Mosman Hip Hop Crew torch competition to win Gold at National Championships.

By JACK KELLY

A Mosman hip-hop crew has popped and locked its way to a gold medal after scoring a national title along-side Australia’s best dancers.

The group of teenagers, from Dance First Academy, took top honours in their category at the Showcase National Championships held in January.

Dance School Manager Annika Poeszus said the troupe trained for almost 12 months to perfect the five-minute performance, which sent a packed Gold Coast auditorium “absolutely wild”.

“Grabbing a Gold in their category is testament to the hard work of the girls, who work together as a team week in, week out,” she said.

“Dance is a very competitive sport, and it takes, blood, sweat and team work to win, we are all so proud of what they’ve achieved.”

Dance First also placed in all seven routines entered at the Nationals.

“We were competing against other studios from all around Australia, and we had girls dancing in several categories including jazz, lyrical and ballet.

Mosman’s Hip Hop champs are already rehearsing ahead of selection for the 2025 event, with a back-to-back win on the cards.

“My next goal for the girls is to expose them to stronger levels of hip-hop choreography, and they’re really ready for a challenge,” Ms Poeszus said.

WATCH: Mosman Hip Hop crew take out Gold at National Championships

Students Alex and Elleke told Mosman Collective they are looking forward to a challenging year.

“We are now learning our new routines for this season, and also working towards nationals again,” Alex said.

“It takes discipline and commitment to dance at this level, but when you work hard the rewards can be great.”

“We obviously want to win as a group, and we’re also hoping there might be some new local talent out there who wants to join,” Elleke added.

The girls explained that DFA not only provided them with lifelong friendships and bonds, but also equipped them with skill sets that can be used in all aspects of life.

“Dancing has made me more confident in all aspects of my life,” Elleke said.

“Being part of DFA has given me courage to just go for it and not to be embarrassed, so now I feel like I’m a different person.”

“Hip Hop dancing means stepping out of your comfort zone – and it is such a good feeling when you are on stage,” Alex said.

The championship group spends up to eight hours training each week.

“The long hours have made us all very close as a group and we have a special bond,” Elleke said, “it all just clicked for us and our respect for each other definitely helped us win gold.”

Local kids interested in joining Dance First Australia will find the studio inside Fitness First on Vista St.

No prior experience is needed.

There are also Mini and Junior classes available for Kindergarten-Year 6 focused on developing confidence, coordination, creativity and fun.

For more information, you can visit the DFA website or their Facebook page.