It’s not so much the perfect degree of synchronicity between members that immediately impresses when watching Groove Theory, Georgetown’s urban dance squad, practice, but rather the speed with which they throw themselves into a routine. I look up momentarily and watch five people in a row go from talking amongst themselves to jumping three feet in the air and turning perfectly in synch as a new beat drops on the stereo that’s blaring overhead. There’s an element of the surreal in watching these 17 students bring the sort of choreographed symmetry we see only in music videos to the stage.
Right now Groove Theory’s members are taking their dancing very seriously. March 20 marks the Battle at the Capitol National Dance Championship, a shot at a third consecutive national title for the group. The competition will be held this year at the Patriot Center at George Mason University. According to Jared Jenkins (MSB ‘06), one of the group’s four directors, they have been practicing four hours a week all year long, working towards events like Rangila but especially the National Championship. This is the third year that Atlantic Cheer and Dance Championships, the organization that runs the event, has had a hip-hop division, and Groove Theory is hoping to remain on top of the competition.
While the proximity of the National Competition (on the Orange Line toward VA) certainly provides a unique opportunity for Hoyas to root for their team in person, they’ll get an advance look at the squad’s skills this Friday. Groove Theory is hosting a party at Riverside Lounge in New South, hoping to raise funds for the group and get students excited about the upcoming competition. Jenkins stressed the presence of snacks, and fellow director Joseph Almeida (CAS ‘05) made it clear that while this wasn’t going to be a full performance, they were still going to show off one of the new routines they’ve been working on. (ambien) Watching Groove Theory show off is enough to get anybody in the mood for an ass-shaking Friday night.
-P.S. Hepburn
