By Melissa Ly (Contributor) – Email
A few hip-hop enthusiasts are sharing their passion for dance with the rest of UFV through the hip-hop club, which just debuted this semester.
According to Tim Sung, a series of events sparked the creation of the club. Last year he and Bruce Martin, one of the club’s other executives, attended Vancouver BattleZone at Douglas College. They came back inspired to create the same experience and culture in their own community.
For members like Jeremy Molina, the club was a space which finally allowed him to be surrounded by others with a similar passion: a place for him “to observe other dancers and to be further inspired in [his] own craft.” And practice being a lot of fun is a bonus.
For me, the club allows dance to be something more than just me dancing in my room or at a club.
As a child I was noticeably shy, and I was too embarrassed to dance in front of others. By the time I came out of my shell and became interested in hip hop, I was too old to learn to dance at local studios, because there were no appropriate age groups and skill level classes offered. As a young adult, it is difficult to pursue hip-hop as a hobby if you are a beginner. However, the club overcomes that barrier, and gives me the opportunity I had been waiting for.
The first session of the semester started off with an icebreaker, which was followed by learning some of the basics to hip hop, such as popping, tutting, and waving. At various points, there would be breaks in which a brave few would take turns showing off their moves through freestyle dance.
The class was intertwined with funny banter and a supportive environment in which everyone would cheer and applaud no matter how ridiculous one thought they looked.
The following session was all of the above, plus a few new people, as well as some new choreography.
Bruce highlights that the UFV hip hop club is an “inclusive group and anyone, regardless of any experience, is welcome to come in and participate and have fun.”
He foresees that in the future the club will expand to include performances and dance events. So readers, get involved or stay tuned, because the “Cascade Crew” will be making its presence known in the community.
