Hong Kong's youngest street dance crew makes waves with bold ambitions
Funky Heroes troupe take aim at uniting people, helping them blossom
Satsuki Ma never used to speak up in class. But street dancing has taught her to be more outspoken.
"After I danced, I became more confident," the nine-year-old Ma said without a trace of coyness.
Ma is one of the six members of Funky Heroes, a dance group that formed in March after winning the Hong Kong Rookie Stars Dance Competition.
Ranging between the ages of seven and 11, they comprise the youngest street-dance crew in town, said Ma's teacher, Lydia Lau King-man.
"She became a different person," Lau said. "She is now the most confident person in class."
Lau, who starred in the city's award-winning film The Way We Dance, said street dancing helped children develop individually and was not just for those who did not study.
"Street dance teaches children about individuality because it is about how to be yourself and to celebrate who you are. This is important because the lives of Hong Kong adults and children are sometimes too fast. Kids have a lot lined up for them like maths, piano and other sorts of classes," Lau said.