Rhythmic beats echoed through the Tunis Opera Theatre stage as dancers faced off at the first-ever edition in the Arab world of a street dance tournament originating in Paris.
This year’s Juste Debout is hosted in eight cities including London, New York, Beijing and Tokyo, as well as the Tunisian capital.
Bruce Ykanji, a French-Cameroonian dancer who founded the competition in 2002, said over 300 young Tunisians turned up to showcase their skills over the weekend.
“This leg of the tournament is very important, because it is a first for the country and the region,” Ykanji told AFP as he was setting the stage for the meet.
“We’ve had over 300 incredible… dancers,” he added. “The winners will represent Tunisia in Paris on March 2 before 17,000 spectators.”
Juste Debout, translating to “just standing” from French, has taken place in several countries each year, with up to 160 finalists making the cut for the Accor Arena (formerly known as Bercy Arena) in the French capital.
“It’s a global event,” Ykanji said. “We go to Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Europe and find the world’s best dancers.”
TunisianMonitorOnline (NejiMed)
