Articles

Showing Off What They've Got!

by Hoo Sze Yen (14 Jun 2010)

Sze Yen had the opportunity to watch the top seven teams of Showdown 2010 dance at the roadshow in Sungei Wang. She also laughed - and cheered - as the crowd was treated to Fly FM's very own showdown.

Showdown 2010 is one of the most exciting and highly-followed street dance competition currently airing in Malaysia. Now down to their final seven crews, teenagers and dance aficionados alike are looking forward to the highly anticipated finals that will take place on 16th June 2010.

I managed to catch their last roadshow at Sungei Wang, where I had the opportunity to watch the top seven teams perform live.

Fly FM deejay Hafiz hosted the show, and he had a tough crowd to work with. He tried hard to work up enthusiasm in the crowd, but the only ones who responded were those who were evidently there to support their favourite teams; the regular shoppers merely stared blankly at him as he asked them to shout "Jeyah!" (an urban variation of the word "yeah")

[Hafiz at Showdown 2010]

However, once the teams got onstage and started groovin' to the music, even the brickfaced crowd began to relax and started clapping and cheering wildly. Hafiz first got all the teams onstage, and a few random individuals from different teams took turns to the middle of the stage to show off their skillz to the Showdown theme song.

After that, each team took turns to go on stage, starting with HMC Phlow who wowed the crowd with their synchronized moves.

[HMC Phlow]

Soul Krazy took the stage next, and showed that being an all-girl team was certainly no disadvantage in a street dance competition; in fact the girls pumped it up a notch by not only matching the boys in their energy and skill, but also oozing subtle sexiness.

[Soul Krazy]

Famous Crew went next, with amazing spins and tricks.

[Famous Crew]

Borneo Soul Breakerz were on next, and the shy guys showed that they were not afraid to show off what they've got once they got into the groove.

[Borneo Soul Breakerz]

Floor Fever knocked the socks off the feet of the crowd. The only team in the top seven with a mix of boys and girls, they brought a fresh look by balancing masculine and feminine moves in their dance.

[Floor Fever]

Wakaka Crew was one of the highly anticipated crews, but were unfortunately represented only by two of the members. HMC Phlow stepped in to help fill in the space. Needless to say, Wakaka Crew is one of the best in town in terms of their breakdancing, and they certainly did not disappoint.

[Wakaka Crew]

Another breakdancing crew, Giller Battle Crew said to be Wakaka's greatest breakdancing rival, took the stage by storm. Mixing great rhythm with perfectly executed stunts, the crowd who had already worked themselves up into a frenzy constantly cheered them on.

[Giller Battle Crew]

Interestingly Giller Battle Crew had their own little "hand symbol" which all their adoring fans did the moment they came out on stage.

[Giller Battle Crew's symbol]

After each team performance, Hafiz interviewed the captains of the respective team and got the crowd laughing with his witty humour and endless poking of fun at the teams. All the dancers took it in good spirit however, and played along.

The show ended with Fly FM's very own showdown... Prem vs Jules! They had their own pre-selected teams made up of callers who had called to join earlier in the week.

The story goes like this: after one of the recent Showdown episodes, Jules had seen Prem doing a little dance and she told Hafiz that it wasn't very good. Hafiz told Prem what Jules said and he immediately threw Jules a challenge... a dance showdown of their own!

Losing to Jules on a rock-paper-scissors challenge, Prem's crew, calling themselves the Blank Crew, had to go on first. Choreographed by Hunny Madu to a medley of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance and Michael Jackson's Thriller, the team was made up of non-dancers but they still pulled off a fairly good job.

[Blank Crew]

Jules crew went on next. Calling themselves the Fly Crew, they performed to a medley of Lady Gaga's Telephone, Kei's Tik Tok, and Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. It was choreographed by one of the team members who is a fitness dance instructor, and the team still did well in spite of having only one practice.

[Fly Crew]

The dance showdown was judged by a representative from each of the top seven teams (with the exception of one team, who somehow disappeared as Hafiz was calling them out). The six judges could not make up their minds, and requested for a mini-dance-off. The DJ played the theme to Showdown 2010, and each team member took turns going out individually to show their moves. When it came to judging time, the judges, instead of announcing, all unanimously just swept their hands into the direction of... Blank Crew!

The winning team was rewarded with RM1000 worth of cash vouchers from Echo Park. However, the runner-up did not go back empty handed... they were rewarded with RM500 worth of cash vouchers from Echo Park.

The end of the roadshow ended with the DJs giving out free goodie bags, and 8TV handing out free tickets to the Showdown 2010 finals which will be held on Wednesday, 16th June 2010.

All in all, it was a fantastic demonstration by all dance teams - even by the Fly FM crews. The Showdown 2010 finals will be one highly anticipated show... it will be a tough fight between all seven teams!

Photos can be viewed here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=173998&id=280446264686&ref=mf.
Videos can be viewed here: http://www.facebook.com/thedancedirectory?v=app_2392950137