Street dance: Hip hop has lured many young Vietnamese people in recent decades. The One Love contest wil find the best dancers for the Just for Laughs Battle event in Canada this July. — VNS File Photo

HA NOI — A Vietnamese version of Singapore's Floor the Love hip-hop dance contest will kick off at 2pm this Sunday in Ha Noi.

Entitled One Love, the contest is being organised by the noted Ha Noi-based hip-hop crew Big Toe and the Audio Visual Global (AVG).

Highlights of the competition will subsequently be broadcast on AVG television over ten 15-minute episodes, with later re-broadcast on 30 other local television channels throughout the country. The episodes will include instructions of the dance moves.

Dancer Nguyen Viet Thanh, head of the Big Toe group, hoped the contest would gather hip-hop lovers throughout the nation, including foreign dancers. Though the final list of contestants has not been announced, around 100 dancers have registered so far, many of whom were domestic professional dancers, he said. Many others were from neighbouring countries.

Noted dancers including Rachel, Chunky, Silver Monkey, Black Frog and C-Floor, will be serving on the judging panel.

"I think Viet Nam has many talented dancers, but they only lack the opportunities to compete at international events," Thanh said. "I joined this contest not seeking prizes, but to try to spread the message that hip-hop is an artform without borders."

He said he hoped he could help younger dancers master the skills and techniques to better stage the dances.

The final winner will win a holiday in Canada and ticket to the Just for Laughs Battle in Canada in July, where Thanh himself will be serving on the judging panel.

On Saturday, a workshop on Popping and Locking by Rachel and Chunky will be held for interested fans. — VNS