On March 28, Georgetown’s hip-hop dance team, Groove Theory, brought Gaston Hall to life with their 15th annual “One Move, One Groove” showcase. From powerful group numbers to versatile vignettes, the girls brought energy and passion to the stage, and they did it with style.
The show experimented with different styles of movement, allowing the girls to take a step outside of their typical hip-hop genre.
The showcase began with “Sigma Alpha Groove,” a group number featuring songs “reminiscent of darties on Vil A,” according to junior Dance Captain Mariella Boudreau (CAS ’26). The number was jam-packed with sharp, clean movements and classic party tracks.
The next group number, “Denial is a River,” was a tribute to Doechii, filled with songs by Black female artists like Doja Cat. According to Dance Captain Karina Munjal (CAS ’25), a mix like this, with Black artists, particularly Black women, is common for their group. This number used a ripple effect, with groups of dancers staggering their movements to the different beats in the songs. The girls in each group were perfectly in sync—a very powerful execution.
Groove’s final group number, showcasing throwback songs, was absolutely electric. Finishing strong in terms of energy and movement, the dancers left it all out on the stage.
Between group numbers, Groove played with style in their vignettes—shorter numbers incorporating contemporary movements and a specific theme or feeling. The vignettes were packed with emotion and demonstrated the true adaptability of the dancers: from the more grieving movements in “Brother” to the sultry steps of “Dirty Diana,” the girls worked off each other’s energy and moved as a cohesive unit.
The showcase also featured guest performances by Ritmo y Sabor, Hoya Break Squad, GU Vibe, and GU Jawani. The groups brought different cultural and rhythmic styles to the show, creating an addictive variety of movements. Within Groove Theory itself, dancers performed with a range of styles, each adding their own flair. For Munjal and others, this variety is what drew them to Groove Theory originally.
“It’s really nice to be exposed to these different types of artistic movement,” Alexandra Dassopoulos (MSB ’28) said. “Everyone has their own unique twists and techniques that they’ve learned.”
Groove Theory’s choreography is inspired by a range of people, themes, and styles. At the beginning of the year, each dancer in Groove Theory also has the opportunity to choreograph a smaller number, some of which were performed in the showcase. According to Boudreau, this is a standout opportunity for dancers at Georgetown.
“Everybody gets the chance, no matter how old you are or your previous experience, to choreograph,” she said. “You get the chance to show off your skills, and you can do every style. Which I think is really unique.”
For the larger numbers, choreographed by Munjal and other dance captains, inspiration can come from anywhere.
“I think because I grew up dancing, I’ll hear a song sometimes and it’s like ‘oh I can imagine this being a fun thing to see on stage.’ Just an immediate visual from so many years of experience,” Munjal, who choreographed two of the group dances, said.
Boudreau enjoys incorporating the music artist’s style and emotion into her choreography. This year, she choreographed “Dirty Diana,” a bold vignette to the Michael Jackson song of the same name.
“I feel like taking influences from the artist’s personal lifestyle and projection of themselves is super fun. Michael Jackson’s always super sassy,” she said. “I think also incorporating the percussion to whatever image of the artist you see is always pretty cool.”
Figuring out how to dance the choreographer’s vision was as rewarding for the dancers as it was for the choreographers.
“For me to really embody what the choreographers have envisioned for these dances is to show that not only in my body but also in my facial expressions and in the thoughts that I carry when I’m walking onto the stage,” Dassopoulos said. “It was honestly rewarding for everyone to see our collective effort and how we managed to perfect everything within the last few weeks.”
No matter the genre, so much time, thought, and deliberation were put into each movement. It was easy to tell that the girls cared about making each dance distinct.
Munjal attributed the success of the showcase to the strength and variety of members in the group.
“I think that’s also just a testament to how talented and how smart all of the girls in the group are,” Munjal said. “The people I met in Groove Theory, I feel like I may not have met otherwise. Like everybody has different majors, everybody has different interests, everybody has different extracurriculars aside from dance. And I’m just so glad that I had that one thing that was able to bring us all together.”
Georgetown’s dance community—Groove Theory and beyond—is highly collaborative.
“The dance community is super close-knit, and everybody just loves music and expressing yourself through dance,” Boudreau said.
This sense of community was indisputable in their performances. Everyone moved as a unit to create intoxicating, high-energy dances that enraptured the audience in Gaston. Groove Theory truly put on a spectacular showcase that demonstrated true versatility, redefining what it means to be a hip-hop group.
