Northwestern’s version of the hit MTV show “America’s Best Dance Crew” is back with some new and exciting changes. Students will have the opportunity to watch or perform in Northwestern’s Best Dance Crew Friday at 9 p.m. in the chapel.
Denver-based dance troupe BreakEFX will be a large focus at the event, serving both as judges and performers. BreakEFX, established in 2006, won Colorado’s Best Dance Crew in 2008 and the Verve Collizions hip-hop competition in 2008 and 2009 before achieving national fame when they appeared on “America’s Best Dance Crew” last season.
BreakEFX will set the stage Friday with an opening performance and then serve as judges for the competing crews. BreakEFX will return at the end of the show to give the audience the final dance of the evening.
Four groups made of NW students, including last year’s winning group, West Slide Story, will be performing two songs each. After watching their first dances, BreakEFX will select two groups to compete for the championship. All four crews will get to perform their second dance, but only the two groups selected by the judges will be eligible to win.
The winners of the night will be chosen differently this year. Audience members are asked to bring quarters to use as votes and will be able to vote as many times as they wish. The group that collects the most weight in quarters will be the winner. Student Activities will also be testing a text vote system that may be used in the future for voting.
Students have an even greater incentive to vote: All those quarters will go towards sponsoring a Compassion Child through World Vision.
Friday morning, BreakEFX will be giving a performance in chapel. That afternoon, they will be offering hip-hop and break dance clinics for the competing crews as well as students chosen from a drawing earlier this week.
Sarah Bartz and Lindsey Hoops, members of the student crew EnMotion, are excited to dazzle audiences with their dances, which Bartz describes as “lyrical hip-hop with a bit of jazz spice, and even some ballet… basically a mish-mash of everything!” Bartz and Hoops both say they are in it for the fun of the event and are thrilled to get tips from BreakEFX at their clinic Friday afternoon.
“We really just want to make it a great event!” said Bartz.