What is it?
Cypher On The Floor, an event funded by Model City, was designed to bring young people within the Thames Ward area and wider community together through the art of dance! Despite the limitations surrounding the pandemic, Cypher On The Floor maintained the importance of providing a platform where young people could still partake in physical activity and improve their mental well being.
The Impact
Two events were successfully completed online (via zoom) due to the lockdown restrictions, with a hugely encouraging 34 young people present! They competed in groups of two, four and six, across two categories – choreography and freestyle.
Round 1
The choreography round: dancers were invited to perform a routine set by the choreographer and perform to the best of their ability. Judges were given scorecards to mark the participants. The participants with the lowest score was knocked out.
Round 2
The freestyle round: dancers were invited to perform their best freestyle routine to a random piece of music chosen by the DJ (Josiah aka The King’s Decree). Judges scored accordingly and decided the winning places for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
It was really nice to be able to do something fun other than zoom for school. It was really good seeing everyone again it's been soo long.
There were 23 winners in total over the two dates, including extra prizes that were awarded for participation. The prizes received were vouchers from JD, One4All, and Amazon. These ranged from £20 to £60. The young people were also surprised with an encouraging message from rapper Nadia Rose. They could hardly contain their excitement!
So after months of planning, and a few setbacks along the way due to Covid, it’s finally happened. It was great to provide an outlet for young people who love dance, especially during this difficult period. It's amazing watching their expression and confidence shining through even if it's through a screen on zoom. This has given me more encouragement to see this idea grow further. I know if we did this event in person it would have great success. This is just the beginning.
How to get involved?
If you are interested in getting involved in future dance events, sign up by completing the form below.