A WEEKEND of dance battles and workshops draws in participants from all over the country.

The tenth instalment of Street Jam, a dance competition hosted by Dance For All studios in Boscombe, proved to be a massive success in drawing in large numbers and new participants.

Participants competed in a range of dance styles including breaking, poppin’, hip hop and house in under 10, under 16 and over 16 categories. The audience were also treated to showcases from special guest judges Kieran Lai, Bly Richardson, Kieran aka King K, B-Boy Decὀ and B-Girls Terra and Eddie and well as local dance group DFA crew.

Stella Marvis, founder of DFA studios, said: “Its been really good, we’ve a lot of amazing people competing with different styles.

“We’ve had people come from Wales, the Midlands, London and Essex which is amazing.

“There’s been a really friendly vibe all weekend. We’ve had a lot of families come along to watch and there’ve been different crews showcasing their talents.

Sisters B-Girl Eddie and Terra, members of dance crew Soul Mavericks, are well decorated, having won European and world championships between them, and internationally known in the breaking sphere, travelling around the world to compete and showcase their talents.

Having become YouTube sensations at a very young age, they thank events for helping to learn new skills and promote the sport.

B-Girl Eddie said: “Its great that we can support Stella and the dance studio. We used to compete here a few years ago and we have won competitions here. Now we’ve been invited back to judge which is great.

“Events like this are great for beginner who want to get into breaking. Without events like this, we wouldn’t be as popular as we are.

In addition to the competition on Sunday, the dance school also hosted a range of dance workshops and showcases on the Saturday, as well as graffiti art, DJing and rapping.

Lashon Carmichael-Richardson, a member of Swag Out Revolutionz dance crew from Reading who competed on Sunday, said: “Street dance is an art form, must as much as painting and music.

“By coming to these workshops, you learn from the right people in the right way. It’s a good opportunity to gain more knowledge and improve your skills.”