Crites Hall got a blast from the past this weekend as Konfidential Dance Team put on a hip-hop showcase spanning the past three decades.
I was more than pumped for this show – I’m always up for choreographed dancing. At the same time, I was a little skeptical of a dance routine inspired by a time period. It seemed like an inherently limiting concept and there’s always a chance of relying too heavily on the nostalgia factor. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a bit of nostalgia, but we all know what the running man looks like.
That being said, my worries were quickly quelled as the first group of dancers came out. They started off strong with a flashy opening set that had them jumping and flailing their limbs in nearly every direction. It was a good choice to open with something as familiar as Rob Base’s “It Takes Two,” a hopping track that immediately brought half the room out of their seats.
This erratic and upbeat dancing went on for a while and, just as I started to wonder how long the first group could keep up their moves, they were replaced by a group of girls that slowed the tempo down a little. It was a nice shift in energy that gave the first group a break and showed off the ladies, moving in ways that only ladies can. The guys returned the favor only a few minutes later to grab hold of the spotlight. The show started out with a good mix of all the dancers, so it was nice seeing them split up into groups to correlate with the content of the music.
My favorite part of the night had to be the set transitions. Every now and then during transitions between sets, one or two of the dancers would go out onstage and pantomime to an audio clip from one of the musical artists. These tidbits were made interesting by a beaming spotlight positioned center stage. It shrouded anyone under it in a misty white. The music was completely cut off and all I could hear were the words of the artist playing. They were calm, intimate moments that gave my eyes a break from zipping back and forth trying to keep up with all the dancers.
After a brief intermission, the team returned to the stage dressed in all white. At first, it simply seemed like a cool idea for a change in attire but then I remembered that act two marked the transition into the 2000s. The crowd was more familiar with this music because the were songs released as we were growing up. I imagine that this helped to fuel the dance team’s energy during the second half. The only major difference between the two acts was the choreography. With the older music, there would be a general theme for a dance and the performers would follow that style. With modern hip-hop there’s a lot more specificity in the adherence to a song’s particular dance move, leaving less room for original choreography.
Not to take any credit from the group – I was constantly impressed with the interweaving and unique interpretation of old school dancing – but the second half of Konfidential Dance Team’s performance left me wanting a few more fresh ideas. Keeping that in mind, I’ll never say no to watching someone crank that “Soulja Boy.”
Nile Pitts is a Writing major from Atlanta, Georgia. He spends most of his free time writing music, creating content for his YouTube channel and researching ways to one day become Spider-man.
