Street dance gained popularity in Singapore sometime from the late-1990s to the mid-2000s, coinciding with the early years of the Internet and the advent of YouTube. Inspired by the hip hop culture of the Bronx in New York City as well as the street dance scene in Japan, among others, local aficionados digested videos online and borrowed tapes and VCDs to learn the moves.

They translated what they saw into school performances and joined dance schools and competitions in nightclubs, evolving their own performance vocabulary through the years and eventually moving on to bigger stages.

Street Dance in Singapore: Pioneering Our Own Narrative charts the development and growth of the form and subculture, going behind-the-scenes to distil the unique hybridity of the Singapore scene and the creative processes of some of its most prominent dancemakers.

It features exclusive interviews with street dancers and choreographers Amin “Sir Waackalot” Alifin, Jeremy Tan, Rachel Lee and Marcus Tan of ScRach MarcS, Bobby Prayogi, and Gin Lam and Xue Hui of Stirring Ground. They share their personal histories as well as hopes and dreams, breaking down what makes the scene tick in all its athleticism, virtuosity and passion as well as its sense of community.

Street Dance in Singapore is commissioned by da:ns focus for FL/OW – The FULL OUT Weekend, an annual celebration of street dance in December.

Cover image: Local Remix (led by ScRach MarcS), from FULL OUT! 2023, da:ns focus.
Photo credit: Bernie Ng.