🇯🇲 Boombadadan Battle in Jamaica — First Global Female Challenger from Korea 한국 댄

🇯🇲 Boombadadan Battle Experience in Jamaica  ( 세리피 자메이카 댄스홀 배틀, 붐바다단 도전기 )
The First Global Female Participant in the Legendary Dancehall Battle

Boombadadan is one of the most historical and respected dancehall battles in Jamaica.
Since I started studying dancehall, this event had always been my dream stage —
a place that represents the real energy and heartbeat of dancehall culture.

During my one-month stay in Jamaica, it happened to be Boombadadan season.
Every Friday, dancers from all over the island gather for weekly qualifiers,
and the Top 3 from each week advance to the final round in September.

⚡ Immersed in the Real Energy of Jamaica

I went to watch the battles every week.
Each time, I was blown away by the energy of the Jamaican dancers —
the flips, the rhythms, the crowd screaming every time a dancer hit a move.
That’s when I thought: “This is the real dancehall energy.”

One day, my Japanese dancer friend KissKiss, who lives in Kingston, said to me:

“You should join. Why not?”

I didn’t even know that foreigners — especially women — could join the battle.
But it was possible.
No one had ever dared to try, so I decided to take that step.
During my last week in Jamaica, I wrote my name on the Boombadadan registration sheet.

💥 Preparing for the Challenge

That week was full of nerves and excitement.
I practiced every day because I didn’t want to embarrass myself.
The stage is like a boxing ring — surrounded by the audience from all sides,
so you can feel every cheer and reaction directly.

I kept telling myself:

“Show your style. Be you.”

🏁 Battle Day

On the day of the battle, I was so nervous I almost didn’t want to go.
Before the show, I drank a bottle of Magnum Tonic Wine —
a famous Jamaican energy drink — to calm my nerves and boost energy.

When my name was called, the crowd went silent for a moment,
then screamed:

“An Asian girl? From Korea?!”

I later found out I was the first global female dancer ever to join Boombadadan.

🔥 Happy Feet’s Choice

In the showcase round, I danced with everything I had.
The audience went wild, and one of the judges, Happy Feet, gave me the highest score of the round.


That allowed me to choose the order and my opponent for the next battle —
a huge honor for a newcomer.

Each battle had three rounds:
1. Old School
2. Middle School
3. New School

The noise from the crowd and vuvuzelas made it hard to hear the music,
but I stayed calm and gave it my best.
I lost the round, but i had one more round : wild card round.

💪 The Wild Card Round

This time, I tied my hair, rolled up my sleeves,
and gave everything I had.
I didn’t reach the final, but I placed second in the Wild Card round —
and most importantly, I showed my dancehall spirit with full confidence.

The result didn’t matter anymore.
I had already won something bigger:
the courage to represent Korea on a Jamaican stage.

🌙 Dancehall Friday Party

After the battle, all my tension disappeared.
I went straight to the Dancehall Friday Party,
which was just a few streets away.

The lights, the sound system, the people — everything was full of life.
Jamaican dancers came up to me saying,

“You did amazing!”

Foreign dancers who cheered for me hugged me with big smiles.
I thought I would feel lonely in Jamaica,
but that night, surrounded by dancers and music,
I realized I wasn’t alone at all.

We were all connected by the same rhythm,
the same love for dancehall.

“This is what dancehall truly means — unity through music.”

자메이카에서 열린 역사적인 댄스홀 배틀 Boombadadan 에 한국인 최초이자 글로벌 최초 여성 참가자로 무대에 섰습니다. 댄스홀서울 대표 세리피(Seri.P) 는 한국을 넘어
자메이카 무대에서 직접 춤으로 교류하며,
댄스홀 문화의 진정한 에너지와 정신을 몸으로 기록했습니다.
한글 후기 보러가기


📹 Watch the Battle & Party Video → Dancehall Seoul YouTube Channel
📖 Read the Korean Version (Naver Blog) → Boombadadan Battle Post

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🩵 About Dancehall Seoul

Dancehall Seoul is the first and only Korean organization dedicated to connecting Jamaica’s dancehall culture with Korea’s dance and art communities.

Founded and led by Seri.P,
the team organizes workshops, tours, and cultural projects with dancehall teachers from Jamaica, Europe, and Asia.

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📩 Contact

Instagram: @dancehallseoul
Email: dancehallseoul@naver.com
YouTube: Dancehall Seoul Channel