The Road to Hip Hop International

By Emeroy Bernardo

It’s been about three and a half weeks since the chosen 7 of FamBiz started up rehearsals for Hip Hop International. This is the first time we’ll be competing at this competition. While three of us have been to the competition, only one of us has actually had the opportunity to compete. We have no idea what to expect, and all we can really do is prepare.

It’s been 7 rehearsals and things seem promising for us. Right from the get-go we’ve hit the ground running. We’ve adopted a workout routine before every practice, designed to attack every muscle group at once to quickly raise everyone’s heart rate so we can build up our stamina. Even though Hip Hop International only demands a 2 minute routine, it’s what’s in those 2 minutes that really count. And with only 6 rehearsals left there really isn’t any time for messing around.

For those of you who aren’t too familiar with how Hip Hop International works, here’s a quick rundown.
Along with the criteria of performance, staging, crowd appeal, showmanship, and execution , each crew must perform a minimum of three street dance styles (this includes party dances).
Considering that not all of us break and not all of us lock, it’s been a challenging and enjoyable experience seeing everyone evolve and step out of their comfort zone.

Along with the requirement of three street styles, there’ll be a panel of eight judges.

4 Skill Judges, 4 Performance Judges

Performance Judges
They evaluate and score the routine according to performance, creativity, staging, showmanship, street presents, and variety of styles

Skill Judges
They evaluate and score the musicality, synchronization, execution, and difficulty.

So considering the fact that this is a maximum of eight dancers and not a sizable group like 20 or 30, it’s practically one set of eyes watching each and every one of us. There’s no hiding in this competition, if a person is unable to execute, everyone will be able to see.

Overall this is a new challenge for us, which has made us set the bar higher for ourselves. Whether we win or not, we’ll see what happens. It’s just exciting to be a part of this opportunity and to be able to share that floor with many talented dancers from across the world. Even though this is just the beginning of our journey, it is exciting thinking about what’s to come.

The Road To Hip Hop International: Part II

Posted in: Family Bizness,hip hop international