If ever there was a dance event created just for me, it's this "old school battle" between hip-hop crew Streets R Us versus the world-famous lindy hop troupe the Harlem Hotshots that took place last month. Where did this take place… Sweden, of course.
Lindy hopper Jerry Almonte turned me on to this epic dance battle on his awesome dance blog. My mouth was on the floor watching the 19 videos he embedded, several more available on SusanneDr's Youtube channel. The creativity, precision, and passion of all the dancers just flies off the screen. I can't imagine what it must have been like to be there live!
My favorite videos from the set after the jump…
Big props to Streets R Us for representing for hip-hop. Lots of cools styles in evidence, from popping, locking, to house. Surprised to see that they didn't have any b-boys or b-girls though. Here's one of my favorite of their rounds below.
Streets R Us were very good, for Sweden. I have to wonder what it would be like to see a dance battle between say the Ninjammers of Canada and Quest Crew for example.
But of course, these videos show why the Harlem Hotshots are the finest lindy hop dance troupe in the world. Everyone is on point, looking stylish and elegant, while dancing completely balls-out. Frida is always a stand out dancer for me. But the level of everyone's dance is so much higher than nearly everyone else out there in the lindy world. Hard to pick a favorite, but here's one of the best of their rounds.
If this happens next year, I am so there!
Watch the rest of the rounds on Jerry's blog or over at Susannedr's youtube channel.
Streets R U got their ass whooped so hard. I was bored by their dancing in their own style – surely they has to be a better hip hop crew in Sweden? I would have liked this competition more if the groups were more equal in their own styles and more cross over songs/dancing.
I was trying to be generous. Yeah, they got smoked.
Imagine a hip-hop / lindy-hop battle in Korea! OMG.