Local hip-hop dancer selected for international champs

Adriano Pappalardo, a Bedfordview resident, will be competing at the Sactown Underground Urban Dance competition in Sacramento, the United States of America (USA), later this month.

Adriano said he started dancing in the late 90s, with the first generation of hip-hop dancers and pioneers who ushered it all into Johannesburg before MTV and the Internet.

He started to dance with a group of friends in Edenvale.

“We learnt through imported magazines and books.”

“It’s a specific competition where people are hand-selected. The freestyle session is not open to every competitor and the selection is a lengthy process that takes years. The main face-off will be a 40 minute challenge with no breaks or intervals,” said Adriano.

He has also had the opportunity of touring Paris with some of South Africa’s legends, including Johnny Clegg and Miriam Makeba.

During his dance career, he has performed backstage at the Miss South Africa pageant and has danced for Danny K.

Because there were no sponsors and no support for this kind of dance, Adriano said he retired due to financial constraints and surgeries that he had to undergo after he was injured.

Before getting a call from the organiser of the dance championship, Adriano has been working in the corporate world for a number of years.

He said the organisers don’t care that he has been retired for many years and is twice the age of his competitors.

After going through an extensive rehabilitation programme when he broke his leg, Adriano started teaching younger children.

“I started teaching online and posted videos on YouTube. That is how the organiser discovered me and we started chatting online and exchanged numbers,” he said.

After getting the call, he decided to resign from his job to give himself a month of dedicated training.

“I think if I put some work in it I can win. I really want to do this for our community. I’m getting older and there haven’t been any young people who have reached the level I did years ago in order to make a dent in the global scene,” he said.

Adriano is appealing to local businesses to sponsor him in terms of gym or a dance studio, where he can train for his upcoming competition.

“I’m trying to get Samsung on board because I want to film the entire tour and do a Johannesburg leg before I leave for the USA. I’m thinking of filming this while touring,” he said.

Adriano is leaving for the US on June 22 because the organisers would like him to teach in three cities around California before the championship on June 27 and 28.

After the championship, he will be travelling to other countries to go and teach up-and-coming dancers.

Adriano said he would like to host a workshop in Edenvale before he leaves for the USA, but this is if he gets sponsors in time.

Sponsors can contact Adriano at bboystrech@icloud.com, on 079 246 9564 or via Facebook.