4th Gatsby Malaysia Finals

The most anticipated Malaysian Finals in the 4th Gatsby Dance competition has come to a close with the crowning of the new rising star - Rebounce Crew. The final dance-off was held on 14 January 2012 at Neverland Club, Kuala Lumpur with a huge turnout from entourage of fans and media buddies. The contest in its fourth year running saw a record-breaking 114 entries form solo and group acts. Not only has the number of entries doubled from last season's records; the contest has also attracted over 25,000 Facebook followers, putting Malaysia way ahead of other Pan Asia countries.

During the voting period from 14 November till 16 December 2011, 59 video entries were short-listed by judges for online voting. Six contestants with the highest number of 'like' by Facebook fans together with 4 winners from on-ground auditions moved on to battle it out in the Malaysia Finals. This season's panel of judges comprised of Japanese celebrity dance guru Fishboy, Floor Fever leader Boojae Fadzil and Fellest Yan of Royal Phantom Crew.

Rebounce Crew walked away with RM2000 cold cash plus and all-expenses paid trip to participate in the Asia Grand Finals in Tokyo. Following in the footsteps of Jackson Chua and Alex Poppin' Rex, both past champions of Malaysia Finals and Asia Grand finals, Rebounce Crew now represents Malaysia with the hope of winning the Greatest Gatsby Award in the Asia Grand Finals, Tokyo on 10 March. Second and third place went to School Brotherz and Teh Pitt Den. Each of them won RM1000 and RM500 respectively.

Dance National Association Officially Launched

The Dance National Association (DNA) was officially launched on 19th November 2011 at Wisma Peladang in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. A press release issued by DNA soon after the event, has this to say:

The dance industry today welcomes and celebrated the official launch of Dance National Association (DNA) this morning at Bangunan Peladang, Petaling Jaya. The event was marked by performances from varied genres of dances ranging from Standard Ballroom, Latin Dance, to Hip Hop, Line Dance and Belly dance. There were many lucky door prizes for members of DNA who attended the event. The event attracted approximately 400 people from all ages coming from all walks of life. There was also an interesting dance fashion show modelled by teenagers and children showcasing a variety of costumes for dancers and competitors.

Following the official launch, there was the inaugural DNA Ballroom Dance Championship which saw a participation of approximately 150 competitors for various Ballroom, Latin and Hip Hop competitive events. In her inaugural speech, DNA's president Ms Josephine Seow explained DNA's objective to promote dance and dancesport to the mainstream dance fraternity and also to the masses through championships, competitions, workshops, training programmes, social events and outreach programmes.

She added, "We appreciate the contribution of all dance teachers in Malaysia and it is our top priority to give top recognition to them and provide support programmes to ensure a thriving dance industry. In order to achieve these, DNA needs support in all manner and from all sectors of the corporate sectors and individuals." One of DNA's highlights is the 2012 Malaysian International Ballroom Championships to be held on 2nd March 2012 Kuala Lumpur where you can see a congregation of the world's top ranked competitors.

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.

Hip Hop Fun & Thrills

Local television station 8TV organised its second Showdown Street Fest 2011 recently in Petaling Jaya, Selangor at the I Utama Shopping Centre's open car park. Some 8,000 people attended the event which featured performances by the top dance crews of Showdown 2010 and Showdown 2011. Since its premiere, this street dance reality show has garnered a huge following that has taken the show to unexpected heights, breaking viewership records and bagging many awards. Thus, with the aim of giving back to the fans, 8TV held this free street fest so that hip hop enthusiasts get the chance to indulge themselves in street dance culture, meet and greet the Showdown crews and learn a thing or two from the genii of the craft.

