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CENTERPIECE

PurduedancegrouphostsUrbanShowcase
ByKATHERINEPETERSONStaffReporter Nov2,2015

MujtabaaHasan|SeniorPhotographer

ThePurdueBoilerBreakersdancetogetherfortheUrbanShowcasehostedbyPurdue2XSonSaturdayatLoeb
Playhouse.

Many students spent their Halloween evening watching a hip-hop showcase that included mind-
blowing tricks and ensembles that were certainly a treat to watch.

The Purdue University chapter of the group Dance 2XS hosted the event, which was free to the
public, on Saturday evening.

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Dance 2XS Purdue is part of the international dance troupe Dance 2XS International, said Belia
Mercado, secretary of Dance 2XS Purdue. This dance troupe started at the University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign in 1998 by Patrick Chen and Lee Daniel. 2XS has chapters in Mexico,
Australia and China, just to name a few.

Mercado is in her senior year at Purdue and says what she will miss the most about her time at
Purdue is getting to call these wonderful people my teammates.

I have been on this team for two years now. I could not imagine a life at Purdue without it. This
team is my family, said Mercado. I am so proud of how far we have come in such a short
period of time. I know that no matter what goes on in life, we all have 2XS to show us love and
support. It is not just about the dancing. It is about the community we have built of talented
individuals that share the same passion for art and culture.

Dance 2XS Purdue also oers a lot of fun opportunities.

I like being on Dance 2XS because its really fun and challenging, said Joselyn Cooks, a
sophomore at Purdue and dancer in 2XS. I like the opportunities the club gives us to dance all
over the Midwest and learn from the best hip-hop dancers in the country, like Poreotics, Jet Li,
Leila Henry and Patrick Chen.

Dance 2XS Internationals founder, Patrick Chen, was in attendance Saturday night.

We couldnt have done it without Patrick Chen, said Cooks. Without him our club wouldnt
even exist, and he does a lot for our team.

The event was held in Loeb Playhouse, which was nearly full with eager audience members by
the start time. Fifteen minutes before the doors opened, dozens of people were lined up, waiting
to enter.

In past semesters, we have sold out our showcase inside of Fowler Hall, said Mercado. The
event was moved to Loeb Playhouse because of an anticipated larger audience.

The showcase included routines that were lightning fast, full of energy and fun. The routines
were performed so smoothly that they looked like they took no eort. The lineup consisted of
multiple dancing groups from around the Midwest, including one from Los Angeles.

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The show began with UIUC, Boiler Breakers, PRIMO and Afro-Royale, followed by an intermission
during which volunteers took part in a 15-minute freestyle competition that may have been the
highlight of the evening. Participants had a few seconds to wow the crowd, and the winner was
judged by the audiences reaction, which was full of fervor for each person.

After the intermission, special guests from Los Angeles performed. The group, Poreotics, a
dance group that became known nationally after they won the fth season of Americas Best
Dance Crew, gave a stellar performance.

Since the show, they have performed all around the world and guest-starred in popular music
videos such as Bruno Mars The Lazy Song, said Mercado.

Poreotics didnt end their time in West Lafayette after the Urban Showcase. They also taught a
Hip-Hop Workshop at the Co-Rec Sunday afternoon.

Poreotics was amazing! Its really unbelievable how our little club in West Lafayette, Indiana, can
pull such amazing talent to perform with us and teach us, said Cooks.

Following Poreotics was Urban Movement, and then the hosts of the event, Dance 2XS Purdue,
gave the last performance of the night.

The crowd was awesome, said Cooks. As Joanna and Darius (the MCs) said, as hip hop dancers
we really feed o the crowds energy. You could tell the whole crowd and the other dancers
watching were really into it. That is the most rewarding thing as a dancer because our goal is to
entertain the audience, and hearing them cheer us on lets us know we did our job.

From the dancers to the Dance 2XS Purdue MCs, everyone seemed to be not only having fun,
but also doing something they loved.

When people watch us perform, they only see a few minutes of dancing, said Mercado. What
is so special about these shows is that you get to see the nal, awless results of hours lled
with frustration, dedication, laughs and memories.

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