Paris is home to some of the most incredible street dancers, and styles in the world and hosts the annual worldwide street dance competition Juste Debout, as well as the birthplace of the ‘Vertifight’ electro dance competition.
Back in 2007, three electro dance aficionados – Youval, Steady and Hagson – single-handedly kickstarted a cultural phenomenon when they set up a series of dance competitions in their home town, Paris. News of these ‘Vertifight’ events spread like wildfire, and today, they take place all over the world.
“If you don’t have organised events, dance scenes die”
- Steady, Co-Founder of Vertifight
Dance crews in Brazil, Russia, South Korea, Canada, Mongolia and most other parts of the globe get together at highly-organised events where they compete to become Vertifight Kingz in their own territories, then, if they’re good enough, go on to the World Championships where their moves could earn them the ultimate accolade – 1000% Vertifight Legend.
Working with their own DJs, a very particular playlist and a unique sense of street style, Vertifight participants take their ‘battles’ very seriously – winning is a matter of pride, status and credibility. And I’m just a sucker for French accents which is another reason to watch this Scene@ – even if you’re not into dance.
Also in case you don’t know, I’m going to the MTV EMAs this weekend (that’s the European Music Awards FYI, for those who keep asking me, not Education Maintenance Allowance which has been discontinued) courtesy of Swatch MTV Playground. Which means I get to creep on JBiebz and stalk Katy Perry (I’m joking – OR AM I)
5 Days until the MTV EMAs 2011 in Belfast
