Juggling writing her Master’s thesis, working in the press department and competitions: FAU staff member and student Rebecca Luber
The excitement is palpable: Jury and spectators are looking down on the stage from the stands, the dance crew makes its entrance, the presenter calls out “Ready? Begin!” and finally the music begins. Rebecca Luber is in her element.
Alongside studying and working as an assistant in Communications and Press, the 27 year old has been showing her talent for dancing in competitions for roughly 10 years now. She performs various hip-hop dances either together with her dance crew or in solo performances. “Looking up to the audience after a successful performance, hearing the applause, it is an incredible feeling when you realize that people enjoyed it,” Rebecca enthuses.
She started with jazz dance with she was seven years old. As a teenager, she took up hip-hop and since then she has taken part in competitions, performed in shows, and now even teaches a dance course of her own.
Dancing is her way of relaxing after juggling daily life, uni and her job: if she misses training, it affects her mood. For Rebecca, dancing is more than just exercise. She has known some of the people she dances with for more than 10 years now, and they have become very close.
Success in competitions
During the covid pandemic, Rebecca realized how much she missed all of that. Two long years went by before she and her crew were able to perform the show they had rehearsed during the pandemic. The first competition they took part in again was the South German championship in 2022. “We had no idea how the show that we had been rehearsing for so long would be received and what the competition would be like after these two years. When we won, it was completely surreal.”
It was not long before further successes followed. In 2023, Rebecca and her dance crew took part in the German championships. “We reached the final of the German championships for the first time. That was a great achievement,” says Rebecca, who came in 5th place with her team. “And then we discovered that we had qualified for the world championships. We nearly forgot all about having come in fifth, we were just so amazed to have qualified for the world championship. Only the best teams in the world perform there. None of us saw that coming.”
In October 2023, the world championship was held in the Polish city of Kielce. “I really appreciated the opportunity to dance with all the international teams, to share ideas with them, to chat, to see what the others are doing. And the finalists were out of this world.”
During the competitions, Rebecca either performs in a group dance routine together with her crew or alone, sometimes also freestyle. “The DJ plays music, but you don’t know what they’re going to play in advance. You get up on the dance floor and have to decide off the cuff how best to perform to the music.”
Recently, Rebecca has started to dance House and RnB as well as hip-hop. “I have been concentrating more on this type of music since last year. I like the challenge of trying something new.”
One hobby, many benefits
Rebecca would recommend her hobby to everyone else. “On the one hand, it is great physical exercise. On the other hand, you become very close to the people in your course thanks to everything you learn and experience together. I really appreciate the opportunity for us to all learn and grow together.”
Rebecca has also noticed during her daily life that all the dancing has improved her memory. “My memory really has improved thanks to me having to learn a lot of different dance routines. Having to learn new steps in a short period of time and remember them over a longer period trains your memory and increases your ability to find connections.”
Looking back, she also realizes how dancing has boosted her self confidence and spontaneity. “When I first started going to the dance school I was very, very shy and hardly spoke to anyone. Dancing has made me much more self confident and open in every way. Whether it is in a social context, where I am now more confident about approaching other people or in a professional context, where I now dare to make my opinion heard or contribute ideas.”
She has often heard people say that they would like to start dancing but are worried that they are too old. This is not at all the case, Rebecca explains. “The other people and dancing instructors are really friendly. Nowadays, there are far more beginners courses for adults.” Perfect for anyone who is worried about ending up in a course with the wrong age group. “I really like it when new people join our group.” Would Rebecca recommend dancing to everyone? “Definitely. I would recommend anyone who fancies it to just give it a go.”
Are you interested in seeing what a performance at the world championship looks like? Watch the clip below to see Rebecca and her crew at the hip-hop world championships in 2023.
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