Bailey Sok is one of those dancers who has been grabbing attention since the second she first stepped out on stage.
And from her humble beginnings on teams like Buns & Roses to her recent contract with Nike, she’s been inspiring young dancers all over the world.
But if you’re one of those dancers who's inspired by how dope Bailey Sok looks when she’s hitting every beat, you might not know how to become like her.
Especially if you’ve never danced before.
That’s where we come in!
From studying the details of Bailey Sok's dance style to taking Bailey Sok's dance classes – we've got 6 tips to help you dance just like this rising star.
Read on to get started!
1. Learn From Bailey Sok’s Dance Background
Bailey Sok’s dance journey didn’t begin with her training in elite LA choreography classes.
Like many young dancers, she started dancing at a local studio where they taught traditional styles like Ballet.
And it’s her wide range of experience that’s made her an amazing dancer today!
So, if you wanna dance like Bailey, focus on adding to your range with the following types of classes:
Jazz
Bailey first started dancing under Molly Long, the director of a junior dance team that did primarily Jazz and Jazz Funk.
So, if you wanna look like Bailey, Jazz is the perfect place to start!
Jazz classes help you embrace the more theatrical parts of dancing.
You’ll work on powerful facial expressions, quick footwork, and fast turns.
All of these skills will come in handy when you want to give off that incredible stage presence that Bailey has given all 👏 her 👏 life 👏
Check out STEEZY’s Beginner Jazz program here if you’re ready to start tapping into your inner star quality.
Ballet
There’s a reason why just about every dope dancer will tell you to take some beginner Ballet classes.
Ballet is all about discipline and technique. It’s about perfecting small details. It’s about focus and care.
When you watch Bailey Sok dance, you probably notice that she seems to hit every tiny sound, has amazing body control, and is consistently in the pocket.
Training in Ballet probably had a huge impact on Bailey developing those abilities!
Wanna learn how to control every muscle in your body with perfect precision just like Bailey?
Check out STEEZY’s Beginner Ballet program too!
Hip Hop
Many people describe Bailey Sok as a Hip Hop dancer.
However, we want to make one thing clear!
Many of the routines you’ve probably seen Bailey do are influenced by Hip Hop dance, but aren’t necessarily considered a full-on Hip Hop routine.
At STEEZY, we refer to Bailey’s choreography as “Open Style” – a style of dance that draws on many styles of dance, especially Hip Hop and other street styles like Popping and House.
That said, training in Hip Hop classes will improve your ability to execute the moves that Bailey Sok likes to do!
Hip Hop dances are based around two fundamental movements: bounces and rocks.
Bounces are executed by bending your knees and bouncing up and down to a beat.
Rocks are executed by swaying/rocking your body from side to side to beat.
Many popular dance moves that you’ve seen in viral challenges, music videos, and Bailey’s routines follow this format, even if they aren’t a classic move from Hip Hop history.
Watch for the Hip Hop influence in her choreography below:
Bailey's most popular YouTube videos:
If you wanna learn more about what makes Hip Hop “Hip Hop,” read this: What is Hip Hop?
And if you wanna learn how to dance true Hip Hop and build your foundation like Bailey’s, of course, STEEZY has a Beginner Hip Hop program for ya too!
2. Learn From Bailey Sok’s Dance Class Instructors
All dancers are shaped and molded by their mentors, so taking classes from Bailey’s mentors will get you one step closer to dancing like Bailey herself!
During her teen years, Bailey spent a lot of time training with Melvin Timtim and his team, S-Rank.
Melvin has a unique style that impacted Bailey’s way of dancing and choreographing quite a bit.
Check out this video of Bailey performing with S-Rank:
One of Melvin’s signatures is using very small movements to create hugely impactful moments.
That moment around 1:33 in the last video when the whole team is doing that funky two-step-slide move in unison is a great example.
Bailey uses those same types of minimalist movements in her own routines and freestyles, so practicing Melvin’s routines will help you get that Bailey Sok “look.”
You’ll also find that Melvin Timtim loves to appear super laid back and groovy during certain sections of his choreography, and that vibe has bled into Bailey’s dance style too.
For example, in that video, did you see how Melvin and Bailey allow their shoulders to drop down and back so that they have an almost slouchy posture?
That’s a huge reason why people think Bailey Sok looks cool when she dances!
By slouching and leaning back a bit, she never looks like she’s trying too hard. ;)
A few other choreographers who have taught Bailey Sok:
Alfred Remulla – a super creative choreographer who infuses his routines with storytelling! His classes have definitely given Bailey Sok an opportunity to work on her fluidity as his routines are all about seamless transitions.
