Gameplan: Award-winning dance crew brings international hip hop competition to PH

Up and running for 22 years now, the VIBE dance competition has grown to be one of the most sought-after hip hop dance competitions around the world. From its turf in Southern California, VIBE makes its way to the Philippines this year through the A Team – one of the country’s top street dance crews. 

“Street dance in the Philippines has evolved so much over the past few years,” said Angelica Arda, co-founder of A Team.

“I feel like street dance is at its peak right now. In terms of competitions, classes and events, we are making noise not just in the Philippines, but also in the international level,” she added.

VIBE’s longevity can be largely attributed to the unwavering support from the street dance community which fosters a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for anyone and everyone with a passion for dance.

“They’re all different ages. They all have different passions. They’re doing all these different things. But all of them just show each other that they are here for a reason. This is what they want to do for a long, long time,” said Gameplan host Katz Salao after getting down with one of A Team’s training sessions.

“From the moment I walked in, they treated me as if it’s game time. No one is new, no one is old. Everyone’s the same.”

After months of hard work, 19 competing teams are all set to rock it out onstage at the Ateneo’s Henry Lee Irwin Theater to celebrate their love for dance.

“I don’t think people realize how much athleticism, passion, time, and energy the street dance teams put for 3 to 5 minutes of entertainment. They’re showing us 8 minutes worth of 8 months of work. They’re heroes in a sense because they’re raising our flag. In other countries, the Filipinos are known as really strong dancers right now,” said Katz. – Rappler.com