Summer Dance Forever 2023 (2024)

Summer Dance Forever is an important international hiphop dance festival. Dancers from around the world gather in the city of Amsterdam each year in August. Seven days to enjoy an international dance feast, packed with the best of today and the great promises of tomorrow. Organized in several venues around town, expect a great variety of dance performances, next level battles and workshops to refresh and boost your skills. A true summer in one of Europe’s hottest cities, soaked in dance, to be remembered forever. Forever … and ever … and ever …

As Europeans we speak of hiphop dance. It has a different theatrical tradition than the American breaking tradition. In short it includes more than only the hiphop elements, it takes the post-colonial background of European society into account, reflecting the multitude of voices and cultures and it is interwoven with and part of the European dance tradition, therefore not shy of contemporary elements nor other elements of any other dance tradition.

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME:

• Locking Forever
• Waacking Forever
• Popping Forever
• House Dance Forever
• Hip Hop Forever
• Hip Hop Games Exhibition
• Film Screening
• Seminars & Lectures
• Workshops
• and more ...

LOCKING FOREVER

PRESELECTION: TUESDAY, 22 AUGUST 2023
MAIN EVENT: WEDNESDAY, 23 AUGUST 2023
Locking Forever is a dance competition at international festival Summer Dance Forever where the top 24 best dancers in the world battle against each other in the style of Locking. ‘Locking’ is a style of funk dance in which the dancers ‘freeze’ their movements. Whoever wants to win this battle will have to defeat the three judges. This is what sets Summer Dance Forever apart from all other dance battles around the world. At other events the judges give their judgment from a comfortable distance behind a desk, but at Summer Dance Forever nobody is safe! The judges are always big international names, but even then judges don’t always win. The winner will achieve everlasting glory, win prize money and get to judge at a next event.

JUDGES:

• Locking Khan (South Korea)
• A-Train (Sweden)
• Kymen (France)

DEEJAYS:

• Cut Nice (Netherlands)
• Lucas Benjamin (Netherlands)

HOSTS:

• John Agesilas (Netherlands)
• JNM the Naked MC (Netherlands)

REGISTRATION:

• At the spot on Tuesday, 22 August 2023
• Registration & Doors: 12:00 o'clock
• Start Preselection: 15:00 o'clock
• Minimum age for participation is 12 years

WAACKING FOREVER

PRESELECTION: TUESDAY, 22 AUGUST 2023
MAIN EVENT: WEDNESDAY, 23 AUGUST 2023
Waacking Forever is a dance competition at international festival Summer Dance Forever where the top 24 best dancers in the world battle against each other in the style of Waacking. ‘Waacking’ is a dance style that originated in the 1970’s gay clubs in California, and is characterized by striking arm movements, poses, and footwork. Whoever wants to win this battle will have to defeat the three judges. This is what sets Summer Dance Forever apart from all other dance battles around the world. At other events the judges give their judgment from a comfortable distance behind a desk, but at Summer Dance Forever nobody is safe! The judges are always big international names, but even then judges don’t always win. The winner will achieve everlasting glory, win prize money and get to judge at a next event.

JUDGES:

• Mounia (France)
• Princess Lockerooo (USA)
• Lip J (South Korea)

DEEJAYS:

• Cut Nice (Netherlands)
• KC the Funkaholic (Netherlands)

HOSTS:

• John Agesilas (Netherlands)
• JNM the Naked MC (Netherlands)

REGISTRATION:

• At the spot on Tuesday, 22 August 2023
• Registration & Doors: 12:00 o'clock
• Start Preselection: 17:00 o'clock
• Minimum age for participation is 12 years

POPPING FOREVER

PRESELECTION & MAIN EVENT: THURSDAY, 24 AUGUST 2023
Popping Forever is a dance competition at international festival Summer Dance Forever where the top 24 best dancers in the world battle against each other in the style of Popping. Whoever wants to win this battle will have to defeat the three judges. This is what sets Summer Dance Forever apart from all other dance battles around the world. At other events the judges give their judgment from a comfortable distance behind a desk, but at Summer Dance Forever nobody is safe! The judges are always big international names, but even then judges don’t always win. The winner will achieve everlasting glory, win prize money and get to judge at a next event.

JUDGES:

• Slimboogie (USA)
• Nelson (France)
• KidBoogie (USA)

DEEJAYS:

• Lucas Benjamin (Netherlands)
• Renegade (UK)

HOSTS:

• John Agesilas (Netherlands)
• JNM the Naked MC (Netherlands)
• Lamine (France)

REGISTRATION:

• At the spot on Thursday, 24 August 2023
• Registration & Doors: 10:00 o'clock
• Start Preselection: 12:00 o'clock
• Main Event: 14:30 o'clock
• Minimum age for participation is 12 years

HIP HOP FOREVER

PRESELECTION: FRIDAY, 25 AUGUST 2023
MAIN EVENT: SUNDAY, 27 AUGUST 2023
Hiphop Forever is a dance competition at the international festival Summer Dance Forever where the Top 24 best dancers in the world battle against each other in the style of Hip-Hop. Whoever wants to win this battle will have to defeat the three judges. This is what sets Summer Dance Forever apart from all other dance battles around the world. At other events the judges give their judgment from a comfortable distance behind a desk, but at Summer Dance Forever nobody is safe! The judges are always big international names, but even then judges don’t always win. The winner will achieve everlasting glory, win prize money and get to judge at a next event. During the break, there will be a special HipHop showcase by the French HipHop crew "Artizans".

JUDGES:

• Icee (France)
• Jimmy Yudat (France)
• Salomon (France)

DEEJAYS:

• Leroy Rey (Netherlands)
• Yugson Hawks (France)

HOSTS:

• John Agesilas (Netherlands)
• JNM the Naked MC (Netherlands)
• Lamine (France)

REGISTRATION:

• At the spot on Friday, 25 August 2023
• Registration & Doors: 12:30 o'clock
• Start Preselection: 16:00 o'clock
• Minimum age for participation is 12 years

HOUSE DANCE FOREVER

PRESELECTION: FRIDAY, 25 AUGUST 2023
MAIN EVENT: SATURDAY, 26 AUGUST 2023
House Dance Forever is a dance competition at the international festival Summer Dance Forever where the Top 24 best dancers in the world battle against each other in the style of House. Whoever wants to win this battle will have to defeat the three judges. This is what sets Summer Dance Forever apart from all other dance battles around the world. At other events the judges give their judgment from a comfortable distance behind a desk, but at Summer Dance Forever nobody is safe! The judges are always big international names, but even then judges don’t always win. The winner will achieve everlasting glory, win prize money and get to judge at a next event.

JUDGES:

• Kwame (France)
• Clara (UK)
• Kyle Clark (USA)

DEEJAYS:

• Leroy Rey (Netherlands)
• Yugson Hawks (France)

HOSTS:

• John Agesilas (Netherlands)
• JNM the Naked MC (Netherlands)

REGISTRATION:

• At the spot on Friday, 25 August 2023
• Registration & Doors: 12:30 o'clock
• Start Preselection: 16:00 o'clock
• Minimum age for participation is 12 years