The Showdown Street Fest 2011 featured an array of activities including career talks, shopping bazaars as well as performances by local artistes. Street dance gurus Sheena Cruz (of Philippines All Stars); Bboy Zen and Jackson 'Boogie J', along with expert on the mic, MC Vandal; turntable connoisseur DJ Krates; beat dropping maven Shazet and skilled graffiti artist Bone of Phobia Klik edified the tricks of their trade at their specified workshops. Meanwhile Marcus Tucker of the United States shared his thoughts in a career talk titled Hip Hop 4 Life. Referring to the Showdown Street Fest, Tucker said: "This is very educational. All the elements of hip hop are represented here."

Point Blanc, a representative of Malaysia's prominent hip hop group Poetic Ammo also added his input at the festival. Giving an insight into what hip hop was all about from a career perspective, he said: "A lot of the kids wanted to know how I got started and that's one of the things I shared with them." Hip hop enthusiasts were also entertained to the likes of a hip hop fashion show, two-on-two bboy battles, all styles one-on-one battles as well as a star-studded lineup of performances from Sona One, Hunny Madu, Shawn Lee, Nadhira, Shazet, SSK, Arabyd, Nigel Sparks featuring Point Blanc, Showdown 2011 dance troupes and others. (The Sun)

Chan Pui Yi's Glee

If there is one thing Chan Pui Yi (pic) loves to do more than anything, it has to be dancing. Play her some good music and Pui Yi would just dance circles around anyone. The 20-year-old girl simply loves to move. Pui Yi started learning classical ballet at age five, but quit when she turned 11. However, that doesn't mean she stopped dancing altogether. "I did hip hop dancing and cheerleading while in secondary school" says Pui Yi who has picked up several dance genres along the years. She is now into street jazz and contemporary dance and can even do burlesque.

This dancer has appeared on several TV commercials and has performed in local musicals such as Always In Wonderland and Prom The Musical. "I love to dance and am part of a dance group called Awesome. We perform at corporate functions and have even joined several dance competitions," says Pui Yi. Although she is occupied with her dance commitments, Pui Yi stresses that she still allocates time for her studies. Pui Yi is currently pursuing a degree in law and adds that she is also interested in obtaining a diploma in dance someday.

"I love studying law, it is something I wanted to study, and I enjoy it. But I also want to go overseas and get a proper diploma in dance," Pui Yi reveals. She is also very keen to establish herself as a dance choreographer and teacher. "I know that it is quite difficult to establish yourself as a dancer here. That is because very few people appreciate dance and there is no demand for it in Malaysia," she says. Nevertheless, Pui Yi feels that there is hope for one to make it as a dancer in Malaysia in the future. "You can still make it here, I know some people who have done well for themselves as choreographers," she adds. (The Star)

Flash Mob Glee In JB

Shoppers at the KSL City shopping complex in Johor Bahru yesterday were surprised when about 150 fellow shoppers suddenly performed a synchronised dance in front of them. The flash mob danced to a hip hop dance song, Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO. The event organizer Lai Jia Yan, 26, said the activity was to promote street performing among youths in the state of Johor. "This is our third stop after we did the same routine at Sutera Mall and City Square, both also in JB. Our purpose is to encourage youths to express themselves in public through healthy activities such as dancing."

"We promoted the event through our Facebook page, where our followers learnt the dance moves through a video clip pasted on the group's page," Lai enthused. Lai, a lecturer, said the followers would then meet and dance at a random place and time posted on the page. "When we started the event in Batu Pahat a month ago, we only had about 30 participants, and I am happy that the number of participants have grown," she exclaimed, adding the participants were between 7 and 40 years old. Participant Tan Seok Yeow, 24, said he previously watched such flash mob events on the Internet. (The Star)

A flash mob is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual or pointless act for a brief time, then quickly disperse. The term flash mob is generally applied to gatherings organized via telecommunications, social media or viral email. It is generally not applied to events organized by public relations firms, protests and publicity stunts. The first flash mob was created in Manhattan, USA in May 2003 by Bill Wasik. A flash mob dance is thus an event where a group of people gather in a public location to perform a pre-choreographed dance routine. (Wikipedia)

Gatsby Dance Competition 2011 Auditions

Dancers, listen up! The Gatsby Dance Competition is returning for the fourth time. If you're a student who is into b-boying, popping and locking or modern dance, this is the competition for you! The competition is open to all students in Malaysia, and from seven other countries: Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and Thailand. Think about it, if you make it past the Malaysian Finals, you might just get to dance off with students from these countries - and in Japan too.

