UMD’s Dynamic dance team holds annual Rip the Floor dance battle

The University of Maryland’s “premier hip-hop dance team” Dynamic united the DMV’s expansive arts community once again through its annual Rip the Floor dance competition in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union’s Hoff Theater on April 19.

In a dance battle format where each local group performed their routines for a loudly enthusiastic, supportive audience, four competition teams — SLAM, Major Definition, Urban Empire D.C. and Motion Dance — competed for a $1,000 grand prize. Five exhibition teams — Afta Shock, Culture Shock, Future Shock, Natetion and UFP — performed to show off their skills.

Motion Dance donning all black during their performance at Rip The Floor on April 19 in Hoff Theater (Cameron Lee/The Black Explosion).

“Hip-hop is for everybody,” said Gabriella Anthony, a senior mechanical engineering major and director of Dynamic. “Hip-hop comes from the streets, it comes from the struggle, so we really want a space for that here.”

The competition’s three judges — Gabby Davis, Minilik Addis and Shakeela Nyakoojo — kicked off the night with introductions and a brief showcase of their dancing skills. Addis and Nyakoojo, who both had stints directing Dynamic in the past, are Maryland alumni who felt overjoyed to return to their Dynamic family.

“Stuff has changed physically, but as far as the vibes and people go, it always feels like home,” said Addis, a now professional dancer who flew in from California to attend Rip the Floor.

Gleaning from a multitude of dance styles such as commercial hip-hop, ballroom, freestyle and Baltimore jigging, members of the local dance teams engaged in expertly choreographed routines featuring elaborate costuming and theming.

Members of SLAM, for instance, wore Y2K-inspired outfits during their performance, while Urban Empire DC went for a more alternative look that integrated fishnet styles.

Seniors with the University of Maryland’s Dynamic dance team take the stage to begin Rip The Floor on April 19 in Hoff Theater (Cameron Lee/The Black Explosion).

Dynamic’s own members also joined in the frenzy with an opening dance performed by the club’s seniors and an intermission dance.

At the end of the night, the three judges conferred to rank the competition teams and selected a winner.

SLAM, from Johns Hopkins University, placed first and took home the $1,000 grand prize, while Urban Empire DC placed second and Major Definition from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County placed third.

Nyakoojo maintained a vision of the club’s strong future, despite the moving sendoff of Dynamic’s seniors.

“Dynamic is here to stay — it’s not going anywhere,” Nyakoojo said. “Even if [members] leave, a part of Dynamic is still with them.”