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Keiichi.Net Radio Announces Online Dance Contest

KEIICHI.NET RADIO ANNOUNCES ONLINE DANCE CONTEST
Side Project Poster Model Contest combines dance and cosplay for prizes

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Keiichi.net Radio, the number one place on the Internet for the best in Anime and J-Pop music, has announced the Side Project Poster Model Contest. Sponsored by J-List, the Internet's top destination for a wide variety of rare and wacky items from Japan, the Side Project Poster Model Contest is designed for fans of Japanese Animation (Anime) and J-Pop that enjoy expressing themselves through dance. The JRHorse Side Project, the Sunday afternoon radio show that delivers Anime and J-Pop with a New York twist, is presenting the contest.

Contestants will don cosplay (costume play; usually Japanese) outfits and demonstrate dance and flexibility before their own cameras. They will record their contest entries on video and upload them to the Internet. The best performers will receive a custom-made remix CD by Keiichi.net Reload's DJ Celes, and J-List will present one grand-prize winner with a $100 gift certificate to their online store.

The contest was designed in the spirit of the Side Project Poster Model program, launched in 2006 to allow aspiring dancers to stretch in front of the camera while wearing clothes and outfits reflecting Japanese culture.

Side Project host, Jose "JRHorse" Ramos, tried a similar type of contest before, with poor results, but is very happy to give the contest a second try. "When we tried a Cosplay Dance Contest in the summer of 2005, we did not receive many entries, and cancelled the competition as a result," Ramos said. "Now, through the latest advances in Internet technology that allow users to upload their own videos to the public, we think this is the best time to try the contest again."

Ramos, a long-time fan of the arts, says that the Side Project Poster Model Contest intends to fill a much-needed void. "There are many conventions where cosplayers who perform by dance are required to mix themselves in with everyone else who is cosplaying, most of whom are acting out a scene or skit with words," Ramos said. "I do not practice professional dance myself, but after watching it firsthand, the performance is so mesmerizing that I believe people can interpret themselves through dance as well as, if not better than, through words.

"After learning from our previous mistakes, we're putting this to the test again," Ramos continued. "We would like to invite anyone who loves to dance - either as a hobby or as a profession - and who enjoy Anime or the Japanese culture itself, to enter this contest. It's much more than an exclusive arena of competition for the combination of cosplay and dance. This is a contest that will enhance everyone's appreciation of the arts, will allow contestants to express their natural creativity, and most importantly, allow them to have fun."

The Side Project Poster Model Contest is now open for entries. Submissions are due by Sunday, April 8th, 2007. Interested participants should check the contest website, www.jrhorse.info/contest, for more information, including rules and entry instructions.

Compared to the previous Cosplay Dance Contest, the Side Project Poster Model Contest makes it easier for people to participate. "The rules for the past contest were very restrictive and very verbose," Ramos said. "For example: we limited the amount of dance disciplines that could be used, we did not permit 'raving', we did not permit advanced camera editing techniques, there were several deadlines that had to be met, and contest submissions had to be mailed in.

"Now, it's much simpler," Ramos continued, "there are less restrictions than before, there is just one deadline, and videos can be uploaded using a video upload service and the Internet. Keeping in mind that those videos will be judged primarily by the dance, flexibility and cosplay skills of the contestant, participants are free to express themselves as they choose."

The contestant judged to have the best performance will win the grand prize of a J-List gift certificate valued at $100. "J-List is a place where the true Japanese otaku can find many wacky and interesting products from the land of the rising sun, and I can attest to that because I am a proud J-List customer," Ramos said. "A shopping spree on J-List is the perfect grand prize, and I wish to sincerely thank Peter Payne and the J-List staff for their affiliation with this contest."

The grand-prize winner and up to five second-prize winners will also receive an audio CD of remixed anime and Japanese music presented by Keiichi.net Reload's host DJ Celes. These winners will also receive a subscription to Keiichi.net Radio's Enhanced Listener Service (ELS), which will reserve them a dedicated spot to listen to the greatest Anime and J-Pop tunes of yesterday and today whenever they wish. With the ELS service, they will also be able to request more songs to hear on the station every day than other listeners.

Contestants must be United States residents, 14 years of age or older, in order to enter. Contestants under the age of 18 will need legal permission from a parent or legal guardian prior to participating. Void where prohibited by law.

ABOUT KEIICHI.NET RADIO
Now entering its seventh year on the Internet, Keiichi.net Radio is powered by Shoutcast and offers a growing play-list of over 4,000 Anime, J-Pop, J-Rock and video game songs, which can be requested and listened to at anytime via their web site, www.animeradio.net. In addition to a weekly live show hosted by station owner, Michael "Keiichi" Morris, Keiichi.net EX2 offers special programs such as the daily Anime Retro Classics, Anime Reload with DJ Celes on Friday evenings, Yuki-chan's Score Show on Tuesday nights, and Chibi-Britt's Visual Kei and J-Rock Show on Sunday evenings. The JRHorse Side Project, now in its third season, is hosted by Jose Ramos on Sunday afternoons and features select cuts of Anime and J-Pop music with a New York twist.

ABOUT J-LIST
J-List is a company based in Japan that sells thousands of unique products, including anime, Japanese-themed T-shirts, ninja boots, snacks and other "wacky things from Japan." The company is owned by Peter Payne, an American who lives in Japan. J-List can be reached online at www.jlist.com, with "work safe" products available at www.jbox.com.

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