Dance contest slated for August

Standard People
BY SIMBARASHE MANHANGO A break dance and hip-hop competition dubbed The Battle of the Year Africa, courtesy of Boty Africa, is slated for August 27 at the Harare International Conference Centre, for the first time in Zimbabwe.

The first round of the local qualifiers will be held in 23 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia, from which the international representatives will be selected while the winners will travel to Montpellier Arena in France for the finals on November 19.

The dance competition will see African countries, including Morocco and South Africa, taking part in the search for talent. According to the Boty Africa website, the event started as a festival in 1989 and was organised by Jay Force, one of the earliest emerging hip-hop communities in Germany.

“Boty has grown massively, more and more people can relate to the vision of evolving the spirit of break dance and creating an international event platform that allows dancers from different countries to express their creativity in front of an ever-growing audience,” reads a statement on the organisers’ website.This year’s extravaganza will return with a new title sponsor, Braun Cruzer from Germany.

“Boty 2010 was huge and our aim is to keep it growing, evolving and pushing it to become the best Battle of the Year we can possibly achieve, to once again prove that the event has earned its position as a milestone of the breaking scene.

“Staying true to the motto ‘a change of direction’, the main goal for the finals will once again be to showcase latest perspectives of B-Boying and present a whole week full of the finest hip-hop action possible,” said an official.

Last year’s finals were held in Montpellier and Korean JinJo Crew excelled among the globe’s 17 best crews and won the title.

“In addition to the main event, a series of gigs, workshops, one on one performances, lectures, parties and dance theatre shows will keep everyone entertained and make the 2011 Braun Battle of the Year finals an exceptional all-round hip-hop extravaganza.”In the lead-up to this year’s thrilling finals, the Boty qualification series has already started.

All over the world dance crews are preparing their shows, refining their choreography and practicing their battle skills.