Countdown To "Showdown 2010"

A new reality TV dance show - Showdown 2010 will premiere over 8TV on March 31 2010 at 9.30 p.m. Auditions to select the Top 14 crews (consisting of between five to seven members each) for this street dance competition were held in Johor Baru, George Town, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Petaling Jaya last month. The Top 14 will have to challenge each other to gain a place in the Top 12 when the show begins next month. During each round of the competition, the bottom four crews, that is, those with the lowest votes will have to do a "dance off" to see which two of them will be eliminated. The Final Four crews will then battle it out in the "Final Showdown" on July 13 to determine who becomes the champion.

The host of Showdown 2010 will be Hafiz Hatim, a popular deejay with Fly FM. Hafiz will give viewers a peek at behind-the-scenes footage: from the rehearsals to the actual performances. Well-known rapper Joe Flizzow of Too Phat, and pole dance instructor Maple Loo are the permanent judges and will be joined by an invited judge during each round of the competition. The winner of the Final Showdown will be determined by a combination of the judges' scores and viewers' votes. A cash prize of RM50,000 will be awarded to the winning crew. I guess this show Showdown 2010 sort of makes up for the disappointment over the cancellation of So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia just after only two seasons.

Street dance is a generic term used to describe dance styles that have evolved outside of the dance studios and on to open spaces such as streets, parks, school courtyards, etc. They are often social in nature and involves improvisation with the other dancers and spectators. Generally, a street dance is based on a unique feel or style that is expressed through the dance, usually tied to a certain musical genre. The street dances include hip hop, breakdance, krumping, punking, reggae and house dance. Street dance competitions are getting increasingly popular and international events are held around the world each year. These competitions focus not only on judged battles but choreographed shows as well.