CityLife

F.R.E.S.H

SuBo may have stolen the global headlines thanks to her warbling exploits on Britain's Got Talent this spring, but the reality is, pop along to any Sunday church service and you'll more than likely stumble across a sweet-voiced spinister giving How Great Thou Art a good airing.

No, the real stars as the voting public thankfully agreed, of the last series of the ITV talent marathon were the breakdance crews - Flawless (who dexterity and originality should have seen them crowned champions) and the actual winners, Diversity.

Building on the success of our very own George Sampson's exploits last year, it has - despite all the toe-curling platitudes of Cowell and Morgan (please don't get CityLife started on the validity of the soul shattering Holden's role in proceedings) - pushed the art form firmly back in the spotlight.

So before the largely mediocre BGT bandwagon rolls into town on Sunday, it feels apt to see what's currently on offer under the radar locally too.

Back after a one-year break, F.R.E.S.H (Feel Real Energy Stop Hurting) took over every nook and cranny of the Contact Theatre for a largely exhilirating night of entertainment.

From DJs dropping funk-driven slices of hip-hop in the foyer to dancers loosening limps with spontaneous flips and swivels in the bar, it felt like the sort of youth club Carlsberg would be willing to sponsor.

Style Crax

It was once the sell-out and impressively mixed (pre-school kids to spritely parents) crowd were seated though that the real action got underway with German collective Style Crax proving early favourites.

Easily winning their battle royale with ebullient Freestyle Turkish Crew, their innovative, freeform routines were, at times, truly breathtaking.

While in the two-on-twos, a young whipper snapper by the name of Kid Tyler laid down an impressive marker and deserved to go through to the final.

He couldn't have been more than about nine yet back-flipped and generally postured with the sort of bravado and chutzpah numerous other dancers present could only dream of.

The three judges did get the overall decision of who to put through to the grand final right though.

Taking place either side of two live PAs, the first came from Penultimate and was just highly comical - a pre-pubescent teenager imploring us to join as he squeekily bellowed 'every day, the same old sh*t'. So young, yet so cynical!

The second was a hip-hop collective called Educate, which despite showing admirable confidence and slick R'n'B rhythms, possessed no semblence of originality.

So with the stage set the Getlo Pirates went head-to-head with Afro Diz and Chuck.

Both duos oozed the requisite cocksure arrogance, humour and sheer athletism, but the Pirates were simply run aground by Afro Diz's sparkling flips, body lifts and standing summersaults - a future star in the making surely.

One just hopes some of the dancers on show here can make it without Mr Cowell and Co's palms being greased further - real talent deserves to shine through on its own.

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