All young Hip Hop and Reggae dancers are being invited to audition for a Serve It Up dance competition.

The auditions are for groups of four and all young people between the ages of 12 and 19 are invited to try out at the Berkeley Institute tomorrow between noon and 4 p.m.

Serve It Up is being put on by JRoc Communications and Maximum Image Entertainment. JRoc hosts ThaUnderground.net website and awards.

Jonathan (JT) Talbot told The Royal Gazette those successful in the auditions will take part in a dance competition set to take place on April 14.

“I thought I would bring Serve It Up to the table because it would offer another aspect of entertainment artistry in Bermuda,” Mr. Talbot said. “As opposed to having just singers and rappers.

“With the success of movies like ‘You Got Served’, ‘Step Up’ and more recently ‘Stomp the Yard’, it just focuses the energy that young people have and allows them to express it through dance and creativity.

“Another thing, which is important, is that it is a form of exercise, because a lot of these kids don’t do anything. This will also bring back the competitive edge in young people. With the high schools merging, the sports and competition have dropped a bit.”

Mr. Talbot said young people are yearning for activities like this, as it is what they see on the television.

“By bringing it to Bermuda, they see that they can be a part of it,” he added.

Although this is a local event, there will be at least one overseas guest at the April event, as Mr. Talbot has teamed up with Culture Shock and Atlanta Dance Troupe.

“I was fortunate enough to meet up with Kevin Maddox, who runs schools in Atlanta, New York and the UK and other parts of the States,” he said.

“He got wind of what I was doing in Bermuda and was very intrigued by it and wanted to be involved. So, if we get sponsorship, we can bring in at least ten dancers so that we can do a dance presentation at the event (on April 14).

“If we can’t afford it, then he will come in as a celebrity judge.

“Mr. Maddox has also offered for the winners to attend his dance school over the summer...That will give the dance group a bit more exposure. Some of his dancers have danced behind Janet Jackson and other top artists.”

Mr. Talbot hopes a lot of teens will come out and audition.

“It will be like crew against crew, as opposed to individual against individual,” he said.

At the April event, Tha Underground artists will also be performing and Mr. Talbot hopes to include a fashion show as well.

“We are aiming to keep it high energy and packed event,” Mr. Talbot said. “We are trying to bring out a high quality event to keep the young people motivated.”

[box] To enter a four member crew, which can be males or females or both, e-mail info[AT]thaunderground.net, visit www.thaunderground.net, or (735-7625. Group registration is $25.