Street meets studio at hip hop dance mashup in Westbrook

Hundreds of hip hop dance fans turned out to watch dozens of dancers showcase their best hip hop moves Saturday at the Avant Dance Center in Westbrook.

The show, called The Exchange, was conceived to bring street and studio hip hop styles into one venue.

“Dance studio students didn’t know what hip hop culture was so the event creates a place where both styles could . . . be experienced by all,” said Elizabeth Lau, outreach director for Portland Youth Dance, which co-sponsored the event.

The event was also a fundraiser for the Phunk Phenomenon’s Hip Hop for Hope, an organization that raises awareness of Sanfilippo Syndrome, a rare genetic disease that prevents the  body from metabolizing sugars properly.  The current life expectancy for people with the disease is only 10 to 20 years.

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