High school dancers gather in Yokosuka City! The first champion will be decided at the finals on March 19th!
The "High School Street Dance Grand Prix 2023" will be held in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, to determine the top high school team. This is the first tournament to be held, and on March 19th, 30 unique teams that won two preliminary competitions competed in the finals.
※Top image "Addition 01 First Champion Nishogakusha University High School POPPING Team"
Before the tournament, the organizers had a warm message for the participants: "Please enjoy this stage to the fullest. And, in the limited three years you have had the opportunity to meet these friends and take on what could be considered a difficult battle, I hope you will find joy in that and feel value in more than just winning."
The final competition on March 19th featured a variety of dance styles, including hip-hop, popping, and freestyle, so rather than scoring each section individually, the judges watched the shows and made an overall judgment.
The popping team "Butterfly effect" from Nishogakusha University High School won the high-level competition and became the first champions!
Other results were as follows:
2nd PLACE CIERA (FREESTYLE/Tokyo Metropolitan Komae High School)
3rd PLACE Superb (HIP HOP/Eimei High School)
4th PLACE CRASH (FREESTYLE/Chiba Prefectural Hakuryo High School)
5th PLACE Team Nimatsu (POPPING/Nimatsugakusha University High School)
SPECIAL PRIZE “WARA” B-BOYZ mini (BREAKING/Bunan High School)
SPECIAL PRIZE Winate (FREESTYLE/Chiba Keiai High School)
Why was the event held in Yokosuka? "Bringing unity to the city through dance"
Kenchi Tachibana and Tetsuya Tetsuya of the popular dance and vocal group EXILE, who were appointed Yokosuka Ambassadors in October 2016, presented us with a Yokosuka Original Dance. This memorable song was performed at the 42nd Yokosuka Mikoshi Parade in October 2018, where children from the city performed a lively dance, and has since been performed at large-scale events by dance clubs from junior and senior high schools in the city.
[Yokosuka City Official Channel] 42nd Yokosuka Mikoshi Parade "Yokosuka Original Dance"
Additionally, as part of efforts to create a town where children can grow up with hope, the city is turning its attention to dance, which has become popular in recent years. Hoping to create an opportunity for both residents and visitors to enjoy themselves, the city has collaborated with AdHip Co., Ltd., which runs a large-scale high school dance competition in Osaka Prefecture. The city has decided to hold the "High School Street Dance Grand Prix 2023," a street dance contest exclusively for high school dance clubs and societies.
Although more and more people are now practicing street dance in dance studios, it originated as a dance on the streets. Swaying your body freely to the music in the exotic city of Yokosuka is a new era of culture that is integrated into the urban environment. Dance, which is also an urban sport, will surely be the catalyst that will lead Yokosuka into becoming a more exciting city in the future.
The High School Street Dance Grand Prix is scheduled to be held next year and beyond.
While cheering on the passion of the high school dancers, be sure to also pay attention to Yokosuka City's new sports culture, which is building the city through dance.
High School Street Dance Grand Prix 2023
*The tournament has ended.
■First qualifying tournament: January 29, 2023 Yokosuka City Cultural Center (large hall)
■ Second Qualifying Tournament February 23, 2023 Yokosuka City Cultural Center (Large Hall)
■Finals March 19, 2023 Yokosuka Arts Theatre (Large Theatre)
Organizer: AdHip Co., Ltd. https://www.dancedelight.net/corporate/
Co-hosted by Fulcrum Squad Co., Ltd., Yokosuka City, and the Yokosuka Tourism Promotion and Attraction Promotion Executive Committee
