E. Moncell Durden is a dance educator and historian who specializes in the cultural and historical context of American Afro-Latin social dance. He is an assistant professor of practices for the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at University of Southern California and has been a senior lecturer of hip-hop at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He was also part of the adjunct faculty at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Yale School of Drama in Connecticut, and the Eugene Lang New School in New York City.

Durden is a member of the pioneering hip-hop crew MOP-TOP out of Brooklyn, New York. He spent 12 years performing with Philadelphia hip-hop theater company Rennie Harris Puremovement. In 2009 he released History and Concept of Hip-Hop Dance, a documentary produced by Dancetime Publications. In 2013, Durden founded Intangible Roots, a program dedicated to the education and preservation of African American intangible cultural heritage. He is a member of the National Dance Education Organization, the Council of International Dance, the Congress on Research in Dance, and the Society of Dance History Scholars. He was a contributor for Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches and The SAGE Encyclopedia of African Cultural Heritage in North America. He is highly sought after as a guest lecturer and workshop presenter, and he has given performances throughout the United States and internationally.

Chapter 1. Introduction to Hip-Hop Dance
Defining Hip-Hop Dance
Benefits of Studying Hip-Hop Dance
Basics of Hip-Hop Dance
Expectations and Etiquette for Students
Evaluation of Your Class Performance
Structure of the Hip-Hop Class
Summary

Chapter 2. Preparing for Class
Dressing for Class
Carrying Dance Gear
Preparing Yourself Mentally and Physically
Summary

Chapter 3. Safety and Health
Studio Safety
Personal Safety
Basic Anatomy
Basic Kinesiology
Preventing Common Dance Injuries
Treating Common Dance Injuries
Warming Up
Understanding Fitness
Nutrition, Hydration, and Rest
Summary

Chapter 4. Basics of Hip-Hop Technique
BEATS Approach
Alignment and Stance
Isolation Grooves
Across the Floor
Performance Directions
Summary

Chapter 5. Basic Hip-Hop Dance Steps
Dances From the 1980s
Dances From the 1990s
Dances From the Early 2000s
Summary

Chapter 6. History of Hip-Hop Dance
Origins of Hip-Hop Dance
Appropriation and Approximation of Hip-Hop
Commercialization of Hip-Hop Dance
Summary

Chapter 7. Hip-Hop Dance Forms
Locking
Waacking
Electric Boogaloos and Popping
House
Summary