On July 27, the Estonian Street Dancers’ Union will host the second cup competition of 2024, Camp of Hip-Hop Battle Day II, at Liipa Talus. It will feature a very strong panel of judges from the Baltic region for the first time in a long time, and there will also be a competition for street dance choreographies.
According to Mari Venski, a board member of the Estonian Street Dancers’ Union, the Camp of Hip-Hop Battle Day has been renewed in several ways compared to last summer, with the goal of continuously improving the quality of the competitions.
“Firstly, there hasn’t been such a strong panel of judges in the Baltic region for a long time, and the jury includes people who haven’t judged competitions in this area for quite some time. Secondly, our evaluation is more reliable thanks to a new professional system used by several other top competitions, and the event can be tracked in real-time through the registration platform, making the evaluation much clearer for the dancers. Thirdly, the upcoming competition has attracted participants from very different countries, creating a colorful international group, as dancers from the USA and Azerbaijan are also participating,” Venski explained.
In the upright dance styles such as hip-hop, house, locking, and popping, the winners will be decided by King Charles, Henry Link, Renegade, and Storm. The breakdancing categories will be judged by B-boy Focus, Renegade, and Storm.
According to Venski, the sub-association aims to improve quality each year, making the competitions more attractive to dancers from foreign countries, as better organization and more qualified judges enhance the experience.
What makes the upcoming cup stage special is that the event will take place alongside one of the world’s oldest camps, Camp of Hip-Hop, and will conclude the camp week with a memorable final. It is rare to see a street dance competition in a historical farm complex located in the village of Saha, near fields of grain, amidst greenery. The atmosphere and beautiful nature play a significant role in this summer event.
In recent years, according to Venski, the board of the Estonian Street Dancers’ Union has been focused on strengthening its international image and continually progressing.
“If in the first year the jury consisted only of representatives from the Baltic states, now the judges come from further afield. The scale of breakdancing has increased, the new evaluation system is fulfilling its purpose, and the international network is becoming increasingly connected. A significant role in this is played by our union’s president Joel Juhi’s contact base and vision,” he added. According to Venski, the Estonian Dance Sport Union and its leader Ivo Kappet have also contributed significantly with their recommendations and experiences on how to organize a dance sport cup competition.
What level is the Camp of Hip-Hop Battle Day at today compared to other top competitions in Europe? On one hand, there are still many steps to climb, but on the other hand, it has already managed to stand out and win the hearts of dancers.
“If we compare international competitions, we certainly have a lot of room to grow so that people even know what is happening in Estonia. However, foreigners praise the fact that we are on schedule, our jury is reliable, and the experiences are positive, creating a desire to return. It takes time for the fruits of our labor to be more visible and for the competitions to grow even further, but by constantly attending street dance events in different countries, I have received feedback on how our networking in street dance and the regularity of the competitions create a very good platform for the development of Estonian dancers,” Venski confirmed.
