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Hip Hop Festival Brings Kids to Their Feet

Submitted by on February 19, 2013 – 9:00 amNo Comment

Teacher instructs students on hip hopThe emcee’s voice, flavored with the metallic crunch of overmodulation, announces the first act. The performers’ sneakers slap the wooden stage, and the DJ pumps bass and synthesizers over the audience like mist from a fog machine. The dancers twist and turn in unison; they bend and flip; and they spin on the floor as fast as records on a turntable. Across the auditorium, in the sea of elementary school-aged children, smiles begin to creep across faces and toes begin tapping. The Annual Hip Hop Festival sponsored by Agassiz Baldwin Afterschool is underway.

“The best part is when the kids start to dance in their seats,” says Maria Laine, Director of Children’s Programs at Agassiz Baldwin. “They bob their heads and they sway back and forth, and they’re so into the music they don’t even realize they’re doing it.” The show is so compelling that sometimes the audience members become the performers. One of this year’s acts is a group of middle school students who attended the show last year with their afterschool program and were so inspired by what they saw that they put together their own hip hop act.

The performers seem to enjoy the show as much as the kids do; the festival is a tradition for many groups who return year after year to showcase their music for the next generation of listeners and performers. “It’s a really interactive show,” says Laine. “Kids connect to the music, and they see themselves in it. They cheer, clap their hands, stand up and dance. It’s not a sit-down-and-be-quiet kind of show.” And when the show ends, the children dance their way out the doors.

The Hip Hop Festival takes place on Thursday, February 21, 2013, from 2-3 pm at the Maria L. Baldwin School in Cambridge. This year’s festival includes performances by the Floorlords, OrigiNation, the Community Art Center Dance Crew, and the King Open Extended Day’s Best Dance Crew. Tickets are $2 per person or $5 per family group.

Afterschool groups can attend free if they RSVP to Maria Laine at mlaine@agassiz.org with their program name, contact person, number of students, and the number of adult chaperones.

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