How to do the 6 step: the ultimate tutorial

What is the 6-step?

The 6-step is a sequence of 6 steps that serves as the foundation of footwork. In this set of movements, the feet step around the upper body and you place and move your hands for support. The 6-step can be repeated in an infinite loop. This is because the 6-step ends exactly in the same position as where it started. A good 6-step requires balance, rhythm, flow and has a perfect form.

When you start breakdancing, you will usually start with learning the 6-step. After all, this is one of the most important basic footwork steps. After learning the 6-step, you can try other footwork steps, such as the 2-step, the 3-step and the 5-step. These footwork steps use pieces from the 6-step, and that is why mastering the 6-step first will help you learn other footwork steps as well.

To see what the 6-step looks like in action, check out our demonstration video:

Origins of the 6-step

Breakdance originated in the neighborhoods of the Bronx, New York in the early 1970s. People with mainly a latino or African-American background began to develop this dance style outside on the streets and in parks. They were inspired by kung fu, capoeira, gymnastics and Puerto Rican dance styles such as salsa. This mix of inspirations and creativity caused them to do many moves low to the ground, that we now call footwork. The 6-step was a classic move they developed in the very early years of breakdancing.

Learning the 6-step

There are different ways to learn the 6-step. Below we will explain the 6-step in the way that works for most people. Beware that it may be a style choice to perform your 6-step in a different way.

While following these instructions, always try to listen to your body. Don't force anything, and take occasional breaks if you get sore.

Starting position

The starting position of the 6-step is the squat position. You stand in a crouched position with your knees bent. It is important not to stand on flat feet, but rather on your toes. Throughout the entire 6-step you will always be on your toes. You keep your back as straight as possible, and with your buttocks, if possible, lean as deeply as possible on your heels. This may be difficult if your body does not allow it.

Step 1

Place your right hand next to your body, on the right side of your hip. You place it just slightly behind your hip. You want to keep your hand close to your body, so don't place it too far. Don't do the 6-step  on flat hands: we recommend to do it on your fingertips, keeping your thumb raised. This might be a bit difficult in the beginning, but with practice it will feel natural.

Lean your weight more up the right side, where your hand supports. Next, you want to place your right leg in front of your left leg. Actually, you are placing the back of your right knee in front of your left ankle. You can do this in two steps:

1. Slide your right leg straight forward.
2. Slide your right leg toward your left leg to then connect the back of your right knee to your left ankle. This is what we in breaking call a 'hook'.

Step 2

As you lean on your right arm, you move your left leg back. Make sure your shoulder is in a straight line above your right hand. Also, you don't want your hip and buttocks to be too high or too low. The highest point is your head and the lowest point is your feet. From this point, your body goes down in a straight line. Keep enough tension in your core, so that your hips and buttocks hold this line. This can be difficult at first, but practice makes perfect!

Your left hand is not touching the ground yet. You can hold this hand in the air. Some breakdancers like to place it in their hip. This choice is up to you.

Step 3

You will place your right leg next to your left leg. At the same time, you also place your left hand on the ground as additional support. So now you have placed all your limbs as additional support. This is also why step 3 is the easiest step in the 6-step.

Keep this plank position as straight as possible. So again think about the tension in your core. Just like in step 2, you want your shoulders in a straight line above your hands.

Step 4

You will lean your weight on your left arm. At the same time, you place your left foot forward. As you do this, your right arm is completely off the floor. You can again choose whether you hold it in the air or place it in your side. Keep your leg straight, and keep tension there to prevent your hip and buttocks from coming out higher or lower.

Step 5

You slide your right foot forward and place it in the back of your left knee. This position is the same as step 1, but in the opposite direction. This position is what we in breaking call a 'hook'.

In this step, you lean on your left arm. Keep your shoulder as straight as possible above your left hand. You can choose whether to hold your right hand in the air or place it in your side.

Step 6

So, when you perform your last step, you end up back in the starting position. You place your left foot next to your right leg and come out in a crouched position again. At the same time, you switch your arms from your left to your right. So, you now lean on your right arm, which you again place next to your hip.

Now you are back in the starting position again. From here, you can start the 6-step all over again.

Common mistakes

There are some mistakes that are remarkably common when learning and practicing the 6-step:

• The legs are sometimes mixed up. When your right leg moves, your left leg and foot are always on the ground. This is exactly the same the other way around. So, remember, if you just moved your right leg, the next step is always to move your left leg.
• The hands are sometimes moved too far away from the body, making it difficult to keep balance. Make sure your shoulders are always above your hands.
• Step 5 is sometimes performed incorrectly. People tend to place their right leg over the left leg, instead of placing it behind the left leg. What helps to avoid this mistake is by sliding your right foot across the floor during step 5. This prevents you from crossing your left leg.
• Beginner breakers sometimes tend to place two hands on the ground at the same time. The only time you place two hands on the ground is during step 3. Keep that in mind while practicing.

Hopefully this will help you avoid these mistakes.

