Suffolk University’s hip-hop dance troupe, W!CKED, hosted their dance community showcase EXCLAMATION April 19, featuring teams from Suffolk University and other Boston colleges, and dance troupe’s from local communities.
The annual showcase aims to embrace the hip-hop community around Boston, bringing returning groups and new performances to a growing audience every year. EXCLAMATION bolstered a team bigger than their previous showcases, with 28 members taking to the stage with their exceptional talent.
Many of the groups in this year’s line up took inspiration from recent rap and hip-hop icons, with several groups incorporating Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator’s latest album “Chromakopia” and Doechii’s album “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” The excitement these artist’s music brought to the exhibition’s choreography was next-level, with audiences in uproar over W!CKED’s opening number featuring “Squabble Up,” MIT’s troupe Mocha Moves featuring “Rah Tah Tah,” and other recognizable tunes throughout the show.
Harvard’s Asian American dance troupe, Beyond, took to the stage second and set the bar high for artistry and vision. The team is aimed at making performance pieces centered around Asian American musicians and the cultural experience of their demographic through all styles of dance. Their hip-hop number at EXCLAMATION featured the robust company decked in Harvard’s signature maroon and white.
Moving between high energy synchronous sequences and moments of emotional release that accentuated dancers in smaller groups, the team’s united mission reflected through their movement, harmony and emotional delivery of every member.
Harvard’s other featured team, EXP, drew from some of the most popular rap music of the year in their set, featuring “Sticky” by Tyler the Creator and “Escapism” by Raye and 070 Shake. An upbeat mix, the team was evidently having a great time on stage together. With choreography built to let members soak up the untethered fun on the stage, the team brought one of the liveliest performances of the night.
A recent addition to EXCLAMATION’s lineup, The Peacekeepers, directed by Shawn Excilus, was one of the stand-out performances of the night. In their second performance this season, they brought killer choreography to the stage. W!CKED alum Alexa Affsa, one of the original members of the team, was able to return to her alma mater’s showcase, a full circle moment for a dancer formally on the host troupe’s roster.
The group’s choreography had break-dancing influences that were mesmerizing to watch, with intricacies executed with precision and unity between the whole company. The team defied gravity with some of their smooth transitions from fast paced energy to moments of near-stillness. Even as a new team, the group was able to convince an audience to be fans of the group’s work with just one performance.
Returning team to the showcase, Revolve Dance Crew, brought the tension up in their performance, beginning their dance with a rhythmic march to “Run Boy Run” by Woodkid. The team’s precision was mesmerizing, and their featured dancers were expertly intentional.
The precise movements that began the dance transitioned to more free and weightless motion as the dark intensity of their music choice turned to Tyler the Creator’s “St. Chroma,” for an inspiring and hopeful tone to end their dance.
A concept piece from the team Mill Advised was the most creative dance of the night. Being introduced as a “candy inspired” dance, the team intentionally separated its male and female members to showcase the men chasing after the women, who occasionally brought props out to depict themselves as the candy in question.
The male group would linger after a physically impressive female team that dripped with femininity and confidence as they soaked up the spotlight. In their partnerwork, the difference between the mens sharp choreography and the women’s smooth and sensual style showcased an expertly deliberate difference between the two demographics, which elevated the dance to a new level the showcase hadn’t seen yet.
One of the most unique dance teams featured was Head to Heels: The Company. Their troupe strutted out in laced up stilettos and dominated the stage with their all-black outfits. With a focus on female empowerment, the group embraced a feminine energy in their attitude and movements, all fierce. Complete with an abundance of “hairography,” the small group left an extensive impression on the exhibition’s audiences.
Another group featuring a dance style that departed from EXCLAMATION’s hip-hop styles was W!CKED’s sister team from Suffolk, Pasión Latina. Spanning genres of Latin American dance and music styles, the team bolstered exceptional chemistry between its members.
The company’s performance focused on partnerwork, but no dancer stuck to one teammate, rotating through different members throughout the performance. This choice exuded a team bond and some of the best partner choreography of the night.
Phunk Mob, one of the younger groups performing, brought together an exciting iteration of “The Hangover” plot to the stage. Complete with a bride, bridesmaids and a group of bachelor’s rocking a baby björn, the group was high energy and hilarious. Made up of middle and high schoolers, the team was able to match the chaotic and free energy of the movie they were resembling, complete with sparkling movement and facial expressions that never left a dull moment on stage.
One dancer managed to get herself on stage four times during the night, performing alongside W!CKED in their stage takeovers, and alongside standout act one closer Moves Like Zay Movement.
Demarea Morris, a freshman at Suffolk University, got to show off her skills in features from both teams. MLZMovement brought the energy up before intermission with a non-stop performance. Between fast paced movements and moments of slow control, there was no end to high energy excitement on the dance floor.
While no team disappointed with their energy and skill, none could top the night’s hosts, W!CKED. Emerging from a dark stage with no introduction, they made an impression that set the tone for a high-impact show right off the bat with “Intros.” Alternating between small groups that showcased all the dancers, and later flooding the stage with their 28 members, the dance lived up to its name of introducing the stellar team to the audience.
Their fall semester dance, “Utopia,” was a slow departure from the team’s usual loud and proud choreography. Using songs like SZA’s “Saturn,” the team was able to showcase a different style of controlled and slowed movements.
In the final act before headliner, Eric Delgado, was W!CKED’s “R!ot in Red.” The final dance the team did, and their best by far. After a show packed with talent, the team managed to top it all with a stage full of fun. A team of dancers truly excited to walk onto the stage, with each step and moment packing a punch that hit all the right visual notes. Ending the medley with Ariana Grande’s “boy bye” they wound down to a final pose after a high-energy performance.
W!CKED featured first-semester senior Mozelle Campo, who had a breakthrough season, but will not be returning to next year’s EXCLAMATION exhibition as their final act before the shows close. She was able to be recognized by team captains Brennan Loi and Jessa DiDonato before the show concluded. Campo choreographed for this showcase, her first time doing so with the team.
W!CKED will return to campus next fall, making their rounds around dance showcases on and off Suffolk’s campus for people to check out the exceptional team that’s been built from students.
