Upclose with The Big Groove’s headliners.
Quest Crew (USA)
Quest Crew, a vibrant and eclectic mix of dancers hailing from California, USA staged their first dance gig outside of their homeland during The Big Groove this year.
Having won the coveted title of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew and capturing the hearts of audiences worldwide on American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance? the crew members are living out their childhood dreams, travelling around the world to perform while displaying not just nifty dance techniques but also unique re-interpretation of music and rhythm.
The crew’s main draw stems from the ability to wow the audience with the unexpected, performing tricks, stunts, headspins and acrobatic feats all set to hip hop and b-boy grooves.
One member, Steve Terada, formerly an extreme martial artist, brings to the team a unique flavor with some standout stunts and tricks of his own.
Tiny Toones (Cambodia)
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| CN PHOTOS: Poh Yang Zheng |
As K Ki saw the plight of dozens of street kids roaming the street—some struggling to make ends meet by shining the shoes of passers-by while others dabbled in drug abuse—he had a vision to bring the street kids into a place where they could develop their talents and be sheltered from the harmful influences on the streets.
Out of this vision Tiny Toones was birthed. Today, it is an organization that uses hip-hop, rapping and break-dancing to get street youth involved in proper education and free of drugs and HIV. Mentors help to guide and engage the youth who enrol in Tiny Toones’ activities, with many roping in their friends to actively take up free English classes as well as participate in games, skits and performances.
The Tiny Toones dance crew, with its youngest member only 13 years old, has competed in hip-hop and break-dancing competitions internationally in Cambodia, USA and Thailand. It has even performed at hip-hop clothing and music company Ecko Unlimited in New York City and chi-chi fundraising parties in Los Angeles, Seattle, Wisconsin, Philadelphia and New York City.
Their message to the youth is to look beyond their circumstances to see the potential that has been planted within each person, as they themselves are scaling heights, meeting people and going places they never thought possible.
