Shimmy Like a Nupe makes their comeback post pandemic
Poster for the Theta Theta chapter’s “Shimmy Like a Nupe” event (courtesy of the the Nupes’s Instagram page @tntnupes)
The Theta Theta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. hosted its first “Shimmy Like a Nupe” competition since 2019 on Friday, April 19.
The theme of the night was “The SLAN Return,” highlighting the return of the annual competition since the pandemic. Theta Theta relied on its history of hosting SLAN and the advice of neighboring chapters of the fraternity to put on the show, according to Therman Hawkins III, sophomore marketing major and president of the chapter.
The head-to-head dance battle featured two teams of five to seven women - the Kappa Klassmates and the Kueen of Diamonds. The three-round competition started with an introductory performance tailored to a musical artist, followed by slow dance and crowd engagement rounds. Each routine featured stroll moves the Nupes are known for, including the shimmy.
“Yeah its a competition, whatever. You know SLAN is SLAN. But at the end of the day, we really wanted these young ladies to have fun, enjoy themselves and honestly just be able to just work on something bigger than themselves,” said Hawkins, who served as a first-time coach for the Kappa Klassmates.
The Klassmates started their freestyle routine with a solo from Charlotte Singh, a sophomore psychology major. “I was in a professional dance program in New York for like 12 years so that’s why I know how to do this stuff,” said Singh.
The Diamonds followed with an entrance from the back of the theater, with members of the fraternity pointing diamond shaped lights at the stage as the team made its way through the aisles. The team also included two stunts and a step to its artist routine.
The teams alternated in the second round with the Diamonds performing first. Both teams featured members of the fraternity, chair dances and flower petals falling from the air.
While the Diamonds incorporated voice-overs and crowd interaction in their show, the Klassmates ended the round with red and white rose petals raining over them from raised umbrellas - which received a roaring response from the crowd.
The Klassmates started the final round, incorporating floor choreography in front of the judge’s table. They ended their routine strutting down the center aisle of the theater, chanting “Kappa Klassmates!”
The Diamonds ended the show with an energetic routine and one last stunt that blew the crowd away.
Intermission performances from the Star Strutters majorette dance team and Enrage modeling troupe gave judges time to score the competition between rounds based on creativity, theme, crowd reaction, execution and strolling. The Kueen of Diamonds took the win with a final score of 607-550.
Novella Ashe, a junior animal sciences major and Kueen of Diamonds team member, said “We put a lot of hard work into this. We’ve been doing this for like two or three months.”
“It was really a team effort. All in all, if you were watching the audience and whether you’re rooting for one team or not, the entire production itself was amazing so I’m just really proud of them,” said Hawkins.
A previous version of this article mispelled Novella Ashe’s last name as “Ahse.” This article has been updated to reflect that change.