Omega Psi Phi hosts benefit dance-off for Bethlehem House
The men of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity hosted the first annual “So You Think You Can Dance” competition March 6 in Ida Waldran Auditorium.
The competition was the brainchild of Omega Psi Phi president Kendrell Barksdale.
Eight groups from different schools in the state competed, and prizes were awarded for first, second and third places, with a group from University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff taking the first prize of $400.
“We’ve been thinking of hosting an event like this for around a year,” Barksdale said. “This is something we would like to host every year. We just wanted to see how people reacted and responded to the show this first year.”
The competition held in Ida Waldran Auditorium, required a $3 admission or a donation two canned food items.
“All admission proceeds are being donated to the Bethlehem House,” Barksdale said.
According to the Bethlehem House’s Web site, the organization aims to assist those who are “down on their luck” and to offer a “hand-up” instead of a “hand-out.”
Barksdale said the fraternity most heavily advertised the competition in the Little Rock area and also created a Facebook group to spread the word