Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam was guest-of-honor at the Southeast Asian finals of Juste De …
By Sheela Sarvananda
Singapore saw local and foreign talent take it to the floor over the weekend all in the name of the urban arts, for the Asian leg of the finals for Juste Debout.
The internationally-renowned competition — mentioned in the same vein as the names of the best street dancers globally — saw 128 teams of two contestants each vie for the top prize: an all-expenses paid trip to France to participate in the finals, in order to determine this year's top street dancer in the categories of "house", "popping", "locking" and "hip-hop".
Of the total, 65 teams proudly waved the Singapore flag, representing the nation at the forefront of this urban arts movement.
Juste Debout ties in with a move to strengthen the urban facet of the arts here, in order to give a voice to every strata of Singapore — in a push initiated by award-winning local photographer Dominic Khoo, and backed by Law Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam.
The minister might be more at home fostering diplomatic ties abroad and engaging in policy-making — an average day would likely see him meeting with constituents or compatriots abroad, but on Sunday, his heart was very much on the dance floor.
As patron of the event, the minister spoke about the importance of tapping into the different facets of the arts — underpinning the need to boost the profile of urban arts in Singapore.
"There seemed to be a lot of resonance with this cause. It's ground-up, and it's what young people want to do themselves. I've seen them and watched them perform enough to feel their passion and energy," he said.
He elaborated on the need to take an overview of the arts scene, and to understand and cultivate its many aspects.
"Our society is diverse. There will be people who are interested in Shakespeare, opera, and ballet dancing for example, but there are also people who will be interested in other forms of arts — and this is one such form. I think we ought to encourage all of it," he asserted.
"After all, a society is a collection of individuals who have some common roles, but who also aspire to achieve their own personal aspirations, their potential to the highest level possible. And it is not for us to say where their potential should be. It is for them to identify their potential, and for us to facilitate," he explained further.
Approximately 1,500 people convened to support the dancers, who battled it out in teams of two. With rousing beats stirring up the crowd, dancers had to interpret the beat, and display showmanship as well as technique, to separate the wheat from the chaff. For the four categories, a panel of international judges weighed in on who made the cut and who didn't.
The Asian leg of the competition was held at Zouk, to determine who would best represent Southeast Asia for the …
Judge Caleaf Sellers from the US is no slouch when it comes to dance — he is a renowned dancer and emcee himself — and he talked about the far-reaching social aspects of street dance.
"The reason why I wanted to be a part of this is that it gives the youth an option. There are so many negative things they can be attracted to. But when you have something like this, there isn't any of that. So it's important that you teach the youth that a lot of what is out there isn't necessarily negative."
In what was almost an evocative, proverbial passing of the baton from the old-guard to the new bastion of arts, the minister — together with supporters, friends and agencies such as the National Youth Council, MCYS and MICA — also funded the entire event. This unequivocal show of support resonated with organiser Dominic Khoo.
Khoo is Southeast Asia's foremost horology expert, and a lauded photographer in his own right. But add another feather to his cap, as an impassioned proponent of the urban arts in Singapore. Bringing Juste Debout here is part of his strategy to give Singaporeans from all echelons of society the chance to connect over a shared passion for the arts.
"Dance is pre-linguistic. We've been singing and dancing, even before we learned how to speak — even if we didn't do it very well!" he laughs. "However, it's inherent, our bodies move to music. Since the beginning of time, people have stood around a fire in a tribe, and they have sung and danced."
He lets on the Singapore has dancers who consistently rank in the top ten, globally. And he aims to shine the spotlight on the urban arts, in order to give talent here a chance to make a living on the backs of their crafts.
"We need to think about this long term. We can't just say 'Here's dance, go crazy, have fun!' But later on, when we ask them what they do for a living, they have no real idea. We must think of where they are going, and give them the choice of whether they want to have a career in the urban arts where they can get paid for it, and they can learn from the best in the world. We need to build this community and get everyone else to level up, that's very important."
Juste Debout was jointly organised by Dominic Khoo and Dance Meets. The winners in each category will represent Singapore and Southeast Asia at the finals on March 11th, in France.
Names of winners:
House
AD HOC (Singapore) — Oh Sang Yeong and K Hanafi
Locking
PHDxKFC (Taiwan) — Chen Tai Wei and Chang Che Meng
Popping
Flexion Boogz (Taiwan) — Lu Pin Chen and Lin Zhi Yuan
Hip Hop
Destiny Family (Vietnam) — Hoang Cao Son and Nguyen Dang Lam
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