Skechers Street Dance Battle’s Blog

The Skechers Streetdance Battle 4 Crowns This Year’s Baddest Dance Crews

With drum beats pounding and incessant screaming from the dance crews’ fiercest fans, the Skechers Streetdance Battle raged on at the Araneta Coliseum on its glorious fourth year.  Solidifying its reputation as the biggest and most important dance battle to rage on in this corner of the world, crews from the high school and college divisions all battled to be called this year’s champions.  And the day of reckoning came last November 23 as the audience in the Big Dome–composed of friends, family, schoolmates and competitors– was regaled with a spectacular show of amazing dance moves, some jaw-dropping choreography and fiery school spirit.

As the most exciting dance competition in the land, hundreds of hopefuls joined during the various elimination rounds, but only a total of 12 groups competing for the high school division and 13 groups for the college division were chosen to compete for the Php100,000 cash prize and the bragging rights as the country’s best dance crew.  This year’s competition also took on an air of added intensity as three-time Skechers Streetdane Battle college champions, UP Street, sat it out to focus on their ministry work– marking this as the first time a new college champion would be hailed since the competition’s inception.

Battling crews brought on their best routines, which prompted members from the special guests, the Philippine All Stars– the 2008 World Hip Hop Competition Champions– to gush and give props to the new breed of dancers who are keeping dance culture alive and taking it to a whole new level.  Even event hosts Mo Twister, Drinnie Aguilar and JC Cuadrado could not help but express their amazement as crew after crew brought nothing  less than their A Game to the stage.

After all the finalists from both levels had performed, various activities allowed judges to deliberate– a none-too-easy task judging from the caliber of the performances.  A Skechers Freestyle Showdown ensued, featuring two dancers from each competing group showing up a pre-selected opponent.  Warring schools were pitted against each other– yet the jeering and the grandstanding only extended to their routines.  In the spirit of fun and fair competition, the dancerscongratulated each other after each showdown.  Finally, Xavier and T.I.P. were declared winners for the high school and college levels, respectively.

After a fashion show by the Skechers Streetstyle Awards contestants, EAC’s Christian Adrales and LA Consolacion’s Michelle Renato were declared the most stylish male and female.  The festivities were also dotted with special treats, namely performances from the internationally acclaimed Philippine All Stars, the Skechers Battle Crew (composed of members from the competing groups) and the UP Street.  Meanwhile, the competition drew to a close finally with the much awaited announcement of the winners.

As such, the most coveted streetdance title in the country has finally fallen to its rightful owners.  For the high school division, Colegio de Sta. Rosa was declared 2nd runner up; Holy Spirit hailed the 1st runner up; and the all-girls team of Miriam College (the Sayawatha Dance Troupe) bagged the grand prize and check for Php100,000.  The declaration of the college division winners, on the otherhand, drew a frenzied reaction from the crowd as well as the cheer squads at the gallery.  Ateneo de Manila University and T.I.P. were honored as second and first runners up, respectively; and the championship title and the other check for Php100,000 were awarded to the De La Salle University- LSDC Street. 

Amid a pandemonium that ensued upon the announcement of the winners, the Skechers Streetdance Battle Year 4 drew to a close, once and for all sealing its reputation as the biggest, toughest and hottest competition in the country.  And as the new title holders enjoy their sweet, hard-won victories, next year’s battle will see more and more dance crews in the country lining up to be part of the one dance competition that truly matters.

For those who missed the day the earth moved, catch the Skechers Streetdance Battle Year 4 as it airs on ETC in two parts in December.  The High School competition (SSB4 Part I) airs on December 14, 8:30 pm; while the College competition (SSB4 Part II) airs on December 21, 8:30 pm.

For more information, also check out www.skechersstreetdance.multiply.com

When host JC Cuadrado said this was “the one competition that matters” for streetdance in the country, you’d best believe him.  100 enlisted schools, 6 grueling elimination legs, and one huge Final Battle at the Big Dome in front of over 10,000 screaming spectators.

