More than an hour before the show was set to start, the line outside of Conte stretched all the way past Hillside and was filled with people eager to get good seats for this year’s sold out Showdown. Anyone in attendance got to witness an unparalleled night of dancing by some of BC’s finest dance groups. The whole atmosphere of Conte was buzzing with the 3,500 people in the audience eager for the sold-out show to start. The energy was high all around as evidenced by the cheers of the audience and the inter-team dancing breaking out on the floor while the dancers were waiting, showing the true spirit of BC’s biggest dance competition.
The whole thing started off with a guest performance from Conspiracy Theory, BC’s street dance crew. As the program stated, the team operates on the adage of “Each One, Teach One,” which captures the inclusive and spontaneous nature of the crew.  Their impressive break-dancing set the tone for the rest of the performances to come.
Up next was a guest performance from the Celtics’ junior dance Team, Lil’ Phunk. The talent and spunk of these kids captured the audience’s hearts and had everybody up and cheering on their feet.
Sexual Chocolate kicked off the competition in android clone morphsuits, with two guest stars from Lil’ Phunk, a mirror illusion that captured the crowd. And of course their dynamic and creative step choreography made for a memorable performance.
Boston College Dance Ensemble performed next with an impressively seamless routine that featured a combo of tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, and contemporary styles.
PATU, which stands for Presenting Africa To You, succeeded in their mission to exhibit Africa’s many vibrant cultures with a blend of African and modern music as well as different styles of African dance. They took second place in the Cultural category!
Synergy came next with a magical Disney themed, hip-hop performance complete with glitter (and it looked like they were having fun sweeping it off the stage afterwards, too). They were awarded second place in the Dance category.
Then, BCID (Boston College Irish Dance) performed a unique Irish Dance routine, and their fast-moving feet and the interchanging circles mesmerized the audience.
The next performance was by VIP, BC’s newest Latin dance team and this was their debut showdown performance, centered on the revival of lost passion. Their set showcased fun and creative merengue, salsa, and bachata choreography.
After the intermission, VSA dancers told the story of soldiers’ journeys home through classic Vietnamese dance complete with fans, flowers, and a splash of hip-hop to spice it up.
UPrising’s hip-hop performance was office themed complete with the costumes and a soundtrack to match. Their routine featured songs such as “Run The World (Girls)” by Beyonce, “Work Hard, Play Hard” by Wiz Khalfa, and “B**** I’m A Boss” by Rick Ross.
BC’s all female step team FISTS gave an impressive performance with an Alice in Wonderland theme, and pulled off some jaw-dropping stunts while stepping.
The audience couldn’t keep their eyes off the bright blue costumes of Masti, who came out with a high-energy dance powered by mashups of modern and Indian music. Their performance earned them the first place trophy in the Cultural category!
Fuego del Corazon had the audience captivated by their classic, sexy Latin dances combined with a West Side Story theme and flawless synchronization. Their impressive stunts and grand finale had audience members gasping on their feet. It is safe to say that no one could argue with the judges when they declared Fuego the winners of the dance category.
The reigning Showdown champs, Phaymus closed the show with a barbershop themed, hip-hop routine that combined elements of many other dance styles.
It must have been so hard for the judges to decide the winners of this year’s competition because each team was incredibly talented and really brought their best performances to the stage, resulting in a night of entertainment that was well worth the $15 I paid for my ticket. Along with the pride and bragging rights, the winners each received $500 checks to donate to their chosen charities. Masti gave theirs to CRY America, whose mission is to put an end to child labor and abuse in India, and Fuego donated to the Veronica Robles Cultural Center, which works to promote education and celebration of the Spanish-speaking world through music and dance.
If you missed the show, I highly recommend checking out more of the performances on YouTube!
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