Auditions will be held in several locations around the country - Johor Baru (Oct 15), Penang (Oct 22), Kota Kinabalu (Oct 29) and Kuala Lumpur (Nov 5). Shortlisted candidates from each venue will automatically qualify for the Malaysian Finals, which will be held on Jan 14, 2012. All you need to do to join the competition is - apart from knowing how to dance - to download a 'theme song' from the list given at the Gatsby Dance Competition Malaysia facebook page to practice to. Then, head to any of the 'recruitment drive' venues.

If you can't make it to the venues, worry not, because you can also upload your videos to the facebook page, where fans will vote for their favourite clips. Participants with the most number of 'likes' for their video clips will also qualify for the finals. Here's the best part- the Malaysian champion will go on an all-expenses paid trip for the final showdown against winners from seven other countries in the Asia Grand final in Japan on March 10. 2012. (The Star)

Elecoldxhot Is Hot!

Five-member Elecoldxhot danced their way into the hearts of the audience at 8TV's Showdown 2011 finale at i-City, Shah Alam on July 6, taking home a cool RM50,000. Comprising Ooi Kok Wei, Yin Zhen Huang, Yap Jin Hou, Ang Joo Yee and Lin Yit Zhou, they emerged victorious in the final battle against HMC Phlow. "We came to win and we're glad that all our efforts over the past six months paid off, so it was all worth it" said Yin. Ooi chipped in "We are thinking of competing at international level with our target being the World Hip Hop Dance Competition.

Elecoldxhot will be taking a week off to enjoy their hard-earned prize money. Yin said "We will definitely have a good holiday now that we are each richer by RM10,000." Mixing dance moves influence by American superstars Justin Timberlake and the late Michael Jackson to South Korean sensation Rain, the Elecoldxhot quintet were clearly a class above the other dance finalists namely, HMC Phlow, Rokusteps and Bounce Stepperz.

Elecoldxhot convincingly won with their every performance, and delivered their best choreography during songs like In For The Kill (by British duo La Roux) and Welcome To My Hood (by American trio DJ Khaled, T-Pain and Busta Rhymes). Rokusteps was eliminated after the first round for having the least text votes. Next to leave was Bounce Stepperz after their stellar performance failed to garner enough votes for the final face-off. (The Malay Mail)

B-boys, Can They Dance!

Two local b-boy teams - Giller Battle Crew and Famous Crew are representing Malaysia at the R16 Southeast Asia Finals to be held at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur on June 11, starting at 8 pm. This is the regional spin-off of the R16 World B-Boy Masters Championship which sees dance crews from different regions pitting their b-boying skills against each other. The R16 Southeast Asia finals will see the two Malaysian teams competing against six other b-boy crews from Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam for the chance to represent Southeast Asia in the world championship in Seoul, Korea on July 2 and 3.

Giller Battle Crew and Famous Crew had earlier edged out 13 other local crews to earn the opportunity to represent Malaysia. Organised by the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) in conjunction with visit Korea Year 2010-2012, the event is presented by LG Electronics (M) Sdn Bhd and managed by GFW Urban Youth Sdn Bhd. The R16 World B-boy Masters Championship is an annual tournament by KTO aimed at enhancing the quality of dance and promoting urban cultural exchange among youths in the Asian region. It is supported by the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The championship showcases 16 b-boy crews representing 15 countries competing in a two-day tournament for titles in two categories: best crew performance and best crew battle.The festival also features graffiti artistes, street wear designers, musical performers and dancers who specialise in hip hop, popping, locking and other urban arts subcultures from South Korea and other countries. Since its inception in 2007, the global competition has attracted participation from more than 300 artistes, musicians and dancers. (Sourced from The Sun)

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Breakdancers Take Midnight Break

Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur has become a popular spot for breakdancing at nights, with young adults showing off their skills in front of the Tune Hotel. When The Malay Mail passed by the area last Thursday, we saw more than a dozen b-boys and b-girls (as breakdancers are called) being watched by a big crowd of appreciative onlookers. Among the breakdancers was 24-year-old Westkarnain Mohd Yassin from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. "Breakdancing is very challenging as one makes full use of the body," said Westkarnain, adding that he first took it up when he was 14.

