Fall exhibition showcase gives dance teams an opportunity to build community

Get ready to get down — Kamikazi is hosting their annual fall exhibition showcase Nov. 12 at 3 p.m. in the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.

Kamikazi is a co-ed hip-hop dance group at UNC. This is their third annual fall exhibition showcase. 

Dance teams from across North Carolina will be showing their talent at the event. Teams participating are Kamikazi, Moonlight and Blank Canvas from UNC-Chapel Hill; Street Medicine from Duke University; Physical Graffeeti from UNC-Wilmington; Fusion from N.C. State University; Entropy from Appalachian State University and Clos du Bois, which is comprised of students from multiple universities.

Madison Casey, social chair for Kamikazi, said the showcase is meant to give teams the opportunity to perform and provide a sense of community.

“There’s our family, and then there’s the larger family of all the teams in North Carolina,” Casey said. “It’s something that inspires us every day, and we hope that bringing these teams together we’re able to not only inspire other dancers but inspire the people that come (to the show) by seeing how supportive, encouraging and loving this environment is.”

The gathering of teams in one place gives members the opportunity to appreciate other styles of dancing.

“I think our main thing that we want to show to our team is that there is a large dance community out there,” said Anushri Adhia, co-director of Kamikazi. “It’s worth it to get outside of dancing at UNC and push yourself outside of your limit to meet and share with other people and get involved.”

Jason Yu, a member of Moonlight, said the showcase allows them to show off their hard work.

“Showcasing your identity and your culture through your performances, it’s another opportunity to explore through dance,” Yu said.

Practicing sets and performing sets can create two different feelings for dancers when participating in events like the fall showcase.

“It’s important because, this happens to a lot of teams, you get really focused on just practice, practice, practice, but there’s something different when you perform,” said Kayla Dehoniesto, secretary and treasurer of Kamikazi. “Performing in front of a bunch of other teams that also love dance just as much as you do — it’s a whole different environment.”

Having other teams come to UNC to perform is critical to achieving Kamikazi’s overall goal for the showcase.

“For this particular event, it wouldn’t be our fall showcase without them — I love my team, and I think we have a lot to offer and a lot to bring to the community,” Casey said. “It wouldn’t be the community without everyone else, and it’s a big part of why we like hosting the event because we are able to bring in all these different teams and share with the community and grow together. A big part of this culture that we have created has to do with the relationships we build with other teams.”

The showcase gives team more than the opportunity to bond and build community with one another.

“I think showcases like this are cool to go and hang out and dance, but I feel like showcases give that extra incentive and drive for people something to work for,” said Corine Olarte, publicity chair for Moonlight. “In the end with dancing and just performance in general, like you don’t have to have fancy lights and fancy costumes — all you need is the performers and the audience, and that’s what the showcase gives out.”

Mr. and Miss UNC will be emceeing the event for the dance groups.

“We’re all just college kids trying to have fun, and it’s cool to think we’re all in different schools, but we’re all still gravitating towards the same thing,” Olarte said. “For me, since being in Moonlight and seeing other crews perform who have their own personalities and styles and that helps with the whole growth process, we all end up learning from each other.”

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