Urban Corps hip-hop fest ends tonight with a dance battle featuring both French and local D.C. dancers. As we wrap things up, here’s a few highlights from the local, national, and international press. And of course, feel free to leave your take in the comments!
The Washington Post Sunday Arts Edition interviewed Cultural Director, Sylvain Cornevaux:
“In an effort to connect the District’s streets with the New France, he [Cornevaux] has organized a festival of French hip-hop dance. French hip-hop dance. Does that sound oxymoronic? Au contraire, Cornevaux explains. Given the influx of immigrants from former French colonies and the general French fascination with urban American life, hip-hop culture caught on in France but quickly merged with higher-brow art. The result is choreography that’s now being exported back to the United States. And thus we have “Urban Corps: A Transatlantic Hip-Hop Festival,” which continues through Friday, May 25, at venues in Arlington County and the District”
Lorraine Treanor of DC Theatre Scene highlighted the international and local diversity of the Urban Corps festival:
“Hip-hop is an international phenomenon, and the Alliance Francaise is bringing together hip-hop dance crews from France, the U.S. and Senegal in a cross-city celebration that ranges from the Mexican Cultural Institute, Howard University, Kalorama Park, the Kennedy Center, Dance Place and Atlas Performing arts Center before finishing up with a battle of the dance crews at Artisphere in Arlington, VA”
We, at the Alliance Francaise de Washington, wanted the Urban Corps festival to be not only cross-cultural but also cross-city in order to emphasize the goal of the festival: transatlantic influence and cross-cultural dialogue!
Katie Pyzyk of ARL Now focused on the final event of Urban Corps: “Battle of the Dance Crews:”
“The “Battle of the Dance Crews” show ends a week of events in the D.C. area for a transatlantic hip-hop festival. The Urban Corps Festival will feature dancers from the United States, France and Senegal, who are trained in a variety of techniques such as contemporary dance, Brazilian capoeira, karate and gymnastics…music, drinks and mingling with the dancers will begin at 9:00 p.m., and the performance runs from 10:00-11:00 p.m. After that, the dance floor will be open until midnight to anyone who wants to bust a move.”
Battle of the Dance Crews takes place TONIGHT Friday, May 25 at 9pm!
Latitude France, an international French cultural publication (French only) emphasized the DC/Stateside relationships that the Alliance Francaise created:
“Fortement ancrée auprès des différentes communautés urbaines de Washington, l’Alliance française a noué des partenariats forts avec de nombreux collectifs hip-hop locaux, comme DCypher Dance et Urban Artistry, qui participeront activement au festival Urban Corps.”
In closing, we would like to thank all the journalists, publications and media outlets who have supported the Alliance Francaise for this festival!
Don’t forget to join us TONIGHT, May 25 9pm for the Battle of the Dance Crews at Artisphere. Get your tickets online now!
