UCSD’s Multi-Asian Student Association hosted the Fusion XV Kickoff on Feb. 22, drawing an estimated crowd of 300 to 400 students to watch six teams of hip-hop dancers from throughout the UCSD community perform in Price Center West Ballroom. 

The show was an opener for the Fusion XV Hip-Hop Dance Competition, which will be hosted by MASA in April. 

Fusion is a competition meant to recognize diversity in dance and features teams from across California. UCSD has hosted the competition since 1999. This will only be the 15th competition, however, since it was not held in 2012. 

Trophies and monetary prizes will be awarded, as well as the second annual Fusion Dance Scholarship. Dancers of all ages and styles can apply, and two will be awarded the $125 scholarship. 

UCSD alumna Tracy Liu and Muir College junior Jinseong Na hosted and initiated the show at around 7:30 p.m. The night featured performances by dance teams such as Footsteps, Bodyrock, Finesse, D12, Salty Bodies, 4NO1 and kunFusion. Jonathan Sison of the Culture Shock Dance Center also performed. 

Revelle College junior and Lead Coordinator Jane Duan and Lead Coordinator Max Shen led the planning for the event. Both the kickoff and the competition in April are events run entirely by student committees.

This is the first year that Duan has worked as a coordinator for the kickoff, and she expressed her happiness with the turnout.

“We weren’t sure how many people were going to show up since it was a Sunday night,” said Duan. “We were expecting about 300 so having more was satisfactory.”

Next year, Duan hopes to hold the kickoff on a Friday to increase the attendance beyond what it was this year.

In previous years, the kickoff had been held in Price Center Plaza. According to Duan, the event changed locations this year in order to better accommodate the dance performances. 

“Originally the kickoff was held at PC stage, in front of Price Theater, and it was a much smaller event where teams showcased their skills,” Duan told the UCSD Guardian. “We decided this year to move it toward a more professional event and give teams allocated time slots to perform.”

The event’s Facebook page originally cited the night as the beginning of ticket sales for the Fusion XV Hip-Hop Dance Competition, scheduled to take place at UCSD on April 18, 2015. The actual starting date of ticket sales will be announced soon, according to its coordinators, and tickets will be available at the UCSD Box Office. 

Eleanor Roosevelt College sophomore and member of the FUSION marketing team Jerin Tan feels that the campus’ participation serves to unite and inspire the UCSD dance community.

“Fusion is a wonderful event that not only brings the UCSD dance community together, but also connects us to dancers from San Diego and other parts of California,” Tan told the Guardian. “This allows us to both showcase the great talent of UCSD students and get more exposure to the creativity of other groups outside of our school, which is a great opportunity for our dancers.”