In Tartu 5. The second Estonian Street Dancers’ Association (Eesti Straßendancers’ Association) Cup in upright street dancing took place on June 20, where the best dancers in seven different categories were chosen from among nearly a hundred participants.
The event was made all the more special by. for the first time, Sportland lent its shoulder as gold sponsor. The gold sponsor will support all cup and championship competitions over the next 12 months, including the future Estonian street dance team.
According to Sportland CEO Nelli Nilson, the decision was taken to improve opportunities for young dancers. “Dance in general, and street dance in particular, is full of passion, creativity and positive emotions for both the dancer and the audience. Together we can make young people’s lives even better, more interesting and emotional,” said Nilson.
He said that the creation of an association for street dancers had been a very important step. “For childhood sport to grow into a sport of excellence, every sport needs organisations, associations and active champions. The Union of Estonian Street Dancers is a very valuable organisation that adds a lot to the field, creates additional opportunities and takes street dance and its members into the future in a sustainable way,” Nilson explained.
Nearly 100 dancers participated in the second cup stage and competed in Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop Junior, House, Popping, Locking, Vogue and Krump styles. This time there were no foreign dancers in the competition, but the music was played by Dj Sergucci, a renowned DJ in Europe, and the jury included dancers from Estonia and the Baltic States.
One of the more interesting categories during the day was the Vogue Ballroom, where the theme of the contestants was Old HollyWood and the costumes were glamorous. During the day, the other competitions were also very competitive, and some of the final winners had to be decided by extra points.
According to Mirell Karhu, the winner of the Locking category, the competition was spirited and the audience was very enthusiastic. “It was hot in the hall and it tested the dancers’ stamina and brought out the right feeling of competition. The support of the people definitely gave me a lot of energy,” explained Karhu.
Ksenija Goidina, winner of the Krump category, said that there is an improvement among Estonian dancers. “Such a great energy and friendly environment, but I would definitely expect more people in the audience in the future. I’m very grateful that I was able to compete at all, as there aren’t many Krump-style competitions in Estonia,” Goidina said.
According to the judges, it is very important that street dance competitions take place. According to Gosha Heorhi Trushko, from Latvia, competitions in the Baltics came to a standstill during the coro season, and now dancers from neighbouring countries need to stick together more.
Winners of the Estonian Street Dancers’ Association Cup Stage II 2022:
Locking 1vs1 – Mirell Karhu
Popping 1vs1 – Tauri Vosman
House 1vs1 – Margaret Targo
Hip-Hop Junior 1vs1 Georg Mattias Pedjasaar
Hip-Hop 1vs1 – Janeli Kunnberg
Krump 1vs1 – Ksenija Goidina
Vogue Ballroom – Hanna Mändmaa
Over the past six months, a new system has been created in street dance in Estonia, where the ranking of street dancers is based on the cup stages and the Estonian champions are decided at the end of the year. The next round will be held on 30. The Camp of Hip-Hop Battle Day 2022 will take place on 1 July, with a jury of international judges.
