Our final spotlight feature for the week is on Studio One from Orlando, Florida. They're super energetic and comfortable with being both rugged and sexy on stage. Studio One took 1st place at World of Dance 2009 in New York. And it's no surprise that they were favorites with the crowd as well as with the judges. (Photo above is taken from their website.)
You can see their website here:
And you can see a video clip of their performance at World of Dance 2009 here:
Florida has stood out as a hot zone for bboys through the late 1990s to 2000s. Skillz Methods, Ground Zero, Flipside Kings, and numerous individual bboy superstars have graced national and international competitions. At Freestyle Session 2008, you could see legions of bboys from Florida repping "FLA All Day" shirts in the cyphers and in contest rounds. So in the choreo world, Studio One has been making big impressions on the East Coast scene. Their street jazz and hip hop fusion origins have translated to performances with music artists and stage showcases. It's refreshing to see another choreo team that doesn't rely heavily on street dance styles. Instead, they're bringing in other influences and working at creating their own identity. One thing that really stands out about Studio One is their irresistible energy on stage. Once you see them get down, it's hard to stand still. You just want to groove with them wherever you are.
Alot of their energy might also come from the fact that they're rarely flat-footed on stage. They stay light on their feet. And they cover a wide range of the stage space. Whether it's incorporating acrobatic leaps in a routine or grooving as a whole with quick ball changes, Studio One can look like a funky army of dancers in sync with each other. Their showcase at WOD New York is a prime example of their strengths. Of course, we also love their humorous intro using a sample from Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." Clearly, they're not afraid to use a little theatricality and skit action to whet our appetites.
We definitely want to see more of Studio One in the future, especially what they represent in terms of Orlando's unique flavor. Florida is a huge state. So we're hoping that Studio One and neighboring teams will venture out to the West Coast soon to grace us with their presence.
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