Hip hop dancers reject an opportunity to go overseas

Dominic Adriaanse

A CAPE TOWN Hip Hop Dance crew’s participation in an international competition is in jeopardy after they rejected an instruction from Hip Hop Dance SA (HHDSA) to book through them – at a far higher price than they are accustomed to.

The Version-one dance group from Northpine in Kraaifontein have participated in competitions in the US on three previous occasions.

After finishing fourth at the SA National Hip Hop Dance Championships in March they were invited by HHDSA to be the official representative of Hip Hop International (USA) at the World Hip Hop Dance Championship in Las Vegas in August 2016, following the withdrawal of the second-placed team for undisclosed reasons.

But team choreographer, Everton van der Westhuizen, says their participation is in jeopardy because HHDSA insists on the group following the new policy.

“A policy was sent out for the first time this year, after we had made our booking at an estimated price of R15 500. Their quote was R23 800,” says Van der Westhuizen. This was for the flight, excluding accommodation. They also requested an immediate deposit of R4 150, with a final payment of R12 730 to be made in June.

“Our checks indicate these prices are incorrect or altered. Originally the deposit was R4 150. When I chatted to the agent of HHDSA, he requested a deposit of R2 500 for flight and accommodation, to be paid in April. On checking, I found it to be only R1 000,” Van der Westhuizen says. Team co-ordinator and mother of one of the dancers, Berenice Gabriels, said that in previous years there were issues related to the agent of HHDSA.

“This is why other teams either do not participate or withdraw from international competitions as they do not have the will or energy to fight. It seems that they are pushing for this arrangement as they stand to gain and calls to the international body head have been referred to an HHDSA address,” says Gabriels.

dominic.adriaanse@inl.co.za