Dance Crews

A question that I used to get all the time: what does it feel like going to a university without a football team?

And my answer is always the same-- it’s fine, because I think we have something much cooler: dance crews!

UCI’s dance crew culture is quite spectacular. I personally have no coordinated bone in my body, but I’ve always enjoyed the passion and talent that all of UCI’s various crews have to offer. The dance crews at UCI are ever present; sometimes on my way to class, I’ll see a dance crew perform for their friends, peers, and other random spectators. Sometimes, after a late night at the library, I’ll see a dance crew practice for hours on end into the cold night.

My friend Richmond, a Computer Science major, joined INSA dance crew this past fall. On the dance team culture, he’s said that returning members “create a safe space for [members] to freely express [themselves] and have intimate connections with teammates”. On top of that, he’s also said that the dance community at large is close-knit so members have ample opportunity to meet dancers from other crews too.

It’s always so awesome to see different dance crews come out to showcase everything they worked so hard for. From the music, to the concepts, to the art direction, no detail is too small for the different teams. From one student to another, so admirable to see fellow students put on such a good show on top of being a college student.

One of my favorite facts about UCI’s dance culture is that Kaba Modern, a dance team that competed on America’s Best Dance Crew, originated from UCI. Victor Kim, a member from Season 3’s winner, Quest Crew, also graduated from UCI as an Econ major. It’s a point of pride to see so many accomplished dancers come from the same school as me, even if I’m only just a fan!