Cape Be You Urban Festival set for June 29

Fingerprint Urban Dance Studio owner Micheal Curry is set to mix culture and hip-hop through the inaugural Cape Be You Urban Festival on June 29 in Cape Girardeau.

The celebration -- at 707 Broadway -- will incorporate the third installment of Battlez of Originality, urban dance showcases, skate competition, a hip-hop concert, water games and concessions. Admission is free.

Curry said he grew the concept from what first began as a dance battle with a "one-person crowd" in 2015.

Transitioning from Fingerprint Dance Community, On Cue Performing Arts Studio, Fingerprint Jr. and now Fingerprint Urban Dance Studio, Curry said he keeps momentum by realizing dancing is a positive way for children to grow. He said the event allows the students to be around role models "who love to do exactly like they do," all while teaching culture.

"We took the battle and we made it a festival for our kids," Curry said.

The main goal, he said, is to have the community be part of what is going on with the students.

Elliot, Soulja Tight Eyex, Gonzo, Leo Seasonz of Cape Girardeau; GYB of Paducah, Kentucky; Amir of Cape Girardeau; and Eraw of St. Louis are just some of the big names in the dance and hip-hop world coming to Cape Girardeau for the festival, according to Curry.

Several -- including Elliot -- attended the battle last year, he said. And some of Curry's students have appeared on artists' music videos, Curry said.

"Elliot was the winner of our battle last year, so we brought him back," he said. "The dance world is so small, we make friends everywhere we go. It's important to connect with those people."

Battlez of Originality Vol. 3 is an all-styles one-on-one battle for a trophy and $1,000. Judges will be Elliott, Robby Dominguez and Ray Middleton.

Curry's studio has traveled to Nashville, Atlanta, Oklahoma and St. Louis to participate in similar battles, "and the people know them," he said.

"Wherever the kids go, they get to meet people that they get to see on 'World of Dance,' they get to meet people they see on 'So You Think You Can Dance,'" he said. "Any of those shows, those dancers are there."

The showcases will make up one big performance, Curry said, including all of the students at Fingerprint Urban Dance Studio.

All choreography learned throughout the year at the studio is utilized during the performance, he said.

"A lot of these kids work hard, all day, to get where they are," he said. "It's just a celebration for them, and a celebration of Cape's urban dance community."

Curry aims to "plant a seed to where we grow into a tree," one day making Cape Girardeau "a dance mecca."

Funds from the event will benefit Fingerprint Urban Dance Studio.

More information and the festival schedule can be found online at the Fingerprint Urban Dance Studio Facebook page.

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