Anthony Lee – another choreographer who loves an effortlessly small movement! He milks the sh*t out of tiny movements so that it feels like he’s dancing in slow motion. You’ll notice Bailey doing the same thing when she dances too!
Brian Friedman – an absolute icon in the dance industry, Brian mixes grace and extreme power in every single piece! When Bailey is tapping into her more feminine energy and Jazz background, you best believe she’s pulling from Brian’s teaching.
If you’re lucky enough to live in a city where these choreographers visit and teach, check out their classes and learn from them directly –– you’ll be dancing like Bailey Sok before you know it!
And if not, you can also learn from ALL of these choreographers on STEEZY Studio, right at home.
They tend to teach more advanced choreography, so it’ll be helpful to use STEEZY’s features to slow down the tempo and really practice nailing those small movements and fluid transitions like Bailey.
3. Learn From Bailey Sok’s Friends
Yes, your mentors are always gonna help you become the person you wanna be… but your friends are there by your side every day influencing who you currently are.
Which is a really philosophical way of saying…
You should take class from Bailey Sok’s homies.
Since Bailey has been dancing almost her entire life, she’s made a LOT of close friends in the dance community whose styles are constantly melding with hers.
They take classes together, dance on teams together, and most importantly, freestyle and exchange ideas with each other!
Just watch this video from STEEZY’s series, “3 Choreographers, 1 Song” where Bailey and two of her contemporaries all choreographed to the same song, then talk about one another’s choreo choices.
They each have their strengths, but you can also see where their styles overlap!
So, pretend you’re at a freestyle sesh with Bailey and her friends by taking classes from people like Josh Price and Julian DeGuzman.
Then, like Bailey, learn how Josh adds seamless grooves and how Julian adds creativity to his isolations.
Oh, and while you’re at it, squeeze in some classes from Sienna Lalau too – another friend of Bailey’s with several classes on STEEZY!
5. Take Bailey Sok’s Dance Classes
Ok, this might seem kind of obvious, but if you want to dance like Bailey Sok…
YOU SHOULD TAKE DANCE CLASSES FROM BAILEY SOK DUH.
Bailey is not just a skilled dancer. Now that she’s in her late teens, she’s also teaching other dancers herself!
If you’re lucky enough to be in LA where Bailey is based, you can catch her at studios like Millennium Dance Complex.
Her classes tend to be advanced, so bring your A-game, and if you’re worried about keeping up, be sure to make use of the first few tips in this article before heading to Bailey's in-person classes.
If you’re not in the LA area, surprise surprise, you can take Bailey Sok's dance classes on STEEZY Studio.
She has some incredible classes taught solely herself and co-taught with other young creators like Sienna Lalau and Sean Lew.
Check out a couple of the routines!
She’ll teach you exactly how to hit hard while still maintaining a sense of swag and sass, step-by-step.
5. Study Bailey Sok’s Dance Style Closely
Learning choreography is great, but if you really want to deepen your skills in order to master Bailey Sok’s dance style, you should focus on a specific set of techniques.
And to do that, you’ll wanna study exactly what sets her apart from other dancers!
In this video, you can see that she’s especially clean and precise, even next to other super talented dancers.
In addition to taking Ballet classes as I mentioned earlier, you can also do body awareness training drills to improve your muscle control and tackle this kind of choreography.
Check this one out for a place to start!
Bailey Sok is also known for being an impeccably fast dancer. She can shoot a limb out in the blink of an eye, and transition from one groove to another before you even know what’s happening.
If you want to become a speed master, it’ll be important to condition your body with agility-based exercises.
Burpees are a great example – you’ll build the muscle mass in your arms, legs, and, core (the stronger muscles will help you move with more ease), while also practicing doing a full range of motions as quickly as you can.
“Suicide runs” and quick calf raises are also great options.
6. Get Feedback From Other Bailey Stans
The last step to learning to dance like Bailey Sok?
Getting critique from other dancers!
You’ll never become an amazing dancer if you’re exclusively practicing alone.
Even if you record yourself, you’ll still miss little things about your execution and performance that will be key to becoming your best dancer self.
So, if you have some dancer friends, especially dancer friends who love Bailey Sok like you do, ask them to watch you dance and give you pointers.
Don’t know anyone in the dance community?
If you haven’t already, join STEEZY Studio’s members-only Facebook Group!
You’ll be able to meet tons of other people who are not only Bailey fans, but are also taking some of the same Bailey Sok classes that you're taking.
You can post your progress videos in the group and find out if the next thing you should focus on is facials, power, or isolations.
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I hope these tips help you on your journey to dancing like queen Bailey!
Got some tips for other Bailey Sok fans?
Or have another dancer you’d love to dance like?
Comment below :)
