Hip-hop dance teachers express anger at possible new requirements

Hip-hop dance teachers express anger at possible new requirements- Hip-hop dance teachers in France are up in arms over a possible bill which is today Thursday 7th March, being debated by the French parliament. The new measure aims to impose a state diploma on the teaching of all dances. The move according to hip-hop teachers would “end the freedom and identity of the dance and culture”. The bill comes just over four months ahead of the Paris Olympic Games, where break dancing will make its first appearance. If the text is adopted, all dance teachers in France will have to have obtained a state diploma, similar as for those who teach classical, contemporary, and modern jazz dances. Failure to respect this could lead to a 15,000 euros fine. The new measure would also affect flamenco to traditional Breton dance technics. For Brigitte Auligine, creator of the Cré-scène 13 dance school in Marseille, this proposed law risks “killing hip-hop and goes completely against everything it stands for”.  Launched on October 25th last year on the change.org website, a petition “No to the state diploma for the teaching of popular dances” collected almost 12,000 signatures.