"This American dance is also considered an extreme sport and it's good that it has also been recognised by our Youth and Sports Ministry." added Westkarnain. Also known as B-boying, breakdancing is a street dance created by African-Americans in New York City as part of hip hop culture and became a rage from the 1980s. "In Malaysia, breakdancing was also popularised by local groups such as KRU, Nico and 4U2C in the 1990s," said Westkarnain. Among Westkarnain's breakdancing buddies was 18-year-old Sazaly Hasgli who is also from Kota Kinabalu.

"I recently competed in a breakdancing contest in a local reality TV programme and want to improve my skills in order to compete at an international level and make my family proud," remarked Sazaly. On weekends, Westkarnain and Sazaly, who both reside in Ampang here, would perform breakdancing in Bintang Walk in Jalan Bukit Bintang. "Sazaly and I plan to open a breakdancing studio in Kota Kinabalu during the next five years," said Wetkarnain. Meanwhile they will continue to rule at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Bintang Walk by night. (Sourced from The Malay Mail)

Nick Demoura Conducts Workshop In Malaysia

The next time you hear parents advising their children that dancing is no way to make a decent living, tell them about performer and dance instructor Nick Demoura. From dancing in family functions to choreographing routines for celebrities and Hollywood projects, the energetic 23-year-old has come a long way to garner the experience for the high-profile jobs he has been taken on. The Boston-native is currently touring with pop sensation Justin Bieber on his world tour, where he coaches the singer and his back-up dancers.

Demoura was in Kuala Lumpur with the Justin Bieber concert crew on April 20. Although he was in town for just about 40 hours, he managed to conduct a workshop for finalists of 8TV's dance reality show Showdown 2011. The dance maestro was all serious when giving pointers to the participants who were busy chattering. "If you want to talk, be a politician" Demoura says sharply to the group. Immediately a hush fell over the dance studio, but the scenario was repeated a few times, necessitating a few more chidings from the strict instructor.

This says a few things about the artiste: he's focused, determined and disciplined. It also explains his success at his young age. Demoura was inspired by the legendary Michael Jackson as well as other industry giants of the golden era of Hollywood such as Gene Kelly and Bob Fosse. At 15, he started travelling to Atlanta and Los Angeles for dance workshops since there weren't many avenues in Boston where he lived. It was about this time when he decided to pursue dancing as a career. His mother was alright with the idea but his businessman father did not take it too well. (Sourced from The Star).

Meet The 'Showdown 2011' Finalists

The auditions for Showdown 2011 were held in January in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and in Kuching, Sarawak. Hundreds of dance crews participated in the auditions, out of which 34 teams were selected to take part in the Battles event. After a series of elimination rounds, 12 teams were selected to enter the finals where they will fight it out to see who becomes the champion and take home the cash prize of RM50,000. Showdown 2011 is being aired over 8TV every Wednesday at 9.30 pm. The 12 finalists and their hometowns are:

Bounce Stepperz (BQS), Kuala Lumpur

Elecoldxhot (ECX), Kuala Lumpur

Force 136 (FRC), Kuala Lumpur

HMC Phlow (HMC), Kuala Lumpur

Panic (PNC), Kuala Lumpur

Rokusteps (RKS), Kuala Lumpur

Soulution (SOL), Kuala Lumpur

Blazin Squad (BSQ), Kuala Kangsar, Perak

E.G.S. Monster (EGS), Muar, Johor

Borneo Crew (BRC), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Dejavu Breakerz (DVB), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah,

Stepholic (STP), Kuching, Sarawak

'Super Dancers' To Battle It Out

A quintet of dance teams from Penang will square off against the Klang Valley's best for the ultimate title of 'Super Dancer' at The Mines in Seri Kembangan, Selangor on April 17. Of the 19 teams battling it out in the Super Dancers Competition 2011 Selection 2 in Gurney Plaza, Penang, on Sunday, only five remained standing at the end of an exhilarating and intense contest.

