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Action Studio
Welcome to Animania Festival's Action Studio - the place to be for interactive games, dance classes and more!
The Action Studio will be an open space in the Festival hall that's all about joining in and having fun! Animania staff will be on deck to lead visitors through heaps of fun activities ranging from the generic to the absolutely absurd - giant twister, rolling catepillar races, Haruhi and Lucky Star dances - it's all here!
No matter what the game, you're sure to have a ball!
Current planned activities are outlined below.
- Anime Buzz
- Anime Charades
- Caterpillar Races!
- D2MG Hip Hop Academy Lessons
- Dancekool Open Lessons
- DIY Walking Tour
- Haruhi Suzumiya Dance Lessons
- Jan Ken Pon!
- Lucky Star Dance Lessons
- Newspaper Cosplay
- Para Para / Tech Para Para Lessons
- GIANT Twister!
Anime Buzz
Is your anime trivia knowledge up to scratch? Feel like putting it to the test? From different anime songs to characters to Initial-D license plates, come and show us how well you know your anime!
Anime Charades
We all know how to play charades – but do you know how to do it… anime style? The Action Studio team will challenge you to act out scenes or common anime phrases for your teams. Let’s see who will win!!
CATERPILLAR RACES!
Anime fans, start your.... engi-??? No no no, wait, that was last year! This year's a whole new game as we slow down the race to a snail's pace!
This activity is designed for those who love a bit of competition and don't mind spending a bit of energy to do it! Think of it as the good ol' egg-and-spoon race, meets potato sack rolling, meets giant cardboard! The Action Studio will clear to make room for a temporary "race track" but instead of souped up cars of mega speed, or even potato sacks, you'll have instead a cardboard caterpillar shell!
Let's see how fast you can worm, roll or bust out your way to the finish line!
D2MG Hip Hop Academy Lessons
Our special guests from D2MG will be taking visitors through their paces and showing them how to groove like they do!
Based in Sydney, Australia, D2MG is comprised of a Hip Hop Society based in the University of New South Wales and a Hip Hop Academy based at their City Studio. D2MG is part of a global Hip Hop movement that celebrates and encourages the spread of the Hip Hop culture. For more info on D2MG, click here.
D2MG's professional dancers will hold 3 x 1hr sessions per day throughout the Saturday and Sunday of Animania Festival, focusing on a different style each time.
If you're keen to learn how to break, pop, groove or just wanna watch some funky dance moves, then drop by the Action Studio!
ERICO - Teaching Soul Punking and Soul Locking
Erico is one of the only people in Australia that teachers the unique Japanese Soul styles of Soul Locking and Soul Punking. An enthusiastic and happy teacher whom is always willing to assist anyone with their dancing.
Style(s): Soul-Locking, Punking
JOJO - Teaching Break Dancing – (Bboying)
Jojo is in the Crew SKB, winners of Australian Bboy Championships 2007 and Looze Control 2008 (Sydney Finals). An incredibly skilled Bboy with a knack for being able to teach anyone how to contort their body into a baby freeze.
Style(s): Bboying
DANISKOOL - Teaching various types of Popping
Danis Kool is an encyclopaedia on Popping. He knows more history than any textbook can record and passes that on to anyone willing to listen. Danis is a well known and respected Popper through-out Sydney, if not most of Australia.
Style(s): Animation, Botting, Dimestops, King Tut, Popping, Strobing, Waving
DANCEKOOL OPEN LESSONS
Dancekool is the first and finest Street Dance Studio in Sydney and has been colaborating with Animania since 2006 to bring the love of dance together with the love of anime. Dancekool is full of anime and manga lovers, in fact we were the ones responsibile for the anime themed dance performances in past Animania's as well as having close relationships with SUAnime and the UTS anime society (including several past executives from both societies being students of Dancekool).
If you've ever been interested in learning dance in a fun easy environment with fellow anime, manga and video game lovers, visit the Dance Performance page for more info, check out their website www.dancekool.com or email jaye@dancekool.com.
You can also check out these 3 FREE anime themed dance workshops to be held at Animania Festival Weekend. These workshops will be led by instructors who really know their stuff and want to teach you how to move.
