Sydney’s streets and theatres are gearing up for an international street dance off with the opening of the World Supremacy Battlegrounds Hip Hop Dance Championship next month.
Sydney’s street dance scene has come a long way in the last fifteen years and Katrina Orpilla, a veteran Sydney street dancer and the director of Ace Dance Studios, has been a driving force.
“The quality of Sydney street dancing is on par with the rest of the world. Of course it’s hard to compare with places like Japan and New York but we have a rich history of street dancing,” she said.
One of Sydney’s street dancing hub’s is the forecourt of the Sydney Entertainment Centre which will display dance battles at the Dusk ‘til Dawn event.
Ms Orpilla said: “Dusk ‘til Dawn is an event we hold every year. We set up a DJ and battle from around 6pm until 6am, when the sun comes up. It’s fun for people walking past to see, and think ‘wow this place is alive’.”
Ms Orpilla has brought a host of international artists to our streets to inspire, teach and dance with local B-boys and B-girls, including Suga Pop, the man responsible for choreographing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and the moonwalk.
“What we need is more opportunities for our dancers to learn from overseas artists, a sustained interaction, and also for overseas artists to see the talent we have here,” Ms Orpilla said.
Competitions such as the upcoming World Supremacy Battle combine the grassroots street scene with a more commercial model in order to enhance the visibility and reputation of street dancing in a wider community.
Managing Director of the event Marco Selorio said: “This is going to be the best hip-hop dance show of the year. Forget the reality TV competitions, Battlegrounds is the most electrifying showdown you will experience, the ultimate hoe down.”
Ms Orpilla said street dancing is popular because there are no obstacles of sex, race or religion.
Ace Dance Studios does a lot of community outreach, teaching dance to school kids, holding events at local PCYCs and participating in community street festivals.
“Questions about age, gender and race are funny because we don’t really think about it like that . . . It’s not a question of whether you’re a boy or girl. This style of dance allows everybody to find their own personality,” she said.
The three-day competition starts on November 25 at the Factory Theatre with two more days at the Enmore Theatre and then the Marrickville PCYC.
By Roslyn Helper
