By Simon Asare
Accra, Oct. 09, GNA – The inaugural edition of the Ghana DanceSport League saw Team Hubes Dance Crew crowned champions over United Kings Academy, 4Bent Dance Crew, Asa Academy, Flames Dance Company, and BAS Academy.
This year’s competition came off at the Street Dance Fiesta of the 10th Ghana Dance Festival at the Alliance Francaise.
The DanceSport League had a presentation-style format where dance crews were required to perform their own routines for all rounds.
The 1st stage saw all six dance crews perform their routines, and the top four, based on creativity, teamwork, execution, and showmanship, moved on to the 2nd stage.
The top four balloted to determine who they were going against in their respective fixtures.
Team Hubes went against 4bent Dance Crew, beating them to qualify for the finals, while United Dance Academy went against Asa Dance Crew, beating them to qualify for the finals.
To determine the 3rd place, a fixture between 4bent Dance Crew and Asa Dance Academy was held, where 4bent clinched the 3rd place with a no-show from Asa Academy.
The final showdown saw Team Hubes and United Kings Academy in a fixture, where Team Hubes emerged the winner of the league, to the delight of judges and the cheering audience.
Team Hubes, representing Korle Gonno in Accra, won GHC4,000 for 1st place. United Kings Academy, hailing from Abesim in Sunyani, won GHC2000 for 2nd place while 4Bent Dance Crew placed third.
The judges for the DanceSport League were Adjetey Sowah, the 1986 World Dance champion, Dr. Terry Bright Ofosu, dance lecturer at the School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana and the 1989 National Dance Champion, and Yvonne “Laladzy” Okyere, the CEO of the all-ladies dance crew, Flawless Dance Studio.
According to Robert Klah, founder of the Ghana DanceSport League, “Dance is a sport. When dance made its way to the Olympics, this truth was further amplified. On the back of dance being a sport, DanceSport Ghana has been founded to promote dance as a sport, and we are happy to inaugurate the Ghana DanceSport League (Professional).
“Finally, dance athletes can look forward to an annual league to participate in while developing their career. Our next line of action is the inauguration of the Ghana DanceSport School League, which will cater to the amateur dance community.
“We already have affiliations with international dancesport organizations and we are looking forward to creating avenues for our dance athletes to participate in such events.
“To this end, we are looking forward to having DanceSport conversations making its way to regular sport programs, because we are here to stay.”
The inaugural edition of the Ghana DanceSport League was part of the main activities of the Street Dance Fiesta of the 10th Ghana Dance Festival.
It was preceded by a dance workshop featuring DWP Academy and its sensational members including Lisa Quama, Endurance Grand, Demzy Baye, King Nature and Richael.
The Street Dance Fiesta of the 10th Ghana Dance Festival was organised in collaboration with DanceSport Ghana, Dancers & DanceSport Association of Ghana (DDASPAG), and powered by Dancetera.
GNA