A new dance battle in Takutai Square showcases the Krump dance style. Not sure what that is? Keith, aka A$AP, is here to explain.
TIA SAGAPOLUTELE Thanks for chatting with me today. Would you mind introducing yourself?
KEITH My name's Keith, also known as A$AP. I'm a part of the Krump community here in NZ and started dancing in 2017. I was inspired by Michael Jackson and watching America's Best Dance Crew on TV. I remember watching them and trying their moves at a young age.
TIA It's interesting because the dance styles from Michael Jackson and America's Best Dance Crew are different to Krump. For someone who isn't familiar with the dance genre, can you explain a bit more on what it is?
KEITH Krump is an acronym for Kingdom Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise. For me, Krump is a real expressive movement. I think it's one of the easiest ways you can express yourself without having to talk. It can come across as aggressive, but for the dancer, it's not. It's real and raw and you can share your emotions in a safe space.
Krump has always been an escape from reality for most of us dancers. When you're dancing, it feels like nothing else matters. It feels like a place where there's only us in this realm whether you're battling on the dance floor or jamming.
TIA How has it been being part of Britomart Backyard Battles and being in this space?
KEITH I'm grateful for Projekt for giving me the opportunity to host the next battles. Being able to share with friends is fun, but I think the world needs to see more of what we can do, so being here at Britomart has been a cool opportunity to share our craft and love for dance. We get together almost every week to dance and we see people who aren't used to our movement and culture coming to the battles to watch which is cool. The way I see it is it's an opportunity to give people their flowers while they're still here, especially for dancers. I know there's dancers in the community who feel they're not doing as much as they could, but they're still doing something and that's what matters.
TIA What can people expect in the next battles?
KEITH Something different for sure. Koncept Kollision is a one-on-one battle where krumpers will compete for the ultimate crown. We'll have pre-selections where anyone can sign up to compete and then narrow it down from Top Eight to Top Four to the final winner. The concepts for each round will be based around Disney, Marvel and Anime. This battle will definitely test people's creativity and push boundaries in dance. Looking forward to exposing something different to people who haven't experienced Krump before. Definitely recommend everyone coming down to Takutai Square to experience something different, it's a cool atmosphere to be a part of.
The next Britomart Backyard Dance Battles are on Friday 1 November and Friday 6 December 2024. It's a spectator sport (although you can also participate if you decide to)! And it's free for all ages. You can roll up anytime from 5.30pm to enjoy the show.
Photos by Geoffery Matautia @southsides and David St George @dstgeorgephoto
