R-16 Korea 2010 B-boy World Cup Opens in Seoul on July 3

Top b-boys from 16 countries around the world to compete; increased excitement for visitors through a real-time computer scoring system, non-verbal performances

People around the world have been glued to their TV sets watching the FIFA World Cup soccer competition with the excitement of the mastery movements and scoring moments of renowned soccer players during most of June. In July, R-16 Korea 2010, the so-called World Cup of the b-boy world, promises to take its place with an array of dynamic and exciting dancing.
The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is hosting the R-16 Korea 2010, an urban performance festival that is recognized as the World Cup of international b-boys, on July 3-4 at the Olympic Park in Seoul.
R-16 Korea 2010 is the fourth R-16, a major tourism event that presents performance content, held by the KTO for its advertisement and promotional effects and to attract tourists from abroad. It can be seen as an international b-boy masters’ competition as it selects and invites top international b-boy teams based on preliminary rounds and their ranks in international b-boy alliances with the aim of selecting the best of the best.
Official events of the competition are the “Performance Battle” category in which the winning team is selected after watching the prepared choreography of b-boys and dancers from 16 countries, and the “Crew Battle” category where b-boy crews participate in a tournament battle until one winner is left. Additional events include the one-on-one poppin’ and lockin’ competition, a hip-hop concert, a graffiti festival and a street flea market. Around 120 b-boys, DJs and hip-hop artists from 16 countries will participate in the competition. They include the FUSION ROCKERS from Spain, PHASE-T from France, TERROR BUNCH from Germany and the new, but strong, dancers from Vietnam who won the Southeast Asian preliminary round, Big Toe. The team representing Korea will be JINJO CREW, who won the Korean Representative Selection Competition held at KINTEX in Ilsan on March 6.
This year will be the first time the real-time computer scoring system will be used, which will help increase the understanding and fun for visitors watching the competition, as they will be able to check the scoring by the judges as they input scores.
In addition, the traditional Korean performance “Pan” will present Korean music, dance, sounds and songs together with b-boys for an unconventional joint battle performance on Saturday, July 3. A wide and diverse audience is expected and there will also be a showcase for the non-verbal performance “Dance if you are in love,” which was presented at the Vancouver Olympics.
KTO Director Kim Keun-soo, who is supervising the fourth R-16 Korea 2010 International B-boy Competition, said, “R-16 is an urban performance festival and is developing into a cultural tourism product and brand that represents Korea. Programs that invite visitors to participate and get interested have increased, such as the graffiti festival, hip-hop street market, hip-hop concert and F1 Grand Prix promotional booth, to develop it further into a performance tourism festival that can connect not only with Korea, but the world.” nw

Approximately 120 b-boys, DHs and hip-hop artists from 16 countries will vie for R-16 Korea 2010. They will include such renowned b-boy groups as well as Vietnam’s Bing Toe, the finalists in the Southeast Asia preliminary competition, and Korean preliminary race finalists, JINJO CREW.

Courtesy on the MCST