The current undisputed darlings in the dance industry is none other than the eccentric, bop haired, in navy school pinafores, with quirky facial expressions Japanese female dance group known as “Avantgardey”. To the uniformed, “avant-garde” in French means being bold, cutting-edge, unconventional and pushing the boundary. This is the kind of dance style that Avantgardey brings to their performance and they certainly measure up to their namesake. Avant-gardey was formed at Osaka, Japan in 2022, by the visionary and creative producer-cum-choreographer, Akane. Avant-gardey’s big break came about when performing at DJ Steve Aoki’s concert in January 2023. This led to participating in reality competition show, “America’s Got Talent” last year. Although they failed to clinch the top spot, the much needed exposure in America’s Got Talent program ignited their meteoric rise to fame. The rest is history, as they say. As with others, my first impression when watching their dance clips is being awestruck by their mind blowing synchronized dance steps. It’s certainly refreshing as I have never come across such precise moves with such comical expression. It’s no surprise that their clips have amassed millions of views and trending in social media, plus garnering massive international followers. At this moment, Avant-gardey is in the midst of their Asia tour. Having concluded their concerts in HK and Taiwan, it’s finally Malaysia’s turn ! Yay !!!
The press conference was held on 15th September at the entrance of Pavilion mall. The organizers announced their full-fledged 80-minute show will be held on 22nd December, at Zepp KL. General ticket sales will commence on 22nd September. I spotted Akane in the crowd, as the 17-members dance troupe shuffled like penguins to the stage. They bowled over onlookers and the media with the highly synchronized routine, accompanied by Yaosobi’s song, “Idol”. The spokesperson of the group revealed that it is their first ever trip to Malaysia and they will find opportunities to film short dance clips at various locations in KL. The very next day, I managed to catch the gals again (yes, I am definitely hooked !) at the annual Cos-Mic (anime/cosplay/game) event at Sunway Convention Centre. I’m so glad I made it because Avantgardey charmed the high-octane crowd with half hour of non-stop dynamic, energetic, nifty and addictive choreography. The crowd went wild when the gals swayed to local songs “Alamak ! Raya lagi” and Cantonese number “Chow Sing Chi 周星翅”. Hopefully, the organiser doesn't invite Steady gang to perform with Avantgardey during the upcoming concert. Really could not stand the trio. In addition, they also jiggled to the beat of songs such as “Idol”, “Get Wild” (donning trench coat), the catchy song ,“Bling Bang Bang Born” and a string of Japanese anime songs. The segment when the lights were turned off and the girls grooved with the glow sticks is so spellbinding ! The show ended with thunderous applause from the adoring audience and many headed straight to Avantgardey’s booth to grab their souvenirs and purchase the pre-order tickets to their Dec 22nd show. Their performance has definitely made me hungry for more! So, see you gals on 22nd Dec!!
