We managed to catch up with Amin and Mag backstage before their performance. And guess what? Freddy and Zaihar from O School were also there to support them! Woohoo!
Soon, it was almost time for the performances to start. So we took our seats and waited patiently. The view from our 6th row seat was perfect! Close enough to see the facial expressions of the dancers on stage, and yet just far enough to still be able to view the whole stage!
And while we waited, we managed to spot Megamint in some of the brochures that were included in the goodie bags!
First, 3 “Special Prizes” were given out to 3 amazing teams. I don’t understand Japanese, but I believe these special prizes were for outstanding performances, technique and entertainment value.
The first Special Prize went to a 3 girl group called “Lucifer”
Don’t be fooled by their demure looks during the prize presentation, the performance these girls put up could put most of the guy crews out there to shame. Their entire performance was filled with high-impact, high-energy, hulk-strengthed moves, and they didn’t even look like slowing down towards the end of their performance!
The next Special Prize went to a 11-guy crew called HotPoint!
I believe they were the most entertaining performance of the night. Not because of their dancing, but because of the the guy holding the award. His comic relief facial expressions during the performance were EPIC!
There was a scene where he was somewhere at the back of the stage, and the camera had a good view of the entire crew on stage. But slowly, it started to zoom in to his face at the back. Why? They were doing some reggee moves and he was licking his lips in a funny/sexy/comical way all throughout that segment! EPIC I tell you!
Sad to say, William and I missed their performance as we were still queuing for the toilet when their performance started. But I believe they were doing some form of Reggee dance. Well done girls!
Now, it was time to reveal our top 3 winners for this year’s Japan Dance Delight Vol 20! Everyone was on the edge of their seats and speculations were high…
The 3rd Place went to…
Their death-defying B-Boy stunts never ceased to draw “WOOOOs!!” and “WAHHs!!” from the crowds. I remember they opened their act with a 3-tiered human pyramid, and the guy on top just leaped forward and landed flat on the ground in front of him! After a stunt like that, I wouldn’t even be able to get back onto my feet, much less finish the rest of the performance!
And the 2nd Place went to…
These 2 guys had their own unique style of dance! Their heads and arms seem to be seamlessly slipping and sliding on the body parts of their partners, as if they were 2 bodies controlled by 1 single brain. The coordination between the 2 of them was ridiculous! They reminded me of Robot Boys from Denmark’s Got Talent.
And finally… The winner of Japan Dance Delight Vol 20 is…
Deserving of the title of Japan Dance Delight Vol 20 Champion, O.G.S wowed and entertained the crowd with a perfect mix of flawless technique, crazy choreography and even some death-defying B-Boy stunts! They were so good that they even got a standing [on the chair!] ovation from 2 of the judges from the judging panel!
Here’s a instavideo of this year’s champion! O.G.S!
The crowd went wild when the winners were announced!! And just like that, this year’s Japan Dance Delight Vol 20 Finals came to a close.
All the winners were visibly taken aback from winning their respective titles. This proved to me that all the dancers and crews in the JDD Vol 20 finals were not just there to win the title and prizes, but they were there for something else: Passion and Experience. And I could tell that all the blood, sweat and tears shed by all the finalists were all worth it.
Among all the hustle and bustle going on in the backstage area after the show, Megamint managed to snap a few photos with some of the judges and contestants…
Once again, congratulations to O.G.S on winning this year’s Japan Dance Delight Vol 20 Finals, and great job Mag and Amin on your outstanding performance, I’m sure you guys gained much more in terms of experience than just a trip to Japan!
Till next year, さようなら [Sayōnara] Osaka!!
Also, stay tuned to my blog [http://theminuteman.sg] for updates on our journey in Osaka, Japan coming real soon!!
