A good few months before the London MCM Expo, eMagi heard about an event in London that we previously were unaware that was taking place. Here on eMagi we like to know more about Japanese related events here in the UK and so got in contact with the organisers Ivan and Max, directly. Asking about what Roppongi Street is about they kindly issued us this statement below.
On the 25th of October 2008, the second edition of Roppongi Street managed to assemble para dancers and Eurobeat enthusiasts from around Europe and the UK.
Para Para is a Japanese club dance. Each song has a separate routine to it; these routines are usually learnt from videos that you can buy and also in clubs in Japan from watching other people who know the routines already. Para Para is a really fun dance, which is easy to pick-up but really difficult to master. Although trust us when we say it’s oh so much fun, especially when you’re dancing together with friends.
Para Para is usually about hand and arm movement with the legs usually stepping from right to left but there are many combinations and different possibilities when you are learning different routines.
The music that is used for Para Para is called Eurobeat. It could be described as some sort of Techno Pop with lots of synth. It is made mainly in Italy but only sold in Japan as other markets aren’t keen (but all this is hopefully about to change). The singers usually use simple lyrics and often sing in heavily accented English, but that is also why it is so fun. Fans of the anime Initial D will no doubt be familiar with this type of music and the godfather of Eurobeat Dave Rodgers who sang the anthem Space boy.
Roppongi Street is the only Para Para club night outside Japan that gives you an authentic feel of the Para clubs in Japan. The dancers all dance the same routine in a circle and you don’t have to know the routine by heart as often you just need to copy other dancers.
Because of the niche interest in Para Para and Eurobeat, the participants came from all over the UK and Europe. The night included special Para performances from local teams such as Para UK and the UK’s first Gal circle Hibiscgyaru. International teams also performed and we had the great honour of receiving Para Connection from Sweden and Finparanoids from Finland who dazzled the audience with their choreographed routines.
The second volume of Roppongi Street was a real success with over 80 attendees. The night catered for all Para dancers whether beginners or pros and the night also included a small J-Rock and J-Pop set to allow the Para dancers some rest and satisfy all those interested in Japanese music. The next event will probably be in February and we are expecting the world of Para to grow in the future.
eMagi hopes to attend one of these events in the future to show our support to such events as it looks like it provides a unique night out. We would also like to thanks Ivan and Max for their co-operation and hopefully we will be hearing more from them in the future!
If you are interested in finding out more about Roppingi Street then you can find more on their website and via email. Please say hello from us too! If you attended Roppongi Street this year, what did you think about it? As we would love to hear from any participants or indeed those thinking about attending in February.
Web: www.roppongistreet.com
Email: roppongistreet@club-fever.co.uk
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