Dance is what will always be community in action. It sanctifies our space. It could also heighten our sense of being alive by making us one with the very ground we dance on, the air we breathe – and the seen and unseen.
It is not only a unique and essential human activity that connects us to the musical rhythms of life, but it brings communities together in a common purpose. Perhaps that is why hundreds came out to the first round of the Summer Knock-Out Dance Competition (SKO) on Sunday, August 23rd, presented by the A3 District at the International Summer Night Market (ISNM). The SKO is an urban dance showdown featuring BC’s top 20 dance groups competing for the grand-prize package valued at $5000. 14 dance teams from across the Lower Mainland competed tournament style in front of a jam-packed live audience at the ISNM.
Roberta Bierman of A3 District, an urban arts and dance organization, states:
As the first choreography dance competition to be held in a tournament format, the Summer Knock-Out at the International Summer Night Market offers teams a new arena to compete. The top prize package worth $5,000 will help bring together the top teams from all over the region to the tournament, giving dancers a fantastic venue to showcase their talent.”
And to showcase did they seriously achieve! The 20 teams who competed in Round 1 performed in hopes to impress the esteemed panel of judges with their choreography, execution, technique and performance.
Seven winning teams from Round 1 have secured a spot in the Semis (Round 2) set for Friday, August 28th. They are:
The seven remaining teams will compete for one Wild Card spot during the Round 2 semi-finals. They are:
Roberta Bierman of A3 District states,
We congratulate the seven Round 1 teams who have made it through to the semi-finals of the Summer Knock-Out dance competition. With only one Wild Card position open, we expect the Round 2 showdown to be full of energy and entertaining. We hope everyone comes out on August 28th to support their favourite dancers.
For Round 2, the judging panel includes elite choreographer Jerome Esplana, PraiseTEAM instructor Bryce “Wonderbread” Koebel and celebrity dance professional Kim Sato.
For additional information on the SKO, team registrations and overall rules, please visit www.summernightmarket.com/skodance or follow #SKO on Twitter.
Summer Knock Out Dance Competition
Starts: 6:00 pm
Ends: August 28, 2015 – 11:00 pm
Location: (Main Stage) 12631 Vulcan Way, Richmond, BC V6V 1J7
About A3 District
A3 District was created by Jane Marlinga and Roberta Bierman as a tool to help unify the Vancouver Arts Community. Its vision is to establish a safe, positive and inspiring environment where artists from allwalks of life can come together to share and motivate. A3 District believes in providing a neutral space catered to dancers, musicians, singers, event planners and independent artists. By unifying the artistic community of Vancouver, the group’s goal is to help gain global recognition for arts and culture by creating opportunities across the Lower Mainland.
For more information on A3 District, please go to www.a3district.com or visit their social media channels at:
Facebook.com/a3district
Twitter.com/a3district
YouTube.com/a3districtnetwork
Instagram.com/A3District
About International Summer Night Market
The ISNM is an annual tradition that has built its reputation as a truly diverse event and is recognized as a world-class landmark attraction in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. With over 30,000visitors each week, the ISNM is one of BC’s largest community events each year.
Please visit www.summernightmarket.com for more information or visit their social media channels at:
Facebook.com/iSNMofficial
Twitter.com/iSNMofficial
Instagram.com/summernightmarket
Hashtags:
#PandaMarket
#iSNMOfficial
#iSNMWorldRecord
All images: William Luk / Mayowill Photography
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