What a great night at the Hartlepool School Hip Hop Championships

Hartlepool was buzzing as the town's rising hip hop stars showed off their finest moves.
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What a night it was as hundreds of people packed into the Borough Hall for the third annual town Schools Hip Hop Championships.

And it was such a huge success, the competition may be expanded next year, said Zac Healey who coached this year’s contestants.

Manor School celebrate their win at the Hartlepool Schools Hip Hop Dance Championships.Manor School celebrate their win at the Hartlepool Schools Hip Hop Dance Championships.
Manor School celebrate their win at the Hartlepool Schools Hip Hop Dance Championships.
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Hip hop crews from Manor Community Academy, Dyke House Sports and Technology College, Catcote Academy, High Tunstall College of Science, and English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College all signed up for the challenge.

Each put on a fantastic performance for the huge audience.

But it was Manor’s MCA Illusions crew which won the contest with the English Martyrs Ignite team as runners-up in the competition which had been organised by the Hartlepool Borough Council Sport and Physical Activity Team.

Zac, the man who has choreographed Hartlepool’s Ruff Diamond crew to television and international competition success, said: “It was a fantastic event and it keeps getting better every year. It has grown each time.

Manor School at the Hartlepool Schools Hip Hop Dance Championships.Manor School at the Hartlepool Schools Hip Hop Dance Championships.
Manor School at the Hartlepool Schools Hip Hop Dance Championships.

“This is the first time we have opened it up on an evening for parents. It was during school time before.

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“There was a big crowd with parents and friends coming to watch as well as people who just turned up to support the event.”

The standard of competition was really high and there was also a guest performance from the Ruff Diamond Academy, made up of the elite of Zac’s academy.

Zac said the competition looked certain to return again next year.

Catcote Academy performing at the hip hop championships.Catcote Academy performing at the hip hop championships.
Catcote Academy performing at the hip hop championships.

“Everyone was buzzing at the end and the crews were all saying they wanted to do it again next year.”

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There are hopes that the contest could be expanded in 2019 to include crews from further afield, possibly from County Durham and the wider Tees Valley area.

“It is definitely going to be an annual thing,” said Zac. “The kids loved it and the Borough Hall is a fantastic venue for this kind of thing.”

Each school was represented by one team in the competition, and Zac said he was impressed by the dedication of the youngsters he has coached for this year’s competition.