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Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution Integrated into Hawaiian School System to Help Kids Stay Fit

Konami held a Hawaiian DDR state championship tournament to promote kids physical fitness
Article | 03.17.11 | By John Gaudiosi
HONOLULU – With childhood obesity a major epidemic in the United States, Hawaii is the latest state to take action by incorporating Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution game into its physical education curriculum. West Virginia was the first state to adopt the game in its schools to help keep kids active and fit in a fun and refreshing way. Following the lead of a successful tournament throughout the state of West Virginia, Konami held a Dance Dance Revolution Hawaii State Championship Tournament using Sony's PlayStation 3 consoles, designed to promote the importance of exercise and healthy lifestyles for youths all across the Aloha State and nationwide. Konami President Shinji Hirano talks about the role this game franchise has played in battling obesity in this exclusive interview from the Aloha Tower in Honolulu.
 
 
“Konami is dedicated to helping in the fight against childhood obesity by creating fun and innovative ways to keep kids moving and healthy,” said Hirano. “We had tremendous success partnering with West Virginia for their statewide program and wanted to expand this exciting competition to other states around the nation.”
 
After dancing their way through P.E. classes in Hawaii, representatives from elementary, middle and high school divisions were recognized for superior moves and dedication to a healthy lifestyle following the statewide Dance Dance Revolution Tournament. Konami executives were on hand to reward the best DDR players in the state.
 
A few talented students have been rewarded for their exceptional performance with scholarships and prizes after strutting their stuff on the dance mat in the State Championship Tournament. Aaron Barreira earned first place for high school, Sydney Oliveira took home first place for middle school, and Lenora Suguturaga was awarded the top spot for elementary school.

Schools in Hawaii first integrated Dance Dance Revolution into their P.E. curriculum in 2007 in order to help encourage kids to get off the couch and get moving to their own beat. Teacher Lori McKeown helps run the Dance Dance Revolution program at Waialua Elementary School and sees the value the game offers to her students.

“We understand that academics are a big part of the curriculum but we also need to focus on the whole child, so we introduced DDR so that the kids could keep fit and have an alternative to playing outside,” said McKeown. “A lot of kids like to play inside. So, as you can see, the kids really enjoy it, and they don’t even see it as exercise.”

 

Konami ran this tournament in conjunction with the State of Hawaii and looks forward to expanding similar initiatives to different states across the U.S., spreading the message of health and wellness for kids. Keep an eye out for the upcoming statewide West Virginia tournament, coming soon. 

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