Street Dancers Bangladesh is a community on Facebook which aims to connect the different teams of dancers and street performers from all over Dhaka into one spot.
Different dance groups record their performances, whether done in live shows or at practicing studios, and share those videos on the page for other dancers to see. This seven year old social media based community was formed in 2011 by members of a dance crew named Anonymous Crew. The three member crew included Tausif, Shaad and Piyal, and out of the three of them, Tausif and Shaad took the initiative to open this Facebook page to connect with other dance groups.
The community grew to be a large platform for dancers to demonstrate their signature moves and team work. Some groups, such as The B-bots, emphasize on break dancing in their performances and take classes for new dance enthusiasts. Other groups such as O2 Street Dance, perform as well as keep an eye out for new talents, one of their discoveries being an incredibly talented 10 year old from Chattogram who beat boxes with a flute.
The community was introduced to their first big break through a performance competition hosted by the admin group on February 23, The Cypher - BD Hip Hop Dance Championships 2018. The competition reached more than 5000 audience members at Jamuna Future Park and had around 500 dancers performing. With the support of Xpress D'Crew, The Blue Poppers BD, The B-Bots and O2 Street Dance crew, the competition was executed successfully.
In conversation with Hasin Ahbab Hridoy, administrator of the Facebook community, we found out more about this community:
Tell us a little about the response you received doing street performance in Dhaka?
The response was mostly negative and unwelcomed during earlier times but as the years passed by, things took a more positive turn. More people gradually started accepting and understanding this new phenomenon that is known as street dancing.
What are the most commonly used street performance spots?
Actually when we dancers get together, we dance. No matter which area it is. Rabindra Sorobor is one of the most significant spots in our country’s street dancing culture, but now we mostly jam in different places of Dhanmondi and we keep changing venues every now and then.
Where does your team usually practice?
Common places where we get together include Green University in Mirpur, Dhaka Hip-Hop Art School in Banasree, Moves And Grooves Dance Studio in Mohammadpur, and other areas such as Bashundhara, Mogbazar, Panthapath, etc.
What are the ways you promote street dancing in Dhaka?
B-boy Hrid and I usually travel a lot for promotional purposes so we can spread this culture. We also promote street dancing in Dhaka by doing stage shows, TVCs etc. for well known local and international brands. Taking dance classes, workshops and releasing new and creative videos on social media platforms also does the job.
What are the upcoming shows/videos/performances you want readers to look for?
Recently we went to Chattogram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Comilla and Dinajpur (Fulbari) to promote and spread the hip hop culture, and we are planning on going to other districts to host dance workshops and showcases. Our new project ‘Street X Films’ on behalf of Street Dance Community, Bangladesh is coming soon. To get updates we request you keep eyes on our Facebook page.
Where do you see the street dance community five years from now?
We have lots of dreams and plans with this community. MBK, B-boy Hrid and I have already represented our country through street dancing several times and those were really proud moments for us. We are trying our best to keep bringing in good dancers and maintain the quality of our output for our viewers and the media industry of Bangladesh. We hope you will all keep us in your prayers. We believe in love, unity, peace and fun so we just want your love, help and support and we promise we’ll make you and our country proud.
Check out Jalali by Jalali Set in Street Dancers Bangladesh Facebook page, it is a must watch.