Who needs to watch America’s Best Dance Crew when the hip hop world’s upcoming and hottest talent is right here in Chicago? (annnnd is brought to you by the one-and-only DePaul University?)
HYPE! is an annual hip hop show hosted by DePaul’s Delta Sigma Pi and has become THE place for Chicago’s dance crews to battle it out on the stage and sometimes even in the circle (if you know what that means, you get a dollar). It’s grown so much in these five years that even Metromix and TimeOut Chicago have it on their events list!
I’ve been to this show every year since its beginning and it’s an event that should be listed under the definition “bigger & better.” Each year all the crews bring it with BIGGER & BETTER, jaw-dropping, whiplash-inducing performances. Some are SUPER creative (last year, Fusion Dance Company did their whole set in toy costumes! Check it out!)… and some people are just plain biters (but we won’t give links to those performances). The proceeds are always for a good cause, and this year it’s Youth Guidance.
Last year’s winner is a group that I LOVE, ADMIRE, and I believe they INSPIRE — Nonstop Dance Productions. They even won 103.5 Kiss FM’s America’s Best Dance Crew contest to open up for the ABDC tour stop in Chicago, performing and meeting some of their own inspirations like the JabbaWockeeZ, Fanny Pak, and SoReal Cru (thanks to me… but that’s a different story =P). Nonstop was only the first group to perform but you could tell from the applause that they pwned (you get another dollar if you know what that means).
Check out Nonstop Dance Productions’ winning performance from Hype! 2008
This year on (May 7th, 8pm @ the Athletic Center), the competing groups include the bboy crew Chicago Tribe, Gifted Souls, Ground Syndrome, Fusion Dance Company, Impulse, Nonstop (of course), and winners of the first three (yes, three) Hype competitions ReDefinition. There will also be exhibition performances by Dance 2xs, CODA, Hip-Hop ConnXion Chicago, and more. (YouTube & Google all these names to see their official MySpaces, Facebooks, and sites!)
Check out the event on Facebook for more details!
BE THERE! You’ll be blown away, no lie.
Chicago Entertainment 