Here's one for the streets...

Rise up

Though it was the weekend, the young students of Maharani Ammani College showed no signs of sitting back and relaxing. They gathered in huge numbers to see the street dancers of the City shake a leg. And no one went back home disappointed to say the least. Organised by Avighna Production, Bangalore Street Dancers was a series of reality dance competitions that had the various aspects of street dancing in it. Street dancing is a Western dance form that has caught the attention of the students in the City in a huge way, due to movies like Step Up 2. And it does generate a lot of curiosity among students.

The concept behind Bangalore Street Dancer, which was started together by Vijayalakshmi and Karthik V, is an unexplored territory in the City. The novel idea wants to explore new avenues in the field of dancing for the first time in the country and also be an answer to the growing need among youth for affordable dance schools, especially in urban areas. A part of the changing environment in the City, the event showcased some really interesting back-breaking steps and moves.

The dance steps involved flawless and innovative moves which combined hip-hop, gravity-defying stunts and other dance styles. “With street dance, we hope to connect Bangalore to the ever dynamic and demanding dance industry that exists out there,” said Karthik V.

The show was vibrant and as the performers grooved to the upbeat music, one could have never guessed what they would do next. From rotating on their heads to break dancing and jumping as good as gymnastics professionals, everything seemed to be within reach for them. And it saw people of all age groups taking part in it. From small children to college students, everyone was just waiting to show their talent on stage and drive the crowds crazy with their passion for dance.

But one of the most thrilling parts of the day was the screaming crowd of girls who couldn’t hide their enthusiasm. “This is a great show that these guys have put up. The only time you get to see such dancing skills is on the television,” said Chitra, a second year student. To see the crowd shout out loud every time there was a stunt on the stage, was an experience in itself and made the event even more memorable.