D' VolCrew, D' Versatile, Danzity, Floor digital and Eupho Girls were all optimistic of making an impact in the grand finals, where they will be joined by five qualifiers from Selection 1 held earlier at The Mines. For the grand finals, all 10 teams will each need to come up with a specially-choreographed routine according to a theme drawn at the end of each regional selection.

For the finals, well-known Taiwanese hip hop dancer Bmouth will be among the judges, while another, Manchuker, is set to emcee the event. At stake are cash and prizes amounting to RM22,000. Be sure to catch this event at The Mines on April 17. For more information please check out SuperDancersCompetition at Facebook. ( Sourced from The Star ).

Jackson Chua Wins Malaysia Gatsby Styling Dance Contest

Chua Jack Son (Jackson Chua), 22 was adjudged the champion at the Gatsby Styling Dance Contest 2010/2011 Malaysia Finals held on January 14 at the main entrance of Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur. A record number of participants took part in this competition which was incepted in 2008. Twenty five contestants were selected from the preliminary rounds and their dance videos uploaded to Gatsby's website. Based on an online voting system, eleven finalists were chosen to battle it out in the Malaysian finals.

Jackson (pic), who impressed the judges with his creative choreography; won a trophy, RM2000 cash and an all-expense paid trip to Tokyo, Japan to compete in the Grand Finals to be held on February 19. The first runner-up was Lim Kuan Hui (Twister Burger) who walked away with a trophy and RM1000 cash whilst second runner-up Chung Han Yiew (Ah Zai) took home a trophy and RM500 cash. The judges at the finals were Karisma Kantaro of XYON, Fellest Yan of Royal Phantom Crew and Bojae of Floor Fever.

Last year, at the Gatsby Styling Dance Contest 2009/2010 Grand Finals held in Tokyo on February 27, Alex Lim (aka Popping Rex) of Malaysia did the country proud by emerging as the champion. Alex beat contestants from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore to clinch the Greatest Gatsby Award, a cash prize of 300,000 Yen (RM11,400) and a dance exchange tour to any two of the participating countries. Let us all rout for Jackson and hope he will be able to emulate Alex's success.

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SHOWDOWN 2011

Dubbed as the best dance crew competition in the history of Malaysian television, SHOWDOWN 2011 is back for its second season. Once again, the nation's most eminent dancers from around the country will battle it out for the ultimate dance supremacy. Getting down with these crews as they krump, pump and drop the coolest moves on the dance floor, this hip reality dance crew show is all about taking it raw from the streets.

Aiming to bring street dance out of the shadows and into the spotlight while giving it the respect and attention it deserves, SHOWDOWN 2011 will provide drama and enough exciting twists to get the viewers hooked every week. Besides that, the electrifying hip hop and fusion dance styles along with professional training and off-the-edge challenges thrown into the mix will definitely make the dance show a TV hit show!

Like all reality shows, SHOWDOWN 2011 kicks off with a series of auditions which will take place around the country beginning 8th January 2011 in Kuching. The auditions will then move to Kota Kinabalu on the 15th of January and Kuala Lumpur on the 21st and 22nd of January.

Registration for auditions is open from 9.00am to 3.00 pm. During the auditions, the dance crews will break into their own brand style routines to impress the judges. Each crew to comprise of 5 to 7 members. For more information log on to www.8tv.com.my/showdown. SHOWDOWN 2011 will premiere on Wednesday, 6th April 2011 at 9.30 pm exclusively on 8TV. (Sourced from 8tv.com.my)

ASWARA Open House

The National Academy of Arts, Culture & Heritage or Akademi Seni, Budaya & Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA) will be having an open house titled Jamu 2010 at its campus at 464 Jalan Tun Ismail, 50480 Kuala Lumpur on October 3. At this event, workshops for traditional Malay, Chinese and Indian dances plus hip hop & jazz will be conducted. The workshops will be held from 10.00 am to noon and from 2.00 to 3.30 pm.

The workshops are suitable for beginners and advanced learners. Fees are RM25 for adults and RM15 for students for a day pass. Dance performances will also be held from noon to 2.00 pm and from 4.00 to 6.30 pm. These performances will showcase traditional Malaysian dances and and contemporary choreography respectively. For more information please contact Jeffri at 019-2319179. To know more about ASWARA check out www.aswara.edu.my.

ASWARA was set up in 1994 with the objective of producing creative performers, nurturing artistic talent and developing leaders in the arts. ASWARA which comes under the auspices of the Ministry of Unity, Culture, Arts & Heritage is the only institution of higher learning offering formal training in the performing arts, which is fully supported by the government. It provides, teaching, learning, research and consultancy services in the fields of arts, culture and heritage.

3D Movies Are Over-Rated

Three dimensional or 3D movies seem to be all the rage now. 3D movies are nothing new actually. They were introduced in the 1960s and was greeted with some success as it was a novelty back then. Cinema audiences were thrilled to see arrows and spears being aimed straight at them, and ducking the imaginary missiles being thrown at them. Their popularity has however waxed and wane over the decades. Lately, 3D movies were given a boost after the successful release of Avatar in 3D. Avatar has gone on to become the biggest blockbuster of all times and spawned a slew of 3D movies in its wake.

Presently you can get to watch many movies in 3D. One film which is making its rounds in the local cinema circuit is a dance movie called Step Up 3D which is actually also the third part of the movie of the same name. The storyline is about a group of guys training to become world hip hop champions. You of course get to see a lot of hip hop action in this movie. The directors have also included an Argentine Tango and a Broadway dance in the script. The plot and the acting is average and you may 'see' the dancers' hands jabbing you or a leg being kicked in your face. Nothing out of the extraordinary actually.

In spite of the publicity, I think 3D movies are over-rated. You basically get to see the movie in greater depth and clarity but you usually have to pay a hefty price for the tickets. The tickets for Step Up 3D costs RM21 each (in Kuala Lumpur) which is twice what you would pay for a normal ticket. Furthermore, the 3D glasses that you have to wear, tend to become coated with moisture from your breath and you have to wipe the lenses on and off. Many more films in 3D will be hitting our cinemas. Who knows, there might even be a release of the mega hit dance movie Saturday Night Fever in 3D!

Dancesport In A Tight Spot?

The International DanceSport Federation, IDSF refers to dancesport as - "Dancesport is a team sport. It is generally defined as partner dancing between a man and a woman combining as a couple (or group of couples combining as a team) and using the required technique or floor craft and artistic interpretation to produce a highly disciplined dance performance. Dancesport developed out of the narrow confines of competition ballroom dancing but today includes any dance style which has achieved an internationally recognized competitive structure and has adopted a sports based culture. The currently recognized sections or disciplines in international style dancesport are: 1) Standard, 2) Latin American, 3) Ten Dance and 4) Rock 'n' Roll".

Recently while browsing through the website dancesport.info.net, I happened to read an interesting forum topic titled "What Is Happening To English Dancesport?" The discussion at this forum which started in June 2007 is on-going. Basically this forum discusses the 'declining' popularity of dancesport in England vis-a-vis the other popular dances like Salsa, Hip Hop, Argentine Tango and Swing. The contributors to this forum aired their disappointments over this issue and gave their views on how this problem can be resolved. All this while I had thought that dancesport is still going strong in England. The forum debate certainly was an eye opener for me. Which kept me pondering. What about the dancesport scene here in Malaysia?

Ballroom and Latin American dances were popular in Malaysia during the 1960s and 1970s when the first few dance schools were opened. When Salsa was introduced here in the late 1970s it caught on quickly. The dance became a hit and many Salsa dance schools and clubs were soon in business. Other popular dances like Hip Hop, Belly and Line Dance also made their way here and their novelty plus the fact that they could be danced without a partner helped to supplant the popularity of Ballroom and Latin American. As was and is now, ladies often complain about the dearth of male partners. Presently, Ballroom is danced mainly by the more matured crowd while Latin American still manages to attract a sizeable following among the youngsters.

Going Gaga Over Waka Waka

Watched by 85,000 spectators and more than 100 million TV viewers worldwide, the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa on June 11 went off with a bang. Thirty two countries from all the continents are competing in this month-long football tournament. A day earlier, a kick-off concert was held at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, with performances by international headliners amongst them Shakira, Alicia Keys and Black Eyed Peas. Colombian diva Shakira rocked the stage with her songs Hips Don't Lie, She Wolf and Waka Waka (This Time For Africa).

The song Waka Waka (This Time For Africa), composed by El Mundial is the official anthem of the World Cup 2010. It has a rhythmic and infectious beat to it and really gets your feet tapping. I especially liked the dance routine performed by Shakira and her backup dancers. The choreography which is simple yet beautiful and meaningful contains elements of hip hop, African tribal, Indian classical and belly dance. This is what I would call a 1World Dance - a dance for world peace and harmony. It would be great if someone here could organize a flash mob dance based on this song and dance routine.

There is also an official dance created by South Africa Tourism specially for this World Cup. Known as the Diski which is South African township slang for soccer, the dance is intended to capture 'the rhythm of African football'. During the International Friendly Football Match held between South Africa and Jamaica on November 17 2009 in Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, the spectators were taught the Diski during half-time. The Diski looks like a mix of line dance, shuffle and football moves. You can learn how to do the Diski at SouthAfrica.info. Just feel the rhythm, boet (Afrikaans for brother)!


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Big Toe Gets A Leg Up

Eight B-boy crews from seven countries in the region competed in the R16 South East Asia Finals 2010 held recently at Life Centre in Kuala Lumpur. They were Soulfresh (Taiwan), Laobangfai (Laos), Big Toe (Vietnam), 99 Flava (Thailand), Rebelz In Rhythym (Indonesia), Floor Techniques (Singapore) and Wakaka Fever and Giller Battle, both representing Malaysia. The panel of judges comprised of Bboy Free of Soul Shifters Crew from the United States and South Koreans Bboy Born of Rivers Crew and Bboy The End of Gamblerz Crew. Judging was based on 1) Creativity, 2) Execution, 3) Stage Presence, 4) Difficulty and 5) Overall Performance.

The MC Jazz Ivy and DJ Dust, two cool dudes from "The Land of the Morning Calm" endeared themselves to the 2000 strong audience who turned up at the bash. While waiting for the results of the competition to be announced, the crowd were entertained by guest artistes Dust and local rappers Altimet and Dose Two. Big Toe of Vietnam (pic) who got a leg up with the boisterous support of their fans, impressed the judges with their awesome performance to emerge winners. They will go on to compete against 15 teams from all across the world at the R16 Korea World B-boy Masters Championships 2010 which will be held in Seoul on July 3 and 4.

R16 and Urban Arts Festival was created in 2007 by the Korean Tourism Organization and the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to support grassroots youth culture such as Hip Hop and B-boy. The four-day celebrations which is held in South Korea every summer attracts famous artistes, musicians, dancers and promoters from all over the earth. It is a celebration of the creative energy behind urban youth culture. 'R' stands for Respect and '16' refers to the sixteen dance crews from fifteen countries who compete for the R16 Korea World B-boy Masters Championship titles in two categories: Best Crew Performance and Best Crew Battle.