Young dancer from Nghe An wins runner-up prize in Japanese Hip-Hop competition.
(Baonghean.vn) - Outperforming hundreds of contestants, 10-year-old Pham Thach Tung, also known as Kevin the Squirrel, has excellently become the runner-up in the "Hiphop Dance Battle 1:1" competition organized by Japan in Hanoi.
Video of Kevin the squirrel competing:
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| Little Squirrel (in the blue shirt) poses for a commemorative photo with Kaho (in the white shirt) from Japan. |
On January 8th, after going through three qualifying rounds and overcoming strong competitors from Hanoi and even Japan, Pham Thach Tung, a 4th-grade student from Cua Nam I Primary School (Vinh City), successfully advanced to the final round against young Kaho from Japan. In the final round, after two 1-on-1 competitions that ended in a draw and required an additional tiebreaker to determine the winner, Tung achieved the runner-up position in the "Hiphop Dance Battle 1:1" competition for children.
Besides Kevin Sóc, five other children from Nghe An participated in the "Hiphop Dance Battle 1:1" competition. However, those five children only made it to the top 8, while Sóc confidently advanced to the next round and became the sole representative of Vietnam in the finals.
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| Judge Tetsu from Japan was very impressed with Squirrel's abilities. |
Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, Sóc's mother, said that more than two years ago, Sóc was introduced to hip-hop by chance, gradually developing a passion for it and showing a natural talent for this art form. Her family believes that alongside education, children should also develop their talents and interests, so they strongly support their passion. Regarding the "Hip-hop Dance Battle 1:1," because it was a large-scale competition with the participation of many young dancers from Japan – one of the formidable rivals in the hip-hop world – she decided to let her son participate primarily for fun and experience. Therefore, Sóc's victory was a joy and a surprise to everyone.
Sharing her feelings about competing against a strong opponent from Japan for the first time, Sóc said she was very excited and wanted to compete with Kaho. The competition also helped her make many new friends who share her passion for hip-hop, not only in Vietnam but also abroad, such as in Japan.
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| Young dancers from Nghe An and Japan took a commemorative photo together. |
Tran Quoc Hung, Soc's hip-hop teacher, commented that Soc is a boy with good musical sense and high creativity, so he has a talent for hip-hop. Outwardly, Soc is quite quiet and gentle, but when he starts dancing, he almost transforms into a different person, full of confidence, personality, and boldness. Perhaps this is another "attraction" besides the skillful and confident dance moves of this 10-year-old boy.
Regarding the battle, Mr. Hung said that this is a difficult hip-hop genre, requiring contestants to both "feel the music" provided by the organizers and create a suitable dance within a few minutes of the competition. Although she lacked a bit of luck, Sóc's performance was very successful and made a strong impression on both the Vietnamese and Japanese judges.
"Battle" is a form of street dance competition between two sides, and the stronger, luckier person wins. The 1990s can be considered a milestone marking the emergence of a "Battle" culture within the rap scene. With the development of hip-hop, battles gradually became an indispensable form of competition, not only in rap but also spreading to many other disciplines, including hip-hop. Over time, "Battle" has retained its inherent characteristics such as intensity, passion, a touch of provocation, and rebellion. However, increasingly, Battle has become a competitive event aimed at showcasing talent and skill, while also fostering interaction, connection, and mutual understanding between opponents, and more broadly, the global Hip-Hop community. |
Chu Thanh
