Project Dance Penang

Project Dance is a movement of dancers seeking to positively impact culture through artistic integrity. Its desire is to see every dancer nurtured to their fullest human potential for their own well being and their contribution to the world. It offers training, education and performance opportunities for dancers worldwide who desire to dance with integrity to inspire. Project dance was born 11 years ago out of a desire to serve the people of New York City directly after the events of September 11.

Each year, thousands of New Yorkers stop to watch the concert held on a temporary stage on the corner of 44th Street and Broadway. This event has also been replicated in other cities around the USA and internationally in Toronto, London, Hong Kong, Manila, Sydney and Brisbane. Project Dance is not a convention or competition but rather a life changing experience for dancers who desire to perform with integrity to inspire.

This year, Project Dance will be held in Malaysia for the first time. The event which will be hosted in Penang from December 9 to 11 is open to all dancers and dance enthusiasts. Master classes, workshops, motivational forums and a free all-day dance concert at Queensbay Mall are among the many exciting activities to be staged. Choreographers and dancers from the USA, South Korea, Nigeria, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia will be taking part in this event.

Dance genres that will be showcased in Project Dance Penang include Argentine tango, ballet, street dance, lyrical jazz, worship dance and Korean traditional dance. There will also be master classes on hip hop, popping, locking, bboy, krump, girlstyle, soul, lyrical jazz, contemporary, tap and theatre dance (Broadway style). For more information, call 012-4129272 or 012-4853272 or check out projectdancepenang.blogspot.com.

Krump, Shuffle And Hip Hop Your Way To The Top

KFC Holdings (Malaysia) Bhd is organizing a "Hot Steppers Dance Competition" which will run from November 9 to December 19 2009. To take part in this competition, contestants will have to perform, videocam and then submit online a dance routine that incorporates elements of krumping, shuffle and hip hop. The champion will walk away with a cash prize of RM10,000 while the first and second runners up will take home RM7000 and RM5000 respectively. Consolation and special prizes will also be given away. For more information regarding this competition, log on to www.kfchotrods.com.my.

Krumping is a relatively new urban street dance form that was born (circa 2001) in the streets of South Central Los Angeles, USA. It is a fusion of several dance styles popular in the LA area. In addition to hip hop and breakdancing moves, krumping also involves another unique LA style of dancing known as clowning, pioneered by Tommy The Clown (pic). The popularity of krumping has spread to places like Europe, Brazil, Australia and Japan. A krump dance competition was held recently in Japan with the first prize being an offer to battle against Lil' C and Miss Prissy in the USA.

The shuffle, or better known as the Melbourne shuffle is a dance style created in the underground parties in Melbourne, Australia during the early 1990s. The basic movements are a fast heel and toe action with a style suitable for various types of electronic music. Some variations include arm movements. Melbourne shuffle footwork is based on Celtic dance, in particular Irish dance. Since the days of the Gold Rush in Australia there has been a large Celtic population in Melbourne mainly from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Spain (Iberia) and France (Gaul).

Hip hop originated from the Bronx in New York, USA during the 1970s. The four core elements of hip hop culture are - emceeing (often referred to as rapping), DJ-ing, breakdancing and graffiti art. Hip hop dance refers to social or choreographed dance styles danced primarily to hip hop music that have evolved as part of the hip hop culture. Hip hop dance styles include locking, popping, breakdancing, new jack swing and house dance. What separates hip hop from other dances is that it is often freestyle in nature and the dancers frequently engage in 'battles' which are formal or informal dance competitions.

Last year, KFC Holdings (Malaysia) Bhd organized a KFC Hot Rods "Shuffle Your Way To Melbourne" dance competition in which contestants had to perform, videocam and then submit online a shuffle dance routine. Twenty one contestants were eventually selected for the finals. The winner was Fareedzwan bin Saddi who won a holiday package tour worth RM8000 for two to Melbourne, Australia. The prizes offered for this year's "Hot Steppers Dance Competition" are attractive and should attract the top hip hop dancers from all over Malaysia.

Experience Street Dance Culture At Urban Dance Festival 2009

SMASH Dance Studio of Kota Damansara in Petaling Jaya, Selangor will be co-organizing the Urban Dance Festival 2009 to be held this weekend, February 21 & 22. There will be free workshops and performances by some of the best dance crews, including the champion and finalists of the recent Astro Battleground Finals 2009. A street dance competition will also be held. Further information regarding this event is as follows:-

Venue: Cineleisure Damansara, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya

February 21 2009 - Workshops and Performances.

Join in the free workshops and watch exciting performances:-

LA Hip Hop Workshop by Elecoldxhot, ECX

Reggae Workshop by Twister Genies

House Dance Workshop by Rythmusic, Fei

Punking Workshop by DT4

February 22 2009 - Competition

Showcase your best street dance routine and win the following prizes :-

3 X Champion Crew - Cash RM500 plus medals and trophy

3 X Outstanding Crew - Cash RM300 plus medals and trophy

4 X Consolation Prize - Cash RM100 plus medals

Rules: Limited to 22 teams only

Registration: RM20 per team

To register for this street dance competition, kindly contact Chan Wan Hoong at 017-3342411, email cw_hoong@hotmail.com, or Lee Hun Keong at 012-3376037. For more information regarding the Urban Dance Festival 2009, please check out www.smash.com.my or www.hiphopasia.blogspot.com.

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

Best Regards,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

The Krump - A New Dance Style Set To Rock The World?

Those who watched the second round (Top 18) of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) America - Season 2 on 8TV on January 4 2009 would have noticed contestants Travis Wall and Martha Nichols doing a krump dance routine to the song Clap Back by Ja Rule. The routine was choreographed by Lil' C, a world renowned krumper. I guess for many of us (it certainly was for me) this would be the first time that we are watching a krump dance performance. The dance was entertaining, fun to watch and Travis and Martha really gave a polished performance. It was thumbs up from all the judges.

Krumping is a relatively new urban street dance form that was born circa 2001 in the streets of South Central Los Angeles, USA. It is a fusion of several dance styles popular in the LA area. In addition to hip hop and breakdancing moves, krumping also involves another unique LA style of dancing known as clowning, pioneered by Tommy The Clown. The popularity of krumping has spread to places like Europe, Brazil, Australia and Japan. A krump dance competition was held recently in Japan with the first prize being an offer to battle against Lil' C and Miss Prissy in the USA.

Through the annals of history, we find that new genres of dances have always been continually "invented". While some dances have remained popular in their present or variation forms, many have faded into oblivion and are quickly forgotten. Dances which have challenged and will stand the test of time are the folk, contemporary and national dances. Many fad dances just come and go like the wind and are soon consigned to the history books. Dances like the locomotion, mashed potato, the jerk, the fly, the monkey (and a whole list with ridiculous names) which were the craze in the 1960s are all but barely mentioned nowadays.

The social dances which have remained popular in Malaysia include the ballroom and Latin American dances. Other "newer" entrants are the hip hop, salsa and line dance. There has been a resurgence of interest in other styles like the American swing dances (lindy hop, east coast swing, west coast swing, etc), Argentine tango and belly dance. You can still get to dance the twist, off-beat cha cha, YMCA, disco, and macarena at some social functions. Will the krump retain its allure or will it just become another dance fad and slowly fade away. Only time can tell. In the meantime, happy krumping!

Warmest Regards,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia