Let's start street dance

This is the last article of this blog. I want to spread the enjoyment of street dance through this blog. So, I want you start street dance!

I have introduced some styles of street dance in former articles. In the first place, I advise you to watch videos in You Tube and find your best street dance style. I taught you some features of some styles, but I think that it is better to watch videos.
When you start dancing, you don't have to prepare anything except music for street dance at first. Basic training of street dance are uploaded in You Tube so, you can get some techniques your own self.

You must release the stress from your body by stretching every time before dancing. Stretch will prevent you from injuries. And stretch expands the range of motion of your body. The range of motion of one's body is important for street dance. Your motion looks bigger and stronger if your range of motion is broader.

When you want to know more about your best style, I recommend you to belong to street dance club or go to street dance school.
If you belong to street dance club, you can get seniors and friends. Seniors teach you some techniques and simple routines free. You can be a member of team of your best street dance style with your friends easily. You will train with your friends and grow technique of street dance. Many street dance club has club twice a week st a set hour, but you must train more for regularly-scheduled performance of your club or street dance competition.
If you go to street dance school, you can be taught by great street dancers like you have seen in You Tube. You can training at good studio with large mirrors when you are taught your teachers lesson. They don't demand so high monthly fee. You can learn your best street dance style properly in street dance school. Teachers tell you many technical advice and interesting routines. Other students will be your friends.

You can dance anywhere and anytime. This is good point of street dance. But you want to train hard with your friend, it is difficult to find the place for street dance. If you dance on street in building estate in Japan, you should draw complaint from tenants. Some people dance in station, shopping mall, park at night. If you are student, you may use classroom, gym, hall in your school for street dance. You must not cause trouble anyone.

If you continue dance for a while, you would want to buy shoes for street dance. At first, I recommend basic and good basket ball shoes, for example AIR FORCE 1. Good shoes help your growth of street dance.
You don't have to think about training wear of street dance so much, but it must be easy to move. You can learn the fashion of your best street dance style from seniors, friends, teachers and your recommend dancers.

Let's enjoy street dance!

Street dance in Japan

Street dance is danced in all over the world. There are many street dancers in Japan. In this article, I'll tell you street dance in Japan.

One of the great Japanese street dancers is KENZO. He is a Locking dancer. He has got more than 50 titles and he has won in global competition many times.  His dance technique, sense and entertaining are top level in the world so, he is invited frequently to dance events as a gueast dancer around the world. He was accepted as a family of LOCKERS which is the team of originator of Locking. He is well known as a performer of DA PUMP which is famous performance group in Japan. He is also a member of SHUFFLE!!.

This is the video of KENZO's dance. I think that his dance is powerful, technical and interesting.

KENTO is also famous Japanese dancer. He is a great hip hop dancer. He was gotten offers from Chris Brown, Cirque du Soleil, Ne-Yo, Ciara, Austin Brown around the same time. He has been danced as an exclusive dancer of Madonna, Chaka Khan and Chris Brown. He respects

Michael Jackson. He auditioned for "THIS IS IT" which was Michael Jackson's the last project and survived this audition but he was an exclusive dancer of Madonna at that time so he could not join in "THIS IS IT". As you know, Michael Jackson died before "THIS IS IT". After Michael Jackson died, Madonna gave KENTO chance to dance for Michael Jackson at her tour. This is it.
  

In Japan, many street dance competitions are held every year. "JAPAN DANCE DELIGHT", "BIG BANG", "DANCE@PIECE" and "DANCE@PIECE" are major street dance competitions and battle events.

A large number of students enjoy dancing in Japan. Many of them are university students. They belong to street dance clubs. In Tsukuba University, there is a street dance club too. Its name is Real Jam. These students enjoying dance are train hard everyday. So, their showcase are great.

By the way, how did street dance come down to Japan? There are various theories as to it. There were some fans of hip hop culture before it had not come down to Japan but it was minor boom at that time. American dance TV program "Soul Train" leaded to explosive diffusion of first street dance boom. Soul Train was popular TV program in America in 1970's. It was broadcast in Japan too. Many Japanese young are fascinated by hip hop culture and start street dance.
Second catalyst of street dance movement is the movie "Flash Dance". This was not hip hop movie but street dance was used in some scenes. It had great shock to Japanese young enough to start street dance. After this movie, "Wild Style", "Beat Street", "Breakin 1" and "Breakin 2", etc. were screened. These movies spread hip hip culture and street dance in Japan.
In 1980's, many famous street dancers in America came to Japan, for example, Poppin Pete, Skeeter Rabbit, Rock Steady Crew,  Boogaloo Shrimp etc.. They contribute to familiarize hip hop culture in Japan very much.

Street dance as competition

There are many street dance contests, and now, many dancers are competing their techniques and senses on Battle all over the world.

Battle is the competition form of street dance. 1 on 1 and 2 on 2 are major types of Battle. When Battle is held, DJ plays music, and dancers are split into two teams and dance freely to the music one after the other. After a few rounds, judges or audience determine which team is cooler than the other and which team is winner.

Battle can be held whenever and wherever but there are large contests of battle. For example, JUSTE DEBOUT. JUSTE DEBOUT is worldwide Battle contest. It has been held every year since 2002. Dancers are divided into four styles (Hip hop, Locking, Popping and House) and EXPERIMENTAL (which is original and creative dance). JUSTE DEBOUT has eliminations in America, Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Italy, Estonia, Greece, Germany, Singapore, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, Poland, UK and France. The championship rounds of JUSTE DEBOUT are held at BERCY which is the biggest indoor stadium in France. This video is JUSTE DEBOUT 2012 Hip hop final. These girls are Japanese junior high school student! Many people around world  would be surprised.


Of course, there are showcase contests. For example, JAPAN DANCE DELIGHT. JAPAN DANCE DELIGHT is the biggest street dance showcase contest in Japan. Not only Japanese dance teams, but also many foreign dance teams put in it. The form of showcase contest is that performers dance their showcase in decided time and judges decide which team is the best. This year, DANCE DELIGHT will be held in Los Angels for the first time. DANCE DELIGHT will be also held in Paris, Helsinki, Germany, China, Taipei, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines.

Street dance is widely recognized as show business now.
In Britain's Got Talent (which is homage to America's Got Talent) George Sampson who is the winner in Briten's Got Talent 2008 is a B-boy and Diversity which is the winner in Briten's Got Talent 2009 is the hip hop dance team. As you recognize, street dancers win show competitions frequently. This video is the final performance of Diversity in Briten's Got Talent 2009.
 
George Sampson and Diversity appear on the movie "STREET DANCE 2"which is themed on street dance.


When top street dancer Ash (Falk Hentschel) is humiliated and laughed off stage by American crew Invincible, he sets off to gather the best dancers from around the world to take them on - with a dance style they weren't expecting. With landmark locations, a spectacular fusion of dance styles and an unparalleled vibrancy, the sequel to StreetDance sees our hero fall in love with a beautiful salsa dancer as he discovers the magic, power and passion of dancing for the ultimate global dance off.

 (from official web cite) 

I will watch this movie because I loved "STREET DANCE". :)
There are so many street dancers around world and all dancers challenge to competitions and want to get the fame. It is so exciting!!