Do the D.A.N.C.E. with other C.O.L.U.M.B.I.A. S.T.U.D.E.N.T.S.

As summer winds down, campus dance troupes and clubs are just starting to heat up. With more than two dozen different dance organizations on campus, students have an abundance of opportunities to both attend performances and take part in dance free-for-alls. The many troupes put on eclectic and progressive dance performances, and they each offer different styles to students with varying levels of experience. To get involved, all you have to do is get your groove on.

cuBHANGRA

Inspired by a passion for Punjabi culture, cuBHANGRA, one of the most active dance groups on campus, has a number of interactive events coming up this semester. On Dec. 4, the club will host their regular bhangra showcase and dance party (formerly titled “Basement,” but it will receive a new name when it returns). Participation is open to everyone, not just bhangra veterans. CuBHANGRA’s movement, described as “contagious” by many of its members, is full of high energy and creativity, making it one of the most intuitive styles out there.
If you’re not ambitious enough to dance in public yourself, you can catch cuBHANGRA performances at a number of campus-wide events, including the Activities Fair on Sept. 10. The club also offers free bhangra lessons and stress relief once a week. As member Alex Woodward, BC ’10, said in e-mail about cuBHANGRA’s fast-growing presence on campus, “We've got some really fantastic creative talents this year, and we're excited to show in new ways that the Columbia style is as strong as ever.”

Raw Elementz

Like cuBHANGRA, Raw Elementz, one of Columbia’s hip-hop fusion dance troupes, is also offering to share its skill with the less experienced this semester. The troupe is unique in that the group works to incorporate styles from all backgrounds, including hip-hop, breakdancing, jazz, and ballet. Raw Elementz is hosting a series of dance workshops throughout the year open to anyone, regardless of dance background and ability. These workshops involve troupe members teaching basic choreography and simple routines to beginners.

Raw Elementz performs at many different venues, from culture shows to athletic events, as well as off-campus at schools and community service venues. This past spring the group hosted their first hip-hop and breakdance showcase titled RAWcus, in which they teamed up with other dance groups such as Orisha and Sabor. The group hopes RAWcus will become an annual event, and as Lucy Xin, CC ’11, publicity chair of Raw Elementz, said in an e-mail, their goal involves “bonding and sharing our love of dance with the CU community at large through performances at other student group events.”

Taal

Other dance groups are organizing events and building on the accomplishments of previous years to create more opportunities for dance to be shared among Columbians. Taal, a South-Asian fusion dance troupe that mixes styles including Indian classical dance, ballet and modern, is hoping to expand their charity dance showcase titled Naach NatioN, which last year included groups from New York University, Rutgers, and the University of North Carolina, among other schools on the East Coast. Taal’s goal for this year’s Naach Nation is to include a variety of teams as well as to increase their donation to the charity of their choice, all while promoting awareness of South-Asian dance and Indian culture.