By Beatriz Miranda, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL – Since Friday, May 25th, Cidade das Artes, in Barra, hosts the Rio H2K international dance festival, dedicated to the urban dance expressions from around the world. The eighth edition of Rio H2K will host dance battles, workshops, performances, parties and a film exhibition until this Sunday, June 3rd.
The Rio H2K festival embraces both traditional and contemporary urban dances, from Brazil and abroad. Old school genres, like hip hop, breaking, locking and popping, as well as the more recently created ones, like krumping, stiletto an videodancing, are taking part of the program.
Among the favorite attractions from Rio H2K are its dance workshops, which are open both for beginning and professional audiences. This year, 23 choreographers from all over the world are running dance classes until the last day of event.
Ahead of the workshops are some of the most important names from the urban dance scene: French funkstyle dancer DeyDey, who has already performed with Madonna and Katy Perry; American hip hop dancer KK Harris, who has shared the stage with Britney Spears and Usher, are among the choreographers running the classes. Those willing to participate in the workshops must buy their ticket here.
This is the first Rio H2K edition to include contemporary dance genres in the workshops, including the unique Gaga dance, created by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin. Another new attraction is the music class for dancers, run by producer, DJ and dancer Thiago Peixoto.
On Friday, June 1st, Carioca company Crutz will debut its latest work, “Geleia Geral”, at Rio H2K. Inspired by the Brazilian tropicalism movement, the spectacle will happen at 9:30 PM, at the stage of Grande Sala. On the following day, Rio H2K hosts its great dance party, to be held at Cidade das Artes‘ square. A film exhibition (“Um Corpo de Histórias para Dançar”) will also take place on Saturday, June 2nd, at the Teatro de Câmara, at 9PM.
Closing the event on Sunday, June 3rd, will be the so longed for Rio H2K final battles, in which 24 dancers from the genres hip hop, popping, locking, house, breaking and “passinho” (a dance for Brazilian funk music) will compete for the title of best artist of the event.
Mr. Keyz (breaking), Mr. Jeff (locking), DeYDeY (popping), Ben Wichert (hip hop), Frankie J (house) and Celly IDD (passinho) will compose the jury.
Directed by Miguel Colker, the festival has already hosted 53 spectacles, 174 choreographers, 877 workshops and an audience of around 400,000 people since its first edition.
What: Rio H2K
When: Friday, May 25th to Sunday, June 3rd – see venue for time details.
Where: Cidade das Artes – Av. das Américas, 5300 – Barra
Entrance: varies according to the attraction.