Hip Hop Shop

Promising to teach kids (ages 5-12) how to "dance like Britney [Spears] & Justin [Timberlake, of N'Sync]), Hip Hop Shop, produced by, among others, former Madonna-producer/DJ Jellybean Benitez, combines a "go to class" section where viewers learn the dances with a segment titled "the moves" showcasing the Hip Hop Shop dancers at their best. Working from a weak framing device involving a trio of kids struggling with moves for an upcoming dance show, the program features a pair of instructors--Robin and Moscow (who shows her hip hop qualities by sporting a bandana and sagging pants)--demonstrating moves such as "peek a boo," "wrist roll," and "cross your heart," while encouraging the kids and viewers to add their own "flava, flow and fun." For the majority of the program, the smiling kids are shown bouncing to their own beats…until the point when they're asked to try it all together and--magically--appear to have the moves down perfectly (viewers are not likely to fare as well, thanks to the choppy camera-switching--especially during the end of routines--that makes the instruction difficult to follow). Brightened up with an appearance from Rock Steady breaker Crazy Legs (who has much better luck demonstrating the moves), computer animated images of the dancers, and a soundtrack with Eminem-esque jams (but not Slim Shady lyrics), the DVD version I watched ended with a medley of the moves. Somewhat frustrating on the "how-to" side, the pull of looking like pop power-couple Britney and Justin will nevertheless attract tweens. Optional. Aud: P. (J. Williams)