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Dancing on a world stage
Dancing on a world stage
A group led by a student from the Dance Studies Programme at the University of Auckland, has won a silver medal at the prestigious World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Las Vegas.
Second-year student Joshua Cesan’s group Identity Dance Crew (ID Co) were awarded the prize in the Mega Crew division from a field of 45 teams from all round the world.
ID Co competed at the annual competition with a team of 29 dancers, including five members who are also undergraduates with Joshua studying dance at the University of Auckland. Joshua has been involved with ID Co since the group formed in 2008 as teenagers. Their signature dance style, which fuses elements of new school, popping and isolation, has also seen the group win the latest Street Dance NZ Championship.
A family passion, Joshua’s two older brothers, Richie and Andrew are also part of the group as well as graduates from the Dance Studies Programme. Jacqui Cesan, Joshua’s mum, is a dancer too and founder of the Dance Studio in Auckland.
Joshua, who at just 21 has been dancing for 17 years, flew to LA for a few days after also being shortlisted as a finalist in the Choreographers Cup. Previously a finalist on TVNZ series ‘New Zealand’s Got Talent’, he says competing at world level is a huge challenge. “It’s an amazing buzz to be able to prove ourselves at an international level. We’ve all learnt a lot about working creatively and hard, while under intense pressure.”
When Joshua graduates he plans to follow his older brothers, who are enjoying careers in a variety of roles including teaching, dancing and choreographing, both locally and internationally. He also hopes to turn ID Co into more than just a hip hop group. “I’d like ID Co to be able to do anything and everything”, he says.
To find out more about ID Co visit http://identitydancecrew.com
To view the group’s award-winning performance visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqRpXOjZj94
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