In the Sarajevo neighborhood of Velešići, amidst the traffic noise from the main railway station, one can hear the rhythms and beats of the most popular Hip-Hop artists mixed with children’s laughter, cheering, and applause. Their peers usually spend the school break resting, but Aida, Ema, Noah, and Ayman, national champions in the solo Hip-Hop dance categories, are training hard and preparing for the World Championship, which will be held starting October 25 in Slovenia.
They are members of the “Just Dance” Dance Center from Sarajevo, which will be part of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s dance team at this prestigious competition, where they will showcase their skills against the world’s best dancers. More than 70 dancers train at this center, and 38 of them qualified for the upcoming World Championship thanks to their outstanding results at the BiH National Championship in modern dances, where they won seven gold, six silver, and one bronze medal in group and individual categories.
A Form of Communication
For nearly a decade, the “Just Dance” Dance Center has been the most awarded dance club in the country, a fact confirmed again at the latest showcase of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s best dancers held in Zenica in mid-June this year. Alongside solo category gold medals for ages 10 to 18, the club’s dancers also earned medals in formations and small group categories.
The World Championship, which gathers up to 5,000 dancers, will take place in Ljubljana from October 24 to 28, where the youngest “Dragons” will proudly represent the blue and yellow colors of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Edina Lubarda, head of the “Just Dance” Dance Center, told Visit BiH magazine that success in any sport, and especially in dance, requires enormous effort and support.
“Hip-Hop is more than just dance – it is a culture that connects people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences. Through Hip-Hop, we express ourselves, tell our stories, and every move, every choreography, is actually a form of communication. To succeed in competitions, it takes much more than choreography alone. Each routine requires hours and hours of practice and refinement because every movement must be flawless. Dance is also physically demanding, so besides working on choreography, we focus on our dancers’ physical preparation – strength, endurance, and flexibility are crucial. Psychological preparation is equally important. Competitions can be stressful, and dancers must be mentally ready to face the pressures and challenges of performing. Through dance, we learn dedication, teamwork, and how to balance physical and mental aspects to give our very best on stage,” said coach Almedina Ćorović.
“Just Dance” is also unique because it has a group called “Just Dance Dads” – a team of fathers who perform Hip-Hop, making them one of a kind not only in the country but also in the region and beyond. These fathers have been training for a year alongside their daughters, supporting them at competitions while also stepping onto the dance floor themselves, despite never practicing dance before.
They have already performed their choreography at tournaments across BiH – in Sarajevo, Tuzla, Mostar, Bihać – and after winning gold at the National Championship in Zenica, they qualified for the World Championship. The “Just Dance” fairytale has thus created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where fathers will compete together with their children as members of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national dance team at a major international event.
“For the first time since the founding of the BiH Modern Dance Association, a Hip-Hop group in the Adults 2 category will compete at the World Championship,” said Lubarda, who affectionately calls the fathers her “ducklings.”
At first, “Just Dance Dads” had 11 fathers. However, due to private commitments and health issues – as most of them are between 40 and 50 years old – not all could keep up with the demanding training schedule.
Physical Activity
The group currently counts five members – Emir, Edvin, Vedran, Armin, and Aladin – and they are open to welcoming new, brave fathers to join them. They train hard and consistently, striving to perfect their Hip-Hop moves, closely following their coaches’ guidance to synchronize the choreography with which they will represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Championship.
“I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with other dads from ‘Just Dance Dads’ and represent BiH on the international stage – at none other than the World Championship. We are especially happy that we’ll be sharing the floor with our daughters, defending our country’s colors together. Even though dance in BiH does not enjoy the recognition it deserves as a sport, what we are doing is undeniably valuable. It cannot be denied that all the competitors and the people behind ‘Just Dance’ work tirelessly and achieve great results. I’ve played football actively for 30 years, and only started dancing a year ago – and now, together with other dads, I’m going to the World Championship as a national team member. Can it get better than that?” said Emir Bešlija, captain of “Just Dance Dads,” in an interview with Visit BiH.
The center highlights that dance in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not widely recognized as a sport, which is why it receives no institutional support from any level of government. As a result, the costs of domestic and international competitions are mostly covered by parents. Any support for such a project would always be welcome and would enable these young champions to achieve even greater results.
“Hip-Hop, with its vibrant rhythms and energy, sparks creativity in children – nurturing not only their physical abilities but also their emotional expression. The love for dance is truly contagious, filling young dancers with joy and passion, something beautifully reflected in the members of the ‘Just Dance’ Dance Center – both the children and their fathers. For them, there are no boundaries, only possibilities – and we’ll be cheering them on as they showcase their talent at the World Championship!”
