Shawn Conner lists five reasons to check out Vancouver Street Dance Festival 2018

1. It’s the biggest outdoor street-dance event in Canada.

Now in its seventh year, the Vancouver Street Dance Festival spotlights the underground culture of street dance — dance styles born on the street such as hip-hop, breaking, locking, popping, waacking, and house. Vancouver’s street dance festival is the culmination of a two-decades-old tradition of break-dancers practicing (in warmer months) on the empty ice-rink under Robson Street.

2. Battles.

The Aug. 4 dance-off features hundreds of dancers from all over the Lower Mainland and even some out-of-towners in competition. The all-ages event includes a kids-only battle with students from studios across B.C.

3. Competitors and performers.

Dance crews at this year’s festival include Robson 800, an all-style street dance group that changes its roster every year by including visitors to the city with local dancers, and The Flooridians (from Florida, natch). The latter is an award-winning crew which has competed with Team USA Hip Hop in the KOD (Keep on Dancing) 2016 World Cup.

4. Live music and special guest DJs.

The latter include Vancouver’s DJ Bles-sed and Philadelphia’s Skeme Richards.

5. Workshops.

If you’re feeling inspired after the Saturday battles, you can bone up on your waacking moves (a style of street dance focusing on arm movements) and more at workshops Aug. 5 at Harbour Dance Centre. This year’s judges, including Florida’s Keebz, Montreal’s Pax, Calgary’s Lady C, and Vancouver’s Kim Sato, oversee the workshops. “The main focus of the festival is to educate the public on the different styles of street dance, and share the history of street dance — and, if it’s something they’re interested in, show them how they can get involved with the community,” says Karly Thompson, a coordinator with VSDF. ($25/class or three for $65)