ATL Stomp Dance: How to Do the Kick-Kick-Stomp

TL;DR

• Kick your right foot twice toward a 45-degree angle on 1-and.
• Hop to the right and land softly with both feet on 2.
• Immediately lift the left leg, kick twice toward the left on 3-and, then hop left and land on 4.
• Count aloud while you move. The most common beginner problem is not forgetting to land; it is landing off beat.
• Usher's 2004 “Yeah!” video gave the ATL Stomp wider visibility, but the available evidence does not establish one creator or a precise origin date.

The ATL Stomp is a hip-hop dance move built around a simple challenge: two kicks and a two-foot landing must fit cleanly into the music. The full cue is kick, kick, stomp; kick, kick, stomp.

The pattern is easy to remember. Performing it on time while hopping from side to side takes more control. This tutorial breaks down the exact direction, count, and landing I use when teaching the move.

What is the ATL Stomp dance?

The ATL Stomp is an alternating footwork move that combines two kicks toward one side with a lateral hop and a soft two-foot landing. You then repeat the same pattern in the opposite direction.

The right side fits into 1-and-2. The left side fits into 3-and-4. That gives you one complete right-and-left cycle across four main beats.

Although people may use broad phrases such as “stomp dance” or “foot stomping dance” when searching for it, the ATL Stomp is a specific hip-hop move. It should not be confused with every dance that includes stomping.

Watch the ATL Stomp demo

Watch hip-hop pioneer Buddha Stretch demonstrate the ATL Stomp. I trained directly with Stretch, and his demonstration matches the version explained in this tutorial.

First watch the direction of each kick. Then replay the video and focus on when both feet land.

How do you do the ATL Stomp step by step?

To do the ATL Stomp, kick twice toward one side, hop in that direction, land softly with both feet, and repeat toward the other side.

1. Begin in a balanced position

Stand with enough room to travel one small hop to your right and left. Keep your body relaxed and your knees ready to absorb each landing.

You may begin on either side. These instructions start with the right foot to match the breakdown below.

2. Lift the right foot toward a 45-degree angle

Lift your right foot and aim it diagonally to your right, about 45 degrees from the direction you are facing.

Do not kick straight forward. The diagonal direction prepares your body to travel to the right.

3. Kick the air twice on 1-and

Kick the right foot twice without touching the floor between the kicks.

The first kick happens on 1. The second happens on and.

Think:

Kick, kick.

4. Hop right and land on 2

Hop toward your right side and land softly with both feet on 2.

The word “stomp” describes the accented landing in the pattern, but you do not need to drive your feet hard into the floor. The landing should be clear and on time without becoming heavy.

5. Immediately lift the left leg

As soon as both feet land, prepare the other side by lifting your left leg.

Do not pause in the two-foot position. The landing finishes the right side and sets up the left side.

6. Kick the left foot twice on 3-and

Aim the left foot diagonally to your left at roughly 45 degrees. Kick the air twice without touching down between the kicks.

The first left kick happens on 3. The second happens on and.

7. Hop left and land on 4

Hop toward the left and land softly with both feet on 4.

You have now completed one full cycle:

Right kick, right kick, land. Left kick, left kick, land.

8. Repeat from side to side

Continue alternating right and left. Keep the hops small enough that you can control the direction and place every landing on the correct beat.

Add personal style only after the footwork and timing feel dependable.

How do you count the ATL Stomp rhythm?

Count the ATL Stomp as:

1-and-2, 3-and-4

The actions line up like this:

Count	Action
1	First right kick
and	Second right kick
2	Hop right and land with both feet
3	First left kick
and	Second left kick
4	Hop left and land with both feet

I have my students count aloud while they perform the move. Someone may be able to say the rhythm while standing still, then lose it once the kicks and hops are added. Now the dancer is handling two tasks at once: maintaining the count and coordinating the movement.

Counting aloud lets me hear whether the student understands the timing. The goal is not simply to finish the footwork. The goal is to make each kick and landing agree with the count.

What is the most common ATL Stomp mistake?

The most common mistake is being off beat, especially when the dancer hops and lands.

Remembering to land is usually not the issue. Landing on time is the issue. A dancer with less balance may rush the kicks, hesitate during the hop, or place the two-foot landing between beats instead of directly on 2 or 4.

There is no quick fix that replaces practice. If your timing drifts, remove extra styling and return to the spoken count:

1-and-2, 3-and-4.

Repeat the complete pattern while making the landings match 2 and 4. Do not speed up merely to hide an uncertain transition.

