Young spirits dance, enthusiasm rises, and they collide! “3rd National High School Nihon Odori Street Dance Battle Final”

7 teams selected from Kanto area advance to finals

In the morning, a Kanto area qualifying competition was held for high school dance teams from Tokyo and three prefectures. A total of 30 teams competed: 7 teams from Tokyo, 16 teams from Kanagawa Prefecture, 3 teams from Saitama Prefecture, and 4 teams from Gunma Prefecture, and the following 7 teams advanced to the finals. The team consists of Kyoto Bunkyo High School ``Sonam'', which represents the Kansai area, ``waiwai'', Shukugawa Gakuin High School (mixed with other schools), and Fukuoka Daiichi Pharmaceutical University High School (mixed with other schools), which represents the Kyushu area. ) ``Empire'' and Hakata Girls' High School (mixed with other schools) ``BODY-M'' will compete for the championship.

<7 teams selected from Kanto area>
・Toko Gakuen High School “TOP GEAR”
・Kanagawa Prefectural Ebina High School “kaboom”
・Kanagawa Prefectural Kawasaki Kita High School “INDIVIDUAL:”
・Hachioji Practical High School “HAVOC”
・Ei Shogakuen Educational Corporation Higashino High School “H・D・T”
・Kawaguchi City Kawaguchi High School “Kawaguchi City Kawaguchi High School Dance Club”
・Gunma Prefectural Isesaki Seimei High School “Nova”

A heated dance battle final! What was the result of the performance that brought out each person's feelings...?

The finals are filled with loud cheers for each team. The dance, which is themed around a four-minute song, incorporates everything they've practiced so far. The way they danced, putting their full attention into each movement of the choreography, had the look of a high school student, but the flexible expressions and facial expressions they occasionally showed gave the impression of a future professional dancer, and the venue was naturally filled with excitement. .

The 45-minute final competition was captivating with each team's performance and ended in the blink of an eye. All the teams were very expressive and it's hard to choose one over the other. However, only 6th place will be awarded at the tournament. The results of the screening of professionals who are active at the forefront of the street dance world are as follows.

Runner-up: “Sonam”

<National tournament results>
・Winner: “waiwai”
・Runner: “Sonam”
・3rd place: “kaboom”
・4th place: “Kawaguchi City Kawaguchi High School Dance Club”
・5th place: “Empire”
・6th place: “TOP GEAR”

Winner: “waiwai”

The winning team, ``waiwai,'' wore Asian-style costumes and performed a dance so powerful that you would think, ``This is it!'' Also, while the performance was dynamic, the members' movements were in perfect harmony. The balance between stillness and movement was also impressive. The runner-up ``Sonam'' showed a performance that can be said to be unique in this competition. They were also the only team in the finals to have a lyrical J-pop theme. The costumes, which were based on white, and the choreography, which seemed to vividly express people's emotions, were unique and reminded me of a play. 3rd place ``kaboom'' appeared in a stylish outfit consisting of a black sukajan, black jeans, and a white tank top. Despite the modest introduction of the teams before the final, they captivated the audience with their energetic performance. This must be the true nature of the dance, as the dance was full of energy from beginning to end.

``Kawaguchi City Kawaguchi High School Dance Club,'' ``Empire,'' and ``TOP GEAR,'' which placed 4th to 6th place, all showed great performances. Each of them has their own individuality and dedication, and most of all, I feel their enthusiasm to show off their dance to the public with all their might. This was evident during the ``free dance time'' held after the results were announced.

Free dance time where everyone performs their own performance regardless of whether they win or lose. CanDoo and other professional dancers who served as judges and guest performers will also perform.

During this time, the students fully and confidently performed performances that were ``not intimidated by their seniors.'' The event ended with loud cheers and applause.

[Assault hearing] Voices from high school dance teams in Kanagawa Prefecture

Kanagawa Prefecture supports ``school theater and dance'' as part of its cultural and artistic initiatives. In addition, each region has facilities where you can experience (and present) a variety of theater and dance, including the Kanagawa Art Theater (KAAT).

This time, the Kanagawa team had the most participation of all the Kanto area qualifying teams with 16 teams. From this perspective, it can be seen that they have a desire to dance and express themselves, as well as a ``fulfilling source'' to support them. We are looking forward to the appearance of the young Kanagawa dancers who will lead the next generation at next year's ``4th National High School Nihon Odori Street Dance Battle.''

Therefore, in order to hear the voices of students, we conducted interviews with high school dance teams from Kanagawa Prefecture that participated in the competition: ``kaboom,'' ``TOP GEAR,'' ``idiota,'' and ``spila.'' The tournament report concludes with students' opinions about the tournament and their daily dance activities.

Kanagawa Prefectural Ebina High School “kaboom”

“kaboom”: Tomoya Yokoyama from Kanagawa Prefectural Ebina High School
I am very happy to be able to come in 3rd place. Not only did I want to show off my team's practice results, but I also worked hard to achieve good results for the club members who support me. I started dancing when I was in the first grade of elementary school. I wanted to learn it because of my sister's influence, and I've been doing it ever since. I went to Ebina High School because I heard that it would be possible to balance studying and dancing, and I feel that I am doing just that.

Toko Gakuen High School “TOP GEAR”

"TOP GEAR": Kensuke Sasaki, Toko Gakuen High School
To be honest, I was full of anxiety when it was decided that I would be participating in the Street Dance Battle. We had two members, the smallest of the participating teams, and that's why it was so difficult to get along with each other at first. However, during the five months of practice, we were able to discover ``the strengths that only we can have,'' and gradually gained confidence that we could ``put on a performance that only TOP GEAR can do.'' I think the 6th place result is a result of that effort, and I'm happy about it.

Kanagawa Prefectural Odawara High School "idiota"/"spila"

"idiota"/"spila": Kanagawa Prefectural Odawara High School Mr. Rikihisa, dance club advisor Ando Sensei
Rikihisa: At first, we were all beginners, so we practiced a lot for the first time. Also, each of us had a dance that we wanted to try, so it was very difficult for us to work together as a team. However, I also remember that participating in these competitions gave me a sense of fulfillment that I couldn't get from dancing alone. Next year, as a senior, I would like to pass on what I have learned from practices and competitions, improve my dancing skills, and aim to compete again.
Mr. Ando: Small teams can also participate in the "National High School Nihon Odori Street Dance Battle", and from last time, the preliminary judging has been changed to a video instead of on-site. Our club has about 50 members, but there are many who want to be active only within the club. I find it very attractive because it is a competition that allows children who want to participate in the competition to participate.