Nowon-gu to hold 'Dancing Nowon' on 28-29th at 555m section from KB Kookmin Bank (Lotte Department Store) intersection to Nowon Full Gospel Church near Nowon Station... Gwangjin-gu to host '1st Hip Hop Breaking Festival' on 28th at Children's Grand Park open stage, followed by Dongjak-gu's '1st Dongjak Dancing Day Festival' on October 3rd at 3 PM at Noryangjin Soccer Stadium
Seoul is buzzing.
This is because various festivals by Seoul’s autonomous districts are taking place, along with dancing parades.
The dance festival trend was first sparked by Dongdaemun-gu during the 5th elected local government term.
Since then, dance competitions have been held to provide a venue for residents’ health and harmony, creating a boom.
However, the most proactive district is Nowon-gu.
Nowon-gu Dance Festival 'Dancing Nowon'... Establishes Itself as Seoul’s Representative Dancing Festival
Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) introduced three representative festivals to enliven Nowon this fall: ▲Dancing Nowon ▲Gyeongchun Line Forest Autumn Concert ▲Moonlight Walk, with Dancing Nowon concluding in a spectacular finale.
The 'Dancing Nowon' event, which blocks off a wide 7-lane road for dance, music, and parade, is the first to welcome residents.
At last year’s inaugural event, about 120,000 residents participated. For this year’s competition preparation, ‘Poppin Hyun-jun,’ a living legend of Korean hip-hop dance, was appointed as dance director and ambassador early on, preparing high-quality content.
On the 28th and 29th, along a 555m stretch from the KB Kookmin Bank (Lotte Department Store) intersection near Nowon Station to in front of Nowon Full Gospel Church, nonstop entertainment was offered.
The highlight ‘parade’ featured about 75 teams competing for a total prize of 60 million KRW. The parade showcased diverse genres including hip-hop and marching bands.
At the Dancing Theme Zone, visitors enjoyed stage performances such as the K-pop Dancing Festa, national B-boy dance battles, and all-genre performance competitions, while nearby healing rest areas offered a variety of foods including Nowon’s signature craft beer.
Following this, celebratory performances by HOOK, 1MILLION, Poppin Hyun-jun & Park Ae-ri, Dynamic Duo, Jinjo Crew, and an EDM DJ show created a festive atmosphere where all age groups expressed their excitement through music and movement.
Gwangjin-gu Hosts the 1st Hip-hop Breaking Festival
Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) held the ‘1st Hip-hop Breaking Festival’ on the 28th at the open stage in Children’s Grand Park.
Hip-hop breaking, which has recently become popular among young people, has been selected as an official sport for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics, attracting high global sports fan interest.
In response, the district linked the festival with the ‘2024 Youth Road’ event starting on the 26th, creating a festival venue with local youth.
The festival ran from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM, featuring multiple hip-hop crews performing dance battles, street dance, b-boying, DJing, and other diverse performances.
Additionally, before the main festival, from 11:00 AM, university club performances and promotional booths were operated as participatory programs for both youth and local residents, enhancing the festive atmosphere.
Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “In line with the popularity of hip-hop breaking, we prepared a festival where various age groups can come together. We hope many residents visit to feel the passion of youth and create joyful memories with family and neighbors.”
Dongjak-gu to Host the 1st Dongjak Dancing Day Festival on October 3
Dongjak-gu (Mayor Park Il-ha) will hold the ‘1st Dongjak Dancing Day Festival’ on October 3 at 3 PM at Noryangjin Football Stadium (688 Nodeul-ro).
This festival was planned to expand cultural enjoyment opportunities for residents by hosting a unique dance festival characteristic of Dongjak that all age groups can enjoy, and to build a dynamic district brand image.
The ‘Dongjak Dancing Day Festival (DDD)’ is directed by Choi Tae-gyu, a performance director who has successfully led various local representative festivals, with the motto of creating a festival where participants and spectators unite through dance.
Prior to the festival, the district recruited dance performance entries to showcase talent and skills on stage, selecting about 20 teams divided into two categories: ▲official entries and ▲open entries.
The festival will begin at 3 PM with a congratulatory performance by the Dongjak-gu Children and Youth Taekwondo Demonstration Team, followed by ‘Open Entry Dance Team Performances’ and ‘Random Play Dance’ stages selected through the August recruitment, and a special invited performance by ‘Romantic Punch.’
The opening ceremony at 6 PM will officially declare the festival open, featuring performances by the SSG Landers and Doosan Bears cheerleader teams and an EDM performance, launching a full-fledged celebration of dance and music.
Various genres including K-POP, street dance, belly dance, and Korean traditional dance will be showcased by the ‘Official Entry Dance Teams,’ followed by an exciting stage by the rock band ‘Crying Nut,’ heating up the festival atmosphere.
Finally, the festival will conclude with a spectacular ‘DJ JINI EDM DJing Show’ on the special stage and lawn plaza at Noryangjin Football Stadium.
Additionally, various experience booths offering artistic activities such as doorbell and leather keyring making, flea markets, and food zones will be held to add more enjoyment.
Notably, a raffle event with prizes worth a total of 10 million KRW, including gold, electronics, and gift certificates, will be conducted during the event to provide extra fun.
Residents wishing to participate can visit Noryangjin Football Stadium on the day of the event without prior registration. For more details, inquiries can be made to the Dongjak Cultural Foundation.
Park Il-ha, Mayor of Dongjak-gu, said, “We ask for much interest and participation in the first Dongjak Dancing Day Festival, which will be filled with passion and talent for dance under the clear autumn sky. We will continue to actively discover differentiated cultural and artistic content to create a vibrant Dongjak-gu.”
The dance festival is expected to play a sufficient role in recharging residents’ vitality through a platform where they can fully express their talent and passion.
A Seoul autonomous district official predicted, “As the enthusiasm for dance grows stronger, this type of dance parade is expected to increase gradually.”
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