Fankick vs. Streetbeat

Seattle's a quirky town. Case in point: the fact that a dance battle between two groups, Fankick and Streetbeat, was demanded by the public as a way to settle who's best.

Fankick: A "dynamic 80s duo" comprised of two women dressing up 80s style and dancing some 80s dances.

Streetbeat: An 80s duo comprised of two men dressing up 80s style and dancing some 80s dances.

When word got out that there were two competing 80s dance duos in the city, the people would not have it. Case in point: a letter to the editor on April 7 under "The Original '80s". One of our local weeklies, The Stranger, decided to serve up a challenge to both groups: a dance-off! A week later, both groups had contacted The Stranger and were working out terms.

A week after that, the terms were settled: on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at 7:30 PM at the Westlake Park downtown, the two groups would compete in a head-to-head dance competition.

The results? Well, you can watch them yourself in this 5-minute video, courtesy of Joe Wiscomb. Or, you can interpret the results from the latest cover of The Stranger:



I find it funny that our city can get good-naturedly worked up over this kind of stuff. I think it's great, though. It points to the fact we can enjoy ourselves and be silly. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

If you want a more complete backstory with more letters to the editor, check out this forum post.