HIP HOP
DANCE ALMANAC
Hip Hop Dance Writing Laboratory
Ink Cypher x Hong Kong
Designed and facilitated by Ian Abbott, Hip Hop Dance Writing Laboratories are spaces for Hip Hop dancers and writers to explore and reflect the perspectives, experiences and issues concerning and related to Hip Hop dance(s).
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April 2025 saw the first Hip Hop Dance Writing Laboratory taking place in Hong Kong in partnership with the Hong Kong Street Dance Development Association (HKSDDA).
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During the six day lab participants had the chance to be vulnerable, read and share conversations about Hip Hop dance(s) whilst developing their creative, writing, editing and critical analysis skills.
Participant Evaluation
"An adventurous journey with lots to take away. It's so inspiring for me because it broke 20 years of learning and turned my mind onto another way of thinking."
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"I hated writing, but now I love it. You pushed me to a boundary, but you caught me and didn’t let me fall. It’s amazing and you gave us so much information and were sincere and honest."
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"Brainstretching. It’s complex, it’s 6 full days and I'm doing things I haven’t done before. We're thinking deeply, feeling excited, but it’s also burning our minds. After each day you feel tired, but you can’t wait for the next day. Everyday has new tasks and you didn’t repeat anything. It’s very refreshing."
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"The Diary of a Bicep task is very interesting. It trained me up on how to really multi-task with the body, understanding text, connection to music and connection to the speaker. An exceptional exercise."
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"I learnt a lot of tools and methods to make my writing more creative. You gave us a lot of exercises about cyphering, battling and practice and then you put these concepts into writing – it’s very inspirational."
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"After being in the cypher, I become more emotional and I processed things quicker. Normally in Hip Hop, people say you're cool or you're a monster, but I got a different definition for myself. This lab made me think I want to treat Hip Hop in a poetic way."
Organiser Evaluation
"Ink Cypher holds tremendous value as a platform that amplifies the voices of those within the Hip Hop community - telling its stories not through the lens of external critics or distant historians, but through the lived experiences of practitioners themselves. This is especially vital for non-English-speaking Hip Hop communities. As the founder of Ink Cypher powerfully stated: “If you don’t write your own history, somebody else will.” This conviction became a driving force, encouraging active members of my Hip Hop community to reflect deeply on what Hip Hop means to them - on personal, communal, and societal levels.
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As the producer of the Flo Programme - a year-long choreographic training initiative for Hip Hop dancers - many of my program participants initially thought the Ink Cypher writing lab might feel disconnected from their usual physical practice. However, after six days of intensive, progressive engagement, I witnessed first-hand how its open and safe discussion environment, combined with thought-provoking writing tasks, sharpened participants’ perspectives. It helped clarify previously vague or intuitive ideas around Hip Hop culture, transforming emotion-driven understanding into articulate, critical insight.
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One participant described it as “one of my favourite workshops ever,” sharing that it helped him not only understand why he continues to pursue Hip Hop, but also how - not just emotionally, but with purpose, clarity, and vision. Thank you Ian for this visionary and culturally esteemed platform to Hip Hop community worldwide."
Elaine Lam, Hong Kong Street Dance Development Association (May 2025)