Take it to street

Hip-hop street dancing goes viral among Chinese college students who tap into it fully as a way to sweat and try out their ideas.

The first national touring competition of hip-hop dance kicked off on June 3 and will run through December, Xia has announced in his role as deputy-director of the China Hip-Hop Union Committee. That was founded by the Chinese Dancers Association in 2013.

The competition will see group and singles sections of each style under hip-hop dance.

"In the following six months, more than 300,000 competitors from 300 cities across the country will participate in the event," says Xia.

He also notes that teaching materials about hip-hop dance have been published by China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing House in 2015, which enables the dance style to be formal and systemic.

"There's now a vibrant and fast-developing street dancing scene in China," Xia adds. "Like any contemporary art form, street dancing is about using art as a platform to have our voices heard."

As the dance form is becoming more popular, Xia says he hopes awareness grows.