UCSD hermits holed up in Geisel library may not be privy to this, but some of their classmates can pop, lock and drop it with the best of the hip-hop world. It’s all a part of the burgeoning dance scene in Southern California that’s managed to make a name for itself — in a big way — on our very own campus.
Some of the most talented teams in the country will be coming out on March 28, when the Multi-Asian Student Association (MASA) and Second to None (220) dance company hold their annual Fusion dance competition at RIMAC Arena.
In its 11-year history, Fusion has become one of the most prominent hip-hop competitions on the West Coast and the largest Asian-American-directed student-run event at UCSD. Seating over 3,000 attendees, the competition has seen an incredible increase in turnout over the past few years.
Crews like Jabbawockeez and Poreotics — both from MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” — have performed at RIMAC Arena in previous years. With the inclusion of such well known and high-caliber teams, the competition at FUSION has grown exponentially.
“The competition’s stakes continue to increase every year,” said 220 member, FUSION coordinator and Sixth College junior Chesley Tolentino. “Teams continually keep progressing and getting more creative, which makes the stakes even higher than the year before.”
Though 220 does not compete, because they coordinate the event they typically perform as an exhibition team instead. Competing teams include “ABDC” favorites Kaba Modern, as well as groups from various colleges and studios across California. The coordinators hope these teams will embody the strong dance world of Southern California and San Diego.
“We feel ‘America’s Best Dance Crew’ gives a very limited view of the hip-hop dance community,” FUSION coordinator and Sixth College junior Kathy Fan said. “There are so many teams right here in San Diego that can compete with the very best.”
Southern California’s booming hip-hop scene will certainly be well-represented at the show. Several of the competing teams are from UC Irvine in particular, where “their dance is kind of like their football team,” Tolentino said. “That’s how big and famous their dancers are.”
And the performers definitely show just as much commitment to their art as any D-I football player.
“Most of the competing teams are petty intense,” Tolentino said. “Sometimes they practice everyday until five in the morning and then go to school at 8 a.m. Every team wants to raise up the intensity and difficulty of their routines, so they have to work extra hard every year.”
Besides providing dancers a platform for competition, the event’s coordinators also aim to bring awareness and visibility to Asian-Americans in the dance world.
“Fusion is, quite literally, the annual fusion of the two organizations to put on a show that reflects both the love of dance from 220 and the importance of Asian-American culture from MASA,” Fan said.
By combining MASA’s goals with 220’s talents, the two groups hope to demonstrate the growing prominence of Asian-Americans in the hip-hop community.
“Asian-Americans never really had a voice and were kind of the minority in the hip-hop community,” said Tolentino. “It has progressed so much over the years, so that now Asian-Americans are everywhere in hip-hop.”
Accordingly, the organizers have chosen this year’s competition theme to be “Dimensions of a Generation.”
“[The theme] focuses on the fact that the presence and breakthroughs of Asian Americans in the hip-hop community are not limited to just our generation but the ones before and definitely the ones after,” Fan said.
Fusion will also include art, spoken word, music and other cultural acts — notably performances from UCSD’s Kaibigang Pilipino Club and the Daughters of Triton vocal ensemble.
Fusion will be held at RIMAC Arena on March 28 at 6 p.m.
