique shows up here. This is where a crew separates itself from others — the details matter. |
| Skill | Difficulty | How technically demanding is the choreography? Intricate footwork patterns, power moves (flips, freezes, headspins), speed changes, complex formations. Judges reward crews that challenge themselves, but only if they land it clean. |
| Skill | Style Variety | How many different hip-hop sub-genres does the crew showcase? Popping, locking, breaking, krumping, house, waacking, tutting. Judges reward versatility, but only if the crew stays cohesive — not just jumping between styles randomly. |
Battle Judging: How Winners Are Picked
Battle scoring is completely different from choreography. Instead of numerical scores, judges vote for the winner of each round. A typical battle round lasts 45–60 seconds, and each dancer (or crew) takes turns. You vote for who won that exchange.
Most battles run best-of-three or best-of-five, and panels have 3 or 5 judges (always odd) to avoid ties.
You're not scoring individual criteria — you're making a gut call. But here's what matters: musicality (are they dancing to the DJ's track or their own rhythm?), originality (fresh moves beat recycled combos every time), execution (can they land it clean under pressure?), dynamics (do they shift energy, read the crowd?), and response (do they answer what the other person did?).
One critical rule: biting (copying an exact move from your opponent) gets heavily penalized. Crashed power moves or stumbles can cost you a round even if the rest was solid.
Understanding Scoring Scales
The 1–10 scale breaks down like this:
9.0–10.0: Outstanding — World-class work. You rarely see scores above 9.5. These are performances that feel virtually flawless with exceptional creativity.
8.0–8.9: Excellent — Strong performance with minor flaws. Most top-placing crews land here. An 8.5 average is seriously competitive at nationals and internationals.
7.0–7.9: Good — Solid routine, clearly has room to improve. Clean work but maybe missing creativity or showmanship. Typical for strong regional crews.
6.0–6.9: Average — Competent but unmemorable. They hit their choreography, but nothing stands out.
Below 6.0: Below expectations — Significant issues with sync, execution, or presentation. Rare at majors because qualifying rounds filter these out.
Judges should use the full scale, not cluster between 7 and 9. Decimals matter — in a 40-crew field, the difference between 1st and 10th can be 0.5 points.
What Dance Judges Actually Look For
Beyond the formal criteria, here's what experienced judges actually notice:
The first 15 seconds matter. A strong opening — sharp freeze, synchronized group hit, unexpected formation — sets the tone. If a crew stumbles early, you're already behind.
Transitions are as important as the moves. A crew that nails every combo but awkwardly shuffles between formations will score lower than one with smooth transitions that keep the energy flowing.
Group dynamics trump individual skill. A crew of 8 at 85% synchronization beats a crew where 2 are incredible but the other 6 lag. Judges watch the weakest dancer, not just the strongest.
Energy management matters. Routines that peak too early and fade, or start slow and never recover, score lower than those with intentional energy arcs — building tension, releasing it, finishing with impact.
Costume and presentation aren't formally scored, but they influence Entertainment Value and Showmanship. Crews with visual identity that supports their routine's concept tend to score higher.
Why Style Variety Matters: Hip-Hop's Sub-Genres
Style Variety exists because hip-hop dance is an umbrella of sub-genres, each with its own technique and history. Judges reward crews that show fluency across styles:
Breaking (B-boying/B-girling): Floor work, freezes, footwork, toprock. The oldest hip-hop form.
Popping: Muscle contractions that create a hitting effect. Waving, tutting, animation, robotics.
Locking: Comedic, exaggerated movements with sudden pauses. High-energy with specific foundational moves like Lock, Pointing, Skeeter Rabbit.
Krumping: Aggressive, raw expression. Chest pops, arm swings, stomps, intense faces.
House: Fast footwork driven by house music. Floor work, jacking, fluid transitions.
Waacking: Arm-focused, fast angular movements from 1970s disco culture.
Choreography/New Style: The fusion style most common in crew competitions. Blends everything with commercial and contemporary influences.
A crew performing only New Style might score 6–7 in Style Variety. A crew that weaves in breaking sections, popping isolations, and locking sequences can push toward 9–10.
Worked Example: Crew Choreography Scoring
Let's say a crew of 8 dancers performs at an HHI regional with 6 judges (3 Performance specialists, 3 Skill specialists).
Performance Scores (Judges 1–3):
- Creativity: 8.5, 8.2, 8.8 → Trimmed (drop high/low): 8.5
- Staging: 8.0, 7.8, 8.3 → Trimmed: 8.0
- Showmanship: 8.7, 9.0, 8.5 → Trimmed: 8.7
- Entertainment Value: 8.3, 8.6, 8.1 → Trimmed: 8.3
- Street Presence: 7.9, 8.0, 8.2 → Trimmed: 8.0
- Performance Average: 8.30
Skill Scores (Judges 4–6):
- Musicality: 8.8, 9.0, 8.6 → Trimmed: 8.8
- Synchronization: 8.0, 7.5, 8.2 → Trimmed: 8.0
- Execution: 8.4, 8.2, 8.5 → Trimmed: 8.4
- Difficulty: 8.1, 8.3, 7.9 → Trimmed: 8.1
- Style Variety: 7.5, 7.8, 7.2 → Trimmed: 7.5
- Skill Average: 8.16
Final Score: (8.30 + 8.16) / 2 = 8.23
Their weakest area is Style Variety (7.5) — mostly New Style choreography without breaking or popping. Their strongest is Musicality (8.8) — tight connection to the music. To improve, they'd add 2–3 distinct sub-genres while keeping that musicality sharp.
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