Dance
Relive the very best moments of The Dance 2018
This year's edition of The Dance took the event to the next level. Find out what happened, who killed the show round and triumphed in the battles before reliving the whole event.
On May 25, we witnessed the third edition of The Dance. 10 crews, representing different countries, competed for the title of Best of Show. Only four crews made it to the battle rounds, where they challenged each other in a KO system until there was only one crew standing. The winners of The Dance took home the title and 15.000 CHF (€13,000).
Travelling worlds in the showcase round
In the first part of the evening, all crews presented a choreographed show with a maximum length of two-and-a-half minutes. In these shows, the teams showed their teamwork and character to the audience and judges.
Watching the showcases was like travelling through different worlds. While we had a lot of 'classic' street-dance shows, which focussed all the effort on perfect presentation of the dance, there were also alternative approaches.
Urban Artistry in the showcase round
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Urban Artistry, from the USA, brought playfulness and the party vibe from the beginning of the hip-hop culture on stage.
Teki Tekua presenting their own superhero show
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Teki Tekua, aka Team Switzerland, meanwhile presented a show turning around a fictional female superhero called the Intergalactic PrinceKi. Ukraine's Apache Crew went a very artsy route by mixing street-dance with other dance styles, like ballet, jazz and contemporary dance.
Old but gold. Prototype.
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Title defenders Prototype, from the UK, performed in costumes and makeup that suggested they were OAPs dancing. The theme was present throughout the whole show, and they even gave a spotlight to one of the first dances performed on the streets: tap.
Zeroback bringing a lot of traditional elements to the stage
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Korea's Zeroback showed a lot of traditional Korean elements in their costumes, their vocabulary of movement and the selection of music, and this variety of shows garantueed the perfect show for every taste.
The battles to crown new champions
In the end, four crews convinced the judges of their quality and made it to the battle rounds – Urban Artistry, The Ruggeds, Team France and Prototype.
In the first battle, Urban Artistry faced The Ruggeds. The American team set a focus on presenting the individual skills of their members, while The Ruggeds came prepared with a ton of battle routines and took this battle by unanimous vote.
The second semi-final was between Team France and Prototype. Both teams showed great team synergy and individual skills, but the judges decided for Team France – again by a unanimous vote.
In the finals, Team France had the upper hand when it came to the versatility of dance styles, but The Ruggeds came out on top with higher energy, power and cleaner routines so the title Best of Show 2018 went to the Ruggeds.
The Dance 2018 champions – The Ruggeds
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Replay the entire The dance 2018 finals in the player below to watch the action for yourself.