International Dance Competition Popcity UK Vol. 5 Comes To Shoreditch Town Hall

Now in its 5th year, renowned international dance competition Popcity UK returns to London in January 2020 bringing together world-renowned dance artists and the UK Hip Hop and Popping community with UK-based dancers, international judges, guest performers and live DJs in one of the first Hip Hop events of the year in the capital. Winners will have the chance to represent the UK at the Popcity Finals in East Asia in December 2020. Activities leading up to the competition, which takes place on Saturday 25 January, include an inspirational training intensive led by London's pioneers of Hip Hop and taster sessions for locals in the London Bridge area throughout winter. The main battle event will be streamed using Instagram Live. Popcity UK vol.5 is presented by Fiya House, funded by Arts Council England, and supported by Shoreditch Town Hall and Team London Bridge.

James Pidgeon, Shoreditch Town Hall Director, said 'We're completely thrilled to be hosting 2020's Popcity UK here at Shoreditch Town Hall next January. We pride ourselves on being a cultural organisation committed to nurturing both new and established artists and providing a platform for the development of creative talent, and so to collaborate with Fiya House - who are constantly promoting the growth of dancers and the UK Hip Hop scene in general - feels like a natural fit. We can't wait to welcome everyone to Shoreditch for what promises to be an electrifying day.'

Ellie Beedham, Director of Arts, Team London Bridge, said 'It's great that Popcity has been so successful and grown. We are happy to have supported the development of the project and to be working in partnership with Shoreditch Town Hall'.

Popcity UK is an event for emerging and established Hip Hop dancers of all ages from across the UK to come together to train, share knowledge and compete. It is open to anyone who is interested in watching or taking part in Street Dance forms. Under the creative vision of Dickson Mbi, Brooke Milliner and Shawn Aimey from the prestigious Popping Crew Fiya House, the programme creates a platform for the UK hip hop scene to grow, and to gain greater international visibility. Popcity UK is led by Hip Hop artists for Hip Hop artists, with the community at its core. Fiya House travel across the globe to compete in prestigious Hip Hop and Popping competitions representing the UK and often come home victorious. 2019 Popcity UK winner Mr Ness (Epangue Nelson) went on to win second place in the World Finals in Seoul, Korea in October. London was one of 11 cities that competed in the final. Fiya House co-director Dickson Mbi is not only highly respected within the Hip Hop sector, he has also gained public notoriety for his practice as a contemporary dancer working with the likes of Russell Maliphant and Akram Khan. He was nominated for numerous major awards including 'Best Achievement in Dance' at the UK Theatre Awards 2017 and for the 'Southbank Sky Arts Breakthrough Award'.

Dickson Mbi, Fiya House co-director, said "Fiya House has been running classes and events for the Hip Hop community since 2012 and Popcity is our biggest event of the year. Perfect for families, dancers and people that are interested in Hip Hop culture, Popcity features some of the best dancers from across the UK and around the world. For the past four years, the winners of Popcity UK in London have gone on to win first or second place at the World Finals in Asia, competing against over 20 other countries. For 2020, we are excited to see the next generation of talent coming through and want to invite everyone to come down and experience what Fiya House and Popcity is all about."

In person or via live-stream, audiences of the battle will have the opportunity to watch world-class dancers compete in Popping, Hip Hop, Litefeet and Under-16s categories and come up close to Hip Hop culture.

Popping is a form of street dance and is one of the original funk styles to come out of California in the early 1970s. Started by Boogaloo Sam, the dance is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a "pop" or a "hit". This is done continuously to the rhythm of a song, in combination with various movements, to appear as though the beat is controlling the dancer's body. Boogaloo Sam went on to create The Electric Boogaloo Lockers, later known as The Electric Boogaloos, who gained popularity through their pivotal performance on Soul Train in1979.

Closely related illusory dance styles and techniques are often integrated into Popping, to create a more varied performance. These dance styles include The Robot, Waving and Tutting. Popping is distinct from Breaking and Locking, with which it is often confused. In-keeping with its origins, Popping is often performed in battles and club settings, where participants try to outperform each other in front of a crowd. This creates space for improvisation and freestyle movements that are seldom seen in shows and performances, and usually include interaction with other dancers and spectators.

https://shoreditchtownhall.com/whats-on/popcity

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