Kinematix, one of Northeastern’s hip-hop dance troupes, lit up the stage at Blackman Auditorium with its 16th annual fall dance showcase, Funk’tion, Nov. 8.
Funk’tion gathers 17 dance groups from across the Boston area and the Northeast, including Brown University’s Impulse Dance Company, Northeastern’s other hip-hop dance group, Revolve, Boston College’s Synergy and two Boston University’s dance teams, Unofficial Project and Vibes. The showcase also included two headliner performances from California-based choreographers and dancers Kevin Nierva, John and Jellow.
The crowd was explosive and full of excitement as each group brought unique moves and flair in a coordinated three- to five-minute routine. Cassandra Lee, Kinematix president and third-year pharmacy major, said preparations began at the end of the spring semester and involved contacting headliners, contracting and working with Northeastern.
“It was crazy,” Lee said. “None of us have done this before, so it’s completely new for all of us. Northeastern was really good at helping us and answering.”
The dance group worked with event production company Pretty Polly, who helped contract headliners, Lee said. When the fall semester started, the group held auditions for interested and new students looking to join the team, then started on the set right away.
According to Lee, after everything came together and tickets were available for purchase, the show sold out in about 1.5 hours.
“It honestly felt so surreal because of how much time and effort we put into this performance and into this big event that it sold out so fast, so it just means a lot to us,” Lee said.
For Kinematix member Caroline Sakovits, a fourth-year pharmacy major, the energy at Funk’tion was unlike anything else.
“My favorite part is just the adrenaline and getting the energy back from the crowd,” Sakovits said. “It’s so invigorating — there’s nothing really like it, and so I’m just excited to experience that again. Funk’tion is the most loud, hype and supportive event ever, and so that really just makes it the best.”
At Funk’tion, groups were able to build camaraderie and connect with and support each other. The auditorium buzzed with cheering throughout the showcase and chatter among the participants during the rehearsals and while getting ready behind-the-scenes.
“It’s the reason I stayed on the team for so long and why we keep going back to these shows. There’s such a community here, and especially at Funk’tion, you can just feel the energy of all the dancers together. It’s so cool to connect to people not only at Boston University, but at other colleges around Boston too,” said Paige Thompson, a fourth-year finance major and Boston University Unofficial Project member.
Kylie Maeda, a fifth-year pharmacy major and Revolve Dance Crew member, agrees that the community is welcoming and supportive.
“Dancing with Revolve is always really fun, but getting to do it in front of a sold out audience is always incredible, especially because everybody in the Boston Dance community is so supportive and uplifting,” Maeda said. “It’s like dancing for your biggest fans, it feels like.”
Ultimately, the showcase was a success, bringing the dance community together with excitement and energy.
“Dance is community, and so the fact that we’re able to have showcases like this for the community, by the community is amazing,” said Johnson Shou, a third-year computer science major at Brown University and Impulse Dance Company member.