Common ATL Stomp corrections

What you notice	Likely issue	What to correct
You kick straight forward	The foot is missing the sideward pathway	Aim each kick about 45 degrees toward the traveling side
The kicking foot touches down between kicks	The two kicks are being treated as separate steps	Keep the foot in the air for both 1-and or 3-and
You land between counts	The hop is not synchronized with the rhythm	Count aloud and place both feet down on 2 or 4
You pause after landing	The next side is being prepared too late	Lift the opposite leg immediately after the two-foot landing
The move travels too far	The hop is larger than your balance can control	Reduce the distance and keep the landing under control
The landing feels heavy	You are driving both feet into the floor	Bend the knees and land softly
The feet are correct but the move looks disconnected	The pattern is being performed without a steady count	Return to kick, kick, stomp before adding style

How should beginners practice the ATL Stomp?

Use short repetitions that keep the count and movement connected:

1. Say 1-and-2, 3-and-4 without moving.
2. Practice the two right kicks and soft landing on 1-and-2.
3. Practice the two left kicks and soft landing on 3-and-4.
4. Join both sides without pausing.
5. Count aloud while repeating the complete cycle.
6. Add music with a clear beat and keep the landings on 2 and 4.
7. Add personal style only after the timing remains steady.

Choose a clear practice area with enough space on both sides. Wear secure shoes and use a stable, uncluttered surface. Stop if the movement causes pain or unusual discomfort.

Where did the ATL Stomp come from?

The available sources connect the ATL Stomp name with Atlanta, but they do not establish one verified creator or a precise date when the move began. It is better to preserve that uncertainty than to turn a repeated internet claim into history.

I first encountered the ATL Stomp through Usher's “Yeah!” video after my dance mates from Culture Shock San Francisco showed it to me. Near the end of the video, Lil Jon calls out “A-Town stomp” as the dancers perform the move.

Apple Music lists “Yeah!” as a 2004 Usher recording featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris. Its official music video gave viewers around the world a visible reference for the movement and helped the name travel beyond the dancers who already knew it.

That does not prove the song created the ATL Stomp. It shows a documented moment when the move reached a much larger audience. The instructional collection Beginning Hip-Hop Dance also catalogs “The ATL Stomp” as its own hip-hop dance topic, separate from entries such as the Bankhead Bounce.

Is the ATL Stomp the same as the Fila or Bankhead Bounce?

No. The ATL Stomp, the Fila, and the Bankhead Bounce are different moves.

They may appear in the same broader hip-hop dance vocabulary, but that does not make their footwork interchangeable. Learn each move from its own demonstration instead of treating the names as synonyms.

The ATL Stomp pattern taught here is specifically:

Two diagonal kicks, one lateral hop, and a two-foot landing on each side.

You can study the Fila and Bankhead Bounce separately, but neither should be used as a substitute for this ATL Stomp breakdown.

Is the ATL Stomp the same as other stomp dances?

No. “Stomp dance” is a broad phrase used for unrelated dance and cultural traditions.

For example, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian explains that Seminole Stomp Dance is connected to the Green Corn Ceremony and longstanding Seminole religious and social customs. That tradition is not a version of the ATL Stomp.

The ATL Stomp also should not be confused with stepping, Mexican footwork traditions, line dances, or the dancing shown in the film Stomp the Yard. A shared English word does not mean the dances share the same origin or technique.

If you are searching for this particular move, use ATL Stomp dance or ATL Stomp hip-hop tutorial rather than only “stomping dance.”

Frequently asked questions

What is the ATL Stomp?

The ATL Stomp is a hip-hop footwork move that combines two diagonal kicks, a sideward hop, and a soft two-foot landing. The pattern repeats right and left.

How do you do the ATL Stomp?

Kick the right foot twice on 1-and, hop right and land with both feet on 2, then kick the left foot twice on 3-and and hop left to land on 4.

What count does the ATL Stomp use?

Use 1-and-2, 3-and-4. The kicks occur on the number and “and,” while both feet land on 2 and 4.

Who created the ATL Stomp?

The sources reviewed for this article do not establish one verified creator. Usher's “Yeah!” video gave the move wider visibility in 2004, but that is not evidence that the song or its performers created it.

Is the ATL Stomp the same as the Fila?

No. Ceech teaches them as different dance moves. The ATL Stomp version on this page uses two diagonal kicks followed by a lateral hop and two-foot landing.

Is the ATL Stomp the same as the Bankhead Bounce?

No. They are separate moves and should be learned from separate demonstrations.

How can I stop landing off beat?

Count 1-and-2, 3-and-4 aloud while you move. Practice placing the two-foot landings directly on 2 and 4. Repetition is necessary; there is no shortcut that replaces matching the movement to the beat.

What should you practice next?

Practice the ATL Stomp until you can repeat both sides without pausing and land softly on 2 and 4. Keep the diagonal kicks clear, make the hops controllable, and let the rhythm determine when your feet touch down.

For another Atlanta-associated party dance, learn the Walk It Out. If you want individual feedback on your balance, timing, or foot placement, private dance lessons provide direct corrections and custom practice drills.