With a new logo and format, the 5th Shuddup N Dance (SND) is bigger, better and brighter! The first leg will be kicked off at Ipoh Parade on March 24 to 25 where street dancers from around Perak and beyond are invited to compete at the international grand finals to be hosted later this year.
Previously, SND had only two distinct categories: Group and Solo. A new category, Junior Showcase was established last year to accommodate younger participants. This year, the Solo category is further broken down into four specialized categories: Under 18, Popping, BBoy and Open Style. One rationale for this is for the judges to make a fair apple-to-apple comparison when judging participants especially considering there are many subgenres that exist under the street dancing label.
The top three winners of Street Dance Crew Showcase category will walk away with RM3000, RM2000 and RM1000 cash plus prizes respectively. Meanwhile, the Junior Showcase category has RM1000, RM500 and RM300 plus prizes for grabs for the top three. The champions and runner ups of the 1 on 1 Battle of four categories (Under 18, Popping, BBoy and Open Style) stand to win RM1000 and RM500 plus prizes.
Once the selection rounds at Ipoh Parade end, SND will move down to Klang Valley where it will be held at CITTA Mall (May 12 to 13) and Klang Parade (August 18 to 19). The international grand finals will be held at Klang Parade from August 25 to 26 where top winner of the Street Dance Crew Showcase category from all three malls will compete against one another.
SND began in 2014 as a platform for young local dancers to showcase their talents on stage while debunking the myth that street dancing was only limited to school dropouts and delinquents. The competition has since grown to include international participation from countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and the United States.
“Most importantly, we want to give a platform for the kids especially from the northern part of Malaysia. Last year, the Ipoh team emerged champion while the Alor Setar team came in second for the Ipoh Parade selection rounds,” Alan Thoo, programme director and marketing consultant of Ipoh Parade highlighted during a press conference on Thursday, March 8 at D’Artiz Studio.
“If they win, they get to travel to KL and compete with international participants. It will increase their profile and bridge the connection between local dancers and international ones,” Hau Han Sen, assistant manager of public relations and corporate communications of Ipoh Parade explained.
“I will look for creativity. Nowadays, everyone has mastered the necessary techniques thus you need to be special to stand out. When you choreograph your routine and prepare your performance, it has to catch the eyes of the judges and audience. Other criteria include dance foundation, synchronisation, overall performance, costume, techniques and showmanship,” Danny Lee, chief judge of SND and leader of Rejuvenate Dance Crew told Ipoh Echo.
For more information on SND’s selection rounds at Ipoh Parade, visit the mall’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ipohparade/.
Mei Kuan
