The Auburn Festival is on this Saturday 20th September.

With four entertainment stages, over 100 food, arts and craft stalls, amusement rides and interactive activities for the kids, this year’s Festival has something for the whole family.

Darrio will be conducting Hip Hop dance workshops on behalf of ICE.org.au.  Darrio and the boys will then be performing a couple of KRUMP sets two times in the afternoon.

For more information on Auburn Festival see below:-

Time:               10.00am – 8.00pm
Location:         Auburn CBD area
Enquiries:        Julie Connellan - Community Events Manager
9735 1362 or julie.connellan@auburn.nsw.gov.au

Former KRUMP King J-Tight is coming to Australia this October to pump up the KRUMP scene.  He will be giving workshops in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane which will be open to all.

UPR Recordz is hold a Hip Hop Dance Competition for Under 25 year olds.

Prize Money is 1st Prize - $500, 2nd Prize - $400, 3rd Prize - $200

If you have a dance group that needs performance experience, events like this are fantastic experience.  For an entry form contact events@uprecordz.com

Channel 10 will be filmed for a documentary on Thursday September 11th 08 at the session outside the Entertainment Centre Sydney.

What do you think of the commercial intrest in the ’sub-cultures’ in Sydney?

I just thought I would pass on the love.  There is a brand new website that has just been launched called www.biguproar.com.  It’s a free website for performers of all kinds that gives you a platform to personally manage a profile that is open to casting directors and potential clients only.

It seems like a good tool.  Check it out!

For those who don’t know, the Sydney Eisteddfod is the largest event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere (see www.sydneyeisteddfod.com.au) and it been around for Seventy Five years now. It’s a competition that involved singing, dancing, musicianship, drama and speaking. There is a great deal of money and sponsorships given away each year to people of all ages and denominations.

What do we have to do with it? Well, Hip Hop dance was included for the first time last year and through a series of events was called in to adjudicate (judge) the section. All of it was great, very exciting, impressive turn out.

This year, the sections have now grown in number. We now have Hip Hop Solos etc etc and Darrio is adjudicating (remember…judging) again.

Once again an impressive turn out. The competition particularly in the older groups has really heated up and it is getting harder and harder to judge one better than the other.

The clear winner once again was Studio 11 - studio 11 is one of these freak little studios in PENRITH guys and is producing the best dancers and choreography we have seen in a long time. Don’t know what they have in the water out there but I intent to find out.

Amazing kids that work really hard overall.  We were very honoured to be included once again.

If you are interested in entering the eisteddfod in 2009 just keep an eye out for entries to open, everyone is eligble.

Oh my Lord it’s August already.  OK here’s the dates coming up.

The next Parramatta course:-

• Start date: Wednesday 20th, August
• Time: 8pm (come early first night)
• Location: Parramatta PCYC, 12 Hassall St, Parramatta
• Cost: $99/6 weeks (Note: PCYC requires annual membership fee - $25 Senior, $8 Concession)

The next City course:-

• Start date: Monday 8th, September
• Time: 7pm (come early first night)
• Location: Step Up Dance Studio, Lvl 1, 160 Castlereagh St, Town Hall
• Cost $99/6 weeks

For more information or to register for any of these Hip Hop Basics course’s please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Darrio just wanted everyone to tune and yes…hear him talk once again. He is to be interviewed on ABC Radio on Sunday morning on a program called speaking out.

He’ll discuss a little of his own history and his take on the Australian urban dance scene.

Tune in for one morning only.

www.abc.net.au/speakingout/

or tune into the podcast on www.abc.net.au/speakingout/podcast/feed.xml

Last Sunday (August 3rd 08) Darrio and friends finished the last of the events that they have participated in as part of the Sydney Biennale 08.

Darrio was invited to take part in the Biennale by the MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) which was definately a great honour. It seems to be part of a trend by the facilities that have been formerly reserved for higher art forms, that they are opening there doors to the street or Hip Hop arts (dance/graffiti/music) and exposing their usual demographic to these art forms and by extension welcoming a new demographic through their doors drawn by the street styles.

The exhibitions and workshops have been a great success. Darrio and friends have put together a small choreographed routine combining many Hip Hop Styles such as Breaking, Locking, Popping, Hip Hop & KRUMP.

Crowds that gathered to watch the performances have been as diverse as the people dancing. All ages and nationalities. Families, young people, the more mature art viewing crowd, all of whom seemed to be equally puzzeled, delighted and wowed by the display.

I was especially delighted by a more mature lady who having seen me at the performance earlier, approached me at the bus stop still inspired and delighted “it was a wonderful performance wasn’t it?” she exclaimed “those young boys have so much energy”. I love seeing people appreciate the artform, particularly those who wouldn’t normally seek it out.

A special thanks to all those students and subscribers that made a special effort to come down and support the guys, your efforts and applause really are appreciated.

If anyone caught any of the the performances or workshops at the MCA make sure you share your thoughts and comments below…

image shown courtesy of The MCA (c)