The FIERCE Dance Team gave a presentation in Lankford Hall at six o'clock this past Monday as part of the events slated for Black History Month. This presentation was about the evolution of dance, Hip-Hop in particular, and how it has changed and shaped its way to what it is today. Members of the FIERCE group took the audience through the 80s, 90s, early 2000s and today, giving examples of different dance moves that were popular during each era. For example, "The Dip," a dance move, was made popular in the 90s and has carried into this generation in different dance moves that are around today.
FIERCE Team member Dana Peagler, when asked about the topic of discussion, said, "We just wanted to see how dance progressed over time and change our style." The group explored old dance moves, mixing them with the new and encouraging audience members to perform their own versions as a way of demonstrating how dance changes and moves. "We, as a team, do a lot of dancing. I think we incorporate a lot of different dance styles in our dances as a team," said Peagler when asked about how the group works and worked together to bring this event up and running behind an idea such as the revolution of Hip-Hop.
The presentation wasn't a long one, and soon after it was over, the group announced that everyone would now be playing a game. They shouted out for all audience members to come up on stage and explained that they would be playing a dance game that combined and worked all the moves they had just gone over. Students were encouraged to dance to the music and stop when it stopped, being asked to leave the stage if they didn't stop in time with the music. FIERCE members led the group through the different songs, laughing and encouraging others to mess up and explore music and moves with them.
When it was time for the real competition to begin, everyone was full of laughter with a beat to dance out to. "I think it was really fun, it was playful," said Rosa Townes when asked about the event. "I like how they incorporated dance in a game. The game at the end was great because everyone got to get up and get interactive." She was one of the three winners of the night.
Overall, the event allowed for students to learn about the history of dance and how it originated. The FIERCE Dance team kept the audience's attention by encouraging them to come dance on stage.
The event was in light of Black History month and celebrated this piece of dancing's past. "We wanted to get more people to see the different styles and how they have progressed over each generation," said Jane Miraple, another member of the dance team. The night ended with freestyle for all and everyone came together to talk, dance and joke around. "It was really fun," said Peagler, "I wish there could have been a little more people here, but overall we had fun with what we had."
