Asian Battleground 2017 has returned for its fourth season with a total of 18 dance crews from 12 countries around the region who will fight the ultimate battle and claim the title as ‘Asia’s Best Dance Crew’.
The dancers hailing from all over Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, china, Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong and India, will also be showcasing their respective cultures through their performances.
The street dance competition hosted by Astro kicked off with a Dance Carnival on Wednesday at KL Gateway Mall, featuring some of the most jaw-dropping performances in Asian street dance.
The Dance Carnival saw 16 local dance crews from all across Malaysia who had successfully passed the audition round strut their moves in front of the judges and spectators.
There were also international dance crews who were present at the dance floor in an open 3-on-3 battle, including the energetic Desi Hoppers from India and Last Minute Crew from Indonesia.
Taiwanese professional hip hop choreographer C. Hsiang and Korea’s popping master Firebac will return to the judging panel this year.
Both judges, who also busted their own moves at the Dance Carnival, look forward to see what the street dancers have to offer this time around. They also shared what they think sets a great dance apart from others.
“It takes years of practice to be the best dancer. Listening to different music also expands a dancer’s creative side as they will have more ideas to work with. Dancers need to consistently mold themselves to be an all-rounded dancer, blending new styles with the old-school dance foundation,” C. Hsiang said.
“The street dance culture is growing positively in Malaysia, this country is purely magical and unique. I hope to see the dancers here strengthen their foundation further to create their very own style as their strength lies with their melting pot of cultures. Two things make up a great dancer – their precision and vision of the dance art form and the confidence in their craft,” Firebac said.
Other big names in the international dance scene who will be joining the two judges at the finals in December include Japanese artiste and choreographer who started in Step Up, Japanese locking duo Hilty & Bosch, Korea’s Coo Jerry, the critically-acclaimed dancing couple from San Diego Keone & Mari, and Pacman from the US.
This year’s Asian Battleground will once again be hosted by local dancer and YouTuber Dennis Yin, who has participated in the early seasons of the competition years ago.
“As a dancer, this gives me great insights of the dance scene in Malaysia and the rest of Asia. Asian Battleground is a great platform for upcoming talents to train and shine as it is filled with challenges which will test crews and individuals to their limit,” Yin said.
“With this, I hope to see the future generation of street dancers push boundaries, step out of the box to find their own identity and style.”
Local singer-songwriter and YouTuber Jenn Chia will also be joining Yin to host the finals.
If you can’t catch the talented dancers live, don’t worry because you’re given the opportunity to immerse in a thrilling dance experience via multi-screens, including dance tutorials available exclusively on NJOI Now and Astro GO (from 30 September onwards), mini travelogue about Asia and highlights of the Malaysian auditions on the official website (from 30 September onwards) or watch the complete series on Astro AEC beginning November.
Head over Astro Battleground’s Facebook page for the latest news and updates!