Practice tips for mastering the 6-step

The 6-step is easy to learn, but hard to master. No matter how good you are at breaking, there are always things you can improve in your 6-step.

Here are some tips for practising your 6-step:

• When just starting, try practising the six steps from the 6-step in a standing position. Once you can remember the steps while standing, it is easier to learn the real 6-step low to the ground.
• You should learn the 6-step in both directions. The steps are the same, just mirrored. This will help you greatly in your footwork.
• Make sure you are always on your toes and using your fingertips. This will give you the best form and will help you to become fast and light.
• Get comfortable with step 3. Stand in this position and hold this until it gets too heavy. Try standing in this for longer and longer periods of time. This is how you also build strength and stability.
• Get comfortable in the squat position. Try making small jumps, or walking while in the squat position. Alsp practice leaning back and forth from your right to your left arm.
• Practice step 5, step 6 to step 1, and do the same backwards. The transition from the end of the 6-step to the beginning of the 6-step is in our opinion the most difficult piece to perfect.
• Practice the 6-step slowly. If you can perform something slow very well it will be easier to do it fast.
• Practice regularly and make sure to stop when you get tired. This way you can practice a little every day, and this is always better than practicing occasionally for a very long time.
• We recommend to film your own 6-step. This way you can look at your posture and see how you can improve.

People often wonder how to perform the 6-step with more style. The most important thing is to practice a lot. Style will come with time and practice.

Beware that your clothing can contribute to how your 6-step looks. Wide pants and a shirt with long sleeves often make your 6-step look better. Film yourself in different outfits and find out.

How long does it take to learn the 6-step?

To understand the sequence of the 6-step, often only takes 1 training session of about an hour. However, to have a good 6-step requires a lot of regular repetition. If you practice for an hour several times a week, you will see that within a couple of weeks you will perform your 6-step more skillfully and smoothly. Keep on training and then in 3 to 5 months you could be able to master the 6-step!

Some people will take shorter or longer to learn the 6-step. It is important to always remain patient. As in many disciplines, improving is a never-ending process. Always keep practicing the basics!

Musicality and the 6-step

In breakdance music there is always an 8 count. With this 8 count you count to the rhythm of the percussion. On the 1,3,5 and 7 is the 'kick' and on the 2,4,6 and 8 is the 'snare'. When the 8 counts are over, the same piece of music begins again.

Practice the 6-step at different tempos and rhythms. You can do this by playing different songs at different tempos. But you can also apply the 8 count to practicing the tempos. For example, you can do one round of a 6-step in 8 counts, then do it again. But you can also do 1 round in 2 times 8 counts. Or you can do it faster by doing, for example, 1 round in 4 counts, then do it again, so you have 2 full rounds of 6-step in 8 counts.

If you want to make it even harder, you can alternate with the paces. For example, do 1 round in 8 counts, the second round do two 6-steps in each 4 counts, and then the last round in 2 times 8 counts. Practising this will help you to alternate between different speeds.

With these counts you can come up with endless different exercises. Gaining knowledge about music is always useful for performing the 6-step. Try practising on many different music genres. Also, learn to recognize the different layers of instruments.

Variations of the 6-step

Once you can do the 6-step, it's time to broaden your arsenal in footwork. Logical moves to learn are the 5-step, 3-step and 2-step. The 3-step, 5-step and 2-step consist of elements from the 6-step. So that's why we will briefly explain them below.

5-step

The 5-step consists of 5 steps. This one is quite simple. You do step 1, 2 & 3 of the 6-step. Then you do step 5 and 6 of the 6-step.

3-step

The 3-step is divided into 3 steps. The starting position is the same crouched squat position as in the 6-step. You extend your left leg and lean on your right hand. After this you switch your legs, so your right leg is forward now. At the third step you swing your right leg and land in the same position that you end at the third step of the 6-step.

When you swing your legs, you push off from your left foot and make a small jump to come out in the third step. This is quite tricky at first. What helps is to slide your feet across the floor first. After step three, push off from your feet again to jump to step 1. You land again with your left leg forward leaning on your right arm.

See our demonstration of the 3-step:

2-step

In the 2-step you swing your legs from step 1 and 2 from the third step all the way through, until you come out at step 1 again. Again, it can help to slide your legs across the floor first. If this is easier, then you can start swinging your legs all the way through in the air.

So, during the 2-step you are leaning on your arms the entire time. If you master the 2-step and the 3-step well, then you can make the movements more dynamic. You do that by performing step 1 and 2 as you do step 6 and 1 in the 6-step.

See our demonstration of the 2-step:

Learn other breakdance moves

Next to the 6-step, there are many other breakdance moves to learn. To save you time when learning these moves, MyGrooveGuide has produced the best breakdance tutorials on the internet. All classes are given by professional bboys and bgirls, who have won some of the world's biggest competitions. There are tutorials for both beginner and advanced dancers. Moreover, next to breaking there are also classes in hip hop, popping and house dance. See an overview of classes.