Even as the lights go out in the SEC, the runners finally turn off their radios, and the Worlds stages begin to be taken down, it’s still impossible to forget the buzz and excitement of the weekend. Over 10,000 people descended on the Scottish Event Campus, bringing with them an enthusiasm and drive unparalleled by any other street dance event.
For the first time, viewers across the World could watch the event, as selected performances were live streamed by the fantastic QTV Sports. Videographers from NinetyOne Films captured unmissable moments, and international dancers and judges gave interviews about their journey to the world’s biggest street dance competition. It was a whirlwind of an event, and every dancer gave their all.
We have so many people to thank, and not enough time to do so. Of course, the World Street Dance Championships 2018 would not be possible without the continued support of our dancers, dance schools, dance parents, and supporters. We know how hard you all work to bring a routine to life; the hours in the studio, the prep time, the costumes, the traveling to comp, the late nights, the early mornings.
We also know that to those outside of the dance world, it all seems a little mad - “all of that work, for 5 minutes on the floor?” – but the benefits of competing at a street dance competition last a lifetime. Passion is a hard concept to explain to those who do not have it, and it is passion for dance that fuels the World Championships. It’s what pushes competitors to travel hundreds, even thousands of miles to compete; it’s what unites our international judging panel; it’s what motivates our DJs and MCs. On the stage, it doesn’t matter where a dancer is from, who they are, or what they believe in, because everyone is judged as an equal.
So, we would like to say thank you to everyone who took part. Firstly, to SEC and People Make Glasgow, yet again, for your unwavering support and hard work. NinetyOne Films and QTV, thank you for bringing this event to the next level. To the dancers; thank you for sharing your talent with us, and for making our judges decisions so difficult. To the parents; thank you for supporting your child, their team, and their dance school. To the dance teachers; thank you for inspiring your students. It has been an absolute pleasure creating this event with you all in mind.
And to our staff, volunteers, judges, MCs…what can we say. The team this year pulled off yet another incredible dance competition, and we are so proud of every UDO team member.
For now, it’s goodbye to Glasgow. We’ll see you all at Blackpool next year for Worlds 2019, and for British, French, and German teams, we’ll be seeing you at the Six Nations Championships coming this November. We hope you all loved Worlds as much as we did, and we can’t wait to see you at the next international championships.
Author: Hannah Evans. Hannah would like to thank every member of the UDO team for making her first Worlds such an unforgettable event.