HIP HOP BEGINNERS WITH NAO
An easy introduction to hip hop dance moves with japanese dancer Naohisa Aikawa. Hip Hop is a fun and energetic style of dance similar to things you might have seen in mtv or jpop videos and utilizing music similar to Samurai Champloo and Afro Samurai.
Nao has been teaching hip hop dance for many years and was a featured choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance Australia with Nacho Pop.
Nao has won coutless hip hop competitions with his crew Nu Skool Club and is the Head Instructor of Dancekool Studios. Nao also performed during the 2006 dance showcase at Animania and is happy to bring his authentic japanese hip hop style of dance to you.
Favourite Animes: Naruto, Death Note
ANIME HIP HOP/JAZZ BEGINNERS WITH JAYE
A fun, energetic dance class using anime music and moves. Hip Hop/Jazz blends hip hop steps with smooth flowing movements danced to the music. This style is more similar to the Haruhi dance and uses more upbeat and poppy music.
Jaye has been teaching people how to dance for a while and choreographed the 2 anime themed dances performed during animania 2006 using music from Cowboy Bebop, Azumanga Daioh and Naruto and 2007 using music from Lucky Star, Chobits and Yakitate Japan. Jaye started dance by playing DDR and wants to help you to learn some dance moves so when the inevitable dance themed anime comes around, you will all be ready to represent.
Favourite Animes: One Piece, GTO
HOUSE BEGINNERS WITH LEO
A fast footwork style perfect for Heavy (or even Oni) DDR players
House is a dance of quick foot movements and cool grooving. If your good with you feet from DDR sessions or PUI marathons, this is the dance for you.
Leo is from Korea but has travelled and danced extensivley all over the world. Learning from the orginators of the style in New York, he brings an authentic and fun experience to all his classes. He's also a very cool, calm and altogether sexy man. As Korean Manhwa get's more popular, why not try something with a little bit of Korean style.
DIY ANIMANIA WALKING TOUR
When you get to Animania Festival and see how big it really is, do you find yourself not sure what to do or even where to start? 2008 is a big year for Animania Festival and with all the events going on it can get overwhelming!!
So this year, Animania Festival will be trying to make finding your way around all the stages, exhibits and activities a little easier with it's first ever DIY Walking Tour!
Pick up an Animania Festival Walking Tour Passport (included at the back of your Festival guide) and use its list to make sure you don't miss any part of the Festival!
The Passport also comes with its own challenge! Follow the path, get a stamp/sticker from each marked spot and see if you can score a prize from the lucky dip!! (While stocks last.)
HARUHI SUZUMIYA DANCE LESSONS
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu ('The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'), an anime that follows the life of a complex schoolgirl, has a closing credits dance sequence that is really just too awesome for words. If you haven't seen it yet, check out what it's all about here.
In fact, the dance sequence is so awesome Animania Festival introduced a Haruhi dance comp last year! And it was so popular and so much fun, we're bringing this back as an activity again for the Animania Festival Weekend!
If you want to learn the dance, head to the Action Studio where Animania staff will lead you through the complex but fun sequence of dance steps so that you too can become like one of the awesome SOS Brigade.
Jan, Ken, Pon!
Think that Scissers, Paper, Rock was only for two to three people? Well, think again!! Come and see how the Action Studio team will turn this game into a sprawling, continuous game for everyone!
LUCKY STAR DANCE LESSONS
Animania Festival's bringing back the Haruhi dance sequence lessons - but of course, we couldn't stop there!! We'll also be bringing you Lucky Star!!
If you haven't seen Lucky Star, watch the opening credits dance sequence here.
Animania Staff will clear the Action Studio floor to show visitors the dance steps from Lucky Star so that you too can move like Konata, Kagami, Tsukasa and Miyuki! Who will you be?
Newspaper Cosplay
Were you planning to enter the Cosplay Competition, but left your costume at home? Just drop by the Action Studio with a few friends and we’ll suit you up with something stylish that will also fit perfectly! ;P
Para Para / Tech Para
Para Para will make its mark on the Animania Festival! This popular and energetic dance solo style sets arm movements and some lower body movement to different genres of music such as Pop, Techno and Trance. Head to the Action Studio to learn some fun new dance moves!
TWISTER TIME!
A classic favourite, how can we deny it? During this session, the Action Studio will be laid out with, you guessed it -- Giant Twister!!! Only a set number of people will be allowed to play at any one time.
