All-girl youth crew to represent Hong Kong at World of Dance finals in the US
- Yooki Crew, consisting of 13 members aged 10 to 14, won first place in the Junior Team Division at this year’s World of Dance Hong Kong thanks to strong moves and energy
- Squad will head to Los Angeles this summer to compete against the world’s best junior teams
Yooki Crew performs during the 2024 World of Dance Hong Kong competition at Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai on March 9, 2024. Photo: Yik Yeung-manWhen the emcee of the World of Dance Hong Kong (WODHK) announced that Yooki Crew had won first place in the Junior Team Division, many of the team members burst into tears and embraced each other.
As thousands of onlookers clapped and cheered them on, the 13 dancers on the all-girl team, aged 10 to 14 years old, ran to the stage to accept their prize at Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai on March 9.
Not only did the win come with a trophy and HK$10,000, but the young dancers also qualified for the World of Dance Finals in Los Angeles, where they will compete against the world’s best junior teams. The team plans to use the prize money to help fund the overseas trip.
Yooki Crew’s winning set showcased strong hip-hop moves, contrasting with their youthful energy and costumes, which looked like school uniforms. After practising from three to ten hours each week for months, their powerful, energetic and dynamic set led them to outperform the three other junior teams.
Even with a stellar three-minute set, the girls admitted they were very worried about their performance.
“I was very nervous at the beginning, but after the show was over, I felt better,” Amber Lai, 10, told Young Post.
Teammate Charissa Ng said that her nerves subsided once she got on stage. “After dancing for a while, I [began to] feel more relaxed and [was] enjoying the music.”
The team, founded in 2016, comprises the best dancers from Neverland Kids Academy, a youth dance programme at Neverland Dance House in Kwun Tong, where kids can learn dance disciplines including hip-hop, waacking, popping, jazz funk and K-pop. The team won second place in WODHK’s junior division in 2019 and 2023.
Despite their winning track record and strong performance, their nerves stuck around until the results were announced. Only two teams remained: Yooki Crew and GnB, another all-girl squad.
With only first and fourth place remaining, the team said: “[We] thought we were going to be last place.” But the girls were “shocked and happy” to learn they won the top prize.
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“[Our] goal was to let everybody know who our team is and let them know that we are good at dancing,” Ng said.
The crew will head to the US this summer for the finals, which take place from July 27 to August 1. The International Junior Team Division round kicks off on July 29, and if Yooki Crew finishes in the top 10, they will move on to the final round, which takes place the next day.
But for now, it is time for the team to relish its win – the girls enthusiastically said they intend to celebrate with food – and work hard before the finals as they prepare to represent Hong Kong on an international stage.