So the battle rages on.  Five or six scheduled legs through, and competing crews have come up with “guns blazing”– in front of huge crowds eager to witness the showdown among the country’s best student b-boys and b-girls.

And the Skechers Streetdance Battle, now on its 4th year, continues to live up to its billing as the country’s biggest, toughest, and hottest street dance competition.

Round by Round
High school teams drew first blood as they took the stage last September 27 at SM San Lazaro, battling for coveted slots to the Final Battle.  When the smoke finally settled, the first 4 crews bound for Araneta Coliseum were announced: Ateneo High School’s Indak, Xavier School’s Dance X, Miriam High School’s Sayawatha, and Claret School QC’s Hataw.

College teams were up next in SM San Lazaro last September 28– with crews engaging in a fierce exchange of electrifying performances for the right to compete at the Big Dome.  Amidst cheers and joyful tears, the finalists stormed the stage: University of the East’s Extreme Squad, DLSU Manila’s La Salle Dance Company- Street, and UP Los Banos’ Street Jazz Dance Company.

Another batch of college crews went to battle last October 5– this time in SM North Edsa.  Not to be outdone by teams from previous legs, crew after crew gave the awestruck crowd a heavy dose of dance fever.  Joining the list of finalists: Ateneo de Manila University’s Company of Ateneo Dancers, AMA- QC’s AMA Dance Dance Troupe, Our Lady of Fatima College’s Fatima Agalayaw Dance Company, La Consolacion College’s Synckupado and Letran’s Street Beat.

SM Megamall was next for two days of back to back eliminations last October 11 and 12– and the action got even more heated up as crews battled under the watchful gaze of thousands of spectators and the deafening cheers of their fans.  Headed to Araneta Coliseum for the High School category: La Salle Greenhills’ Air Force, Hope Christian High School’s Hope Dance Troupe, School of St. Anthony’s DanSSA, and the defending high school champs– St. Mark’s Institute’s Campus Image.

Completing the cast of Finalists for the College division: Danz Edge of St. Scholatica’s College, Spartans Dance Varsity of Lyceum of the Philippines- Laguna, Teatro Marino of Philippine Maritime Institute,  TIP Talents Guild of the Technological Institute of the Philippines- QC and Mapua Makati DanceCom of Mapua Institute of Technology- Makati.

Rounding up the list for the High School category: Aglaia of School of the Holy Spirit,  Phat Gurlz Crew from Colegio de Sta. Rosa– Makati, BM Crew of Neptali Gonzales High School, and last but certainly no the least– Terpsichore of St. Paul Pasig.

For streetdance supremacy
For the difficult task of judging in a competition of this magnitude, Skechers has gathered some of the biggest and most distinguished names from the dance community to compose its panel of judges: Wilson Ong (renowned choreographer of Whiplash Dance Company), Jungee Marcelo (President of the Philippine HipHop Federation), and Meynard Marcellano and Jhong Hilario (pioneer members of the highly regarded crew Streetboys).

“These student dancers have really come a long way in terms of skill level since Skechers started this event a few years ago”, observes Wilson.  “The skill level and preparation of the competitors really reflect their motivation and enthusiasm.  They really want to win this competition; and it shows.  It’s the biggest one there is after all.” -he adds, referring to the Skechers Streetdance Battle.

And it’s interesting to note that most of the competing crews mention bragging rights as the ultimate prize for them in winning the event, even more than the P100,000 in cash that await the champions.

Get Ready for the Final Battle
With the list of finalists from the elimination legs now complete, it’s off to “the big night” on November 23 at the Araneta Coliseum.  Twenty-Five high school and college dance crews remain to battle it out for ultimate streetdance supremacy and a P100,000 cash prize.

This is one battle you definitely don’t want to miss!  Find out who will win it all!  For ticket inquiries, call Ticketnet at 911-5555.

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