Reality show pushes street dance into the mainstream

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From "Do you have freestyle?" to "Do you have the moves?" ... After the huge success of reality show "The Rap of China", there's a new kid on the block – and he's just as popular.

"Street Dance of China” is the country's first-ever reality show that centers on street dancing.

The show features four celebrity “team leaders” – Yi Yangqianxi, a member from the famous boy band TFboys; singers and actors Huang Zitao, Han Geng, and Taiwan Chinese singer Show Lo. Similar to reality show "The Voice" each of them selects dancers from 390 contestants to join their teams, which will then compete against one another.

Since its debut on Chinese online video platform Youku in February, the show has already gained over 1.3 billion views and has received tonnes of positive reviews.

Competitors of “Street Dance of China”. /CGTN Photo

Many of the contestants have shot to stardom as a result of appearing on the show. Han Yu is one of them. The 29-year-old Wuhan native took home the championship title after a 22-round battle in the season finale.

"I'm here today with Han Yu at DanceBank Dance Studio in Beijing. Ever since his successful debut on Street Dance of China, the number of his followers on Chinese social media Weibo has skyrocketed from 50,000 to half a million. And he's also a dance teacher. We gotta take advantage of that, so today he's gonna show me some of his winning moves,” Jennifer Hsiung said.

Having been practicing street dance for 15 years, Han says he’s excited to see that it's getting more exposure these days.

"Street dance was actually introduced to China over three decades ago, and there are many street dance competitions, but none of them has been as influential as “Street Dance of China”. This show has helped this form of dance spread very quickly in China,” Han said.

On top of showcasing the different styles within street dance, such as breaking, popping, locking, and krumping, "Street Dance of China" also brings out the core values of hip-hop culture in China, which are peace, love, and respect.

Competitors of “Street Dance of China”. /CGTN Photo‍

"Peace, love and respect, these are the values we want to express through this show. These are also the values shared by the younger generation today. I think this is the reason why “Street Dance of China” has gained so much popularity – especially among the youth,” says Lu Wei, director of “Street Dance of China”.

“We think street dancing is full of positive energy and full of creativity. Turning the art form into a reality show is a very meaningful move because it’s a show that makes people want to stand up and move their bodies to the music,” says Yang Zhen, senior vice president of Alibaba’s culture and entertainment group.

Because the show has been so well-received in China, Youku will soon distribute it throughout other Southeast Asian countries.

Season two of "Street Dance of China" is scheduled to be released in the 4th quarter of this year.