2013 World Hip Hop Dance Championship | Orleans Arena | August 11, 2013

Many people think of hip-hop as an American dance form, but only one U.S. team made it into the finals of the 2013 World Hip Hop Dance Championship on Sunday night. Japan had far more representation, with eight teams competing, along with crews from New Zealand, Canada and Malaysia, among other places. The Malaysian crew was clearly a crowd favorite but finished third. Watching them, I thought their routine was great, but perhaps not hip-hoppy enough. Which raises the question, when is it hip-hop and when is it just great dance? In the end, Canada was the big winner this year, with a record three first-place finishes in four categories. Perhaps the U.S. teams could take some pointers from our neighbors to the north