Dance festival at Carnival City
Last year’s Battle of the Giants was wildly successful with dancers performing in a sold out SuperBowl at Sun City to an audience of over 9 000
OVER 1 000 of the country’s most talented dancers will convene at Carnival City for the 2016 Battle of the Giants All Styles Dance Festival in August.
Now in its 26th year, this is the first time that the Battle of the Giants will be held at Carnival City. Traditionally, the competition has been held at Sun City.
Last year’s Battle of the Giants was wildly successful. Dancers performed in a sold out SuperBowl at Sun City, to an audience of over 9 000 people over the course of three days.
“We are really excited to provide the stage for this year’s Battle of the Giants. We expect capacity crowds at the Big Top Arena and Mardi Gras to watch and support the country’s up-and-coming dancers,” said Matthew Cook, the events and entertainment manager at Carnival City.
One of South Africa’s largest and most prestigious all-style dance competitions, the Battle of the Giants All Styles Dance Festival is an internationally recognised event, organised and sanctioned by the South African Dance Teachers Association Stage Branch. Competitors will showcase their talents in a range of freestyle dance techniques including hip-hop, popping, breakdance, freestyle, ballroom, Latin American, slow dance, show dance, jazz, modern, ballet and disco dance.
The competition also includes a para-dance section where able and disabled dancers join together in a routine to compete in small groups and formations, so they too can go onto compete in a world championship.
A new generation of dancers is coming forward with a unique dance style all its own. Dancers demonstrate complex body movements and amazing syncopated foot movements, wearing awesome glamorous costumes in some of the categories. Athletes are judged on a demanding set of criteria including; timing and rhythm, body lines, movement, rhythmic interpretation, footwork and floor-craft.
Well-known judge ‘Super Malcolm’ is joining the event this year from the UK, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to this year’s event. He will be judging the hip-hop and street dance sections.
The competition is open to dancers ranging from under nine to over 35, from beginners to amateur or rising-star level to championships level. Individual dancers will have the opportunity to compete for titles and prizes in this year’s Battle of the Giants competition, which is also one of the qualifier events in the World Trial Circuit programme. Dancers can obtain points in order to represent South Africa at the International Dance Organisation (IDO) Championships in the style of show dance, hip-hop and disco dance, jazz, modern and ballet.
The Battle of the Achievers competition is one of the special features of this event. Finalists from the most advanced sections in the 16-years-and-over age groups in hip-hop and freestyle battle for this prestigious title. The winners in each category will receive a complimentary flight to the IDO World Championship or a package to Umhlanga Rocks sponsored by Lara Travel. Hotel packages can also be won, compliments of Sun City.
In the Juvenile and Junior Solo Freestyle Achiever competition, winners will receive Sun City holiday packages, trophies and other fantastic prizes. Some of the sponsors of this year’s championship include Sportscene, Foschini for Beauty, Lara Travel, Soviet Clothing, L’Oreal, Sun City accommodation prizes and Fuze Tea.
Sportscene will be giving cash donation of R8 000 for the Teachers Development Training programme. The beneficiary of this prize is sent on various courses to increase their knowledge and skills. It is administered by Bev Wood, president of SA Body of Dance (SABOD), who reserves the correct courses and monitors their progress.
Tickets to the 2016 Battle of the Giants are available from Computicket. Like Carnival City on Facebook www.facebook.com/CarnivalCitySA and follow on Twitter @CarnivalCitySA
All dance entry enquiries must be directed to Bev Wood on 083 282 7734 or email bewood@vodamail.co.za.
Courtesy: The Mail Room PR
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