December 2003 - Nr. 12
Hip hop world championships commence in Bremen
TWIG - Over 3,000 participants from 31 countries broke it down last weekend in Bremen at Hip Hop Days, also known as the hip hop world championships. For five days, dancers of all ages competed for 25 titles in the categories hip hop, break dance, and electric boogie.
International hip hop artists have little in common with the Bronx youth that created the dance form in the early 1980s. In its global form, hip hop art is fueled by the images created by American hip hop artists who have made it big — though most will say that dance at the heart of the matter.
The five-day dance championships are sponsored by the International Dance Organization. The new overall champion of last week’s event in the adult category was Kinneth Maarut from Denmark, second was Ibo Sadic from Hannover. The winner of the youth hip hop award, Nilson Musume, also comes from the northen German city.
The hip hop community is less than exclusive. "There are no enemies. They are all just cool," said 18-year-old Mohamed Cavsin from Bremerhaven, who is part of a break dancing troupe that won second place at the world championships last weekend.
In Germany, street dance has long lost its low-key, neighborhood feel — those hoping to compete at the event must be registered with the German dance teachers association.
In a country where two pop groups have already been casted on national television, young people recognize that dance ability and image are often the most important factors in becoming a pop star. But while the number of Germans who compete at the event has tripled in the last two years, break dancing remains just a hobby for most young people — even though some hope to turn their free time activity into celebrity.
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