One of the best art forms for promoting true freedom and self-expression, dance not only allows the performer a momentary escape from reality but extends this feeling to their audience as well. When you add the improvisational aspect of Freestyle Dance into the performance, the possibilities are truly endless. On December 17th – one week before the Christmas holiday – the SNIPES team hosted their first Freestyle Dance Battle in partnership with some of the top open-style dancers from across the U.S. and Canada at DWH Studio ATL in Atlanta, Georgia. A well-known epicenter for viral dance crazes, Hip-Hop dances from Atlanta artists – like Soulja Boy’s “Crank That” in 2007 and the Hip-Hop group Migos’ “Dab” in 2014 – can easily take the world by storm in an overnight sensation. While SNIPES has previously hosted dance battles and competitions featuring various Hip-Hop styles, the Freestyle Is The Key Style 1-On-1 Battle offers an especially exciting element: As both an audience member and performer, you don’t exactly know what you are going to see. Freestyle dancers can use prior choreography or go-to dance movements to achieve their goal, but many times the combination of dances enables the artist to create something entirely new. With several dancers stepping into the spotlight, those that gathered at DWH Studio ATL were signed up for an experience unlike any other.
Featuring music from DJ Kaotic Blaze and DJ MonTahje,16 fierce competitors hit the floor with everything they had – this incredible showcase of Freestyle Dance would not have been possible without the talents of HermizDaGod, VenomTheGlider, DQ, LADY C, TheGangstaQ, TMotion, 8 LEGX, Jaylin, Rios, WeezyThePhoenix, JADYNSMOOTH, NutellaK, WOLF, KOSI and E Solo. The dancers’ skills were evaluated by some of the best, including SavageTheGreat, Stiggity Stacks, Boxwon, Toyin Sogunro and the legendary Buddha Stretch an icon in street dance, credited as the father of Hip-Hop Freestyle. After several elimination rounds, our two Dance Battle finalists KOSI and the winner E Solo both took home some of our $3500 in prize money that was dished out amongst the top 3 competitors. Taking elements from the New York dance style Litefeet to earn himself a win, E Solo claimed his first Open Style Dance Battle victory in his 15-year career. This was a huge moment for the veteran Litefeet legend, and the crowd could truly feel the emotion and excitement from E Solo. SNIPES plans to bring more artists into the limelight and continue to host dance competitions, so stay tuned for more along with the latest news and sneaker/streetwear releases on our Instagram, blog posts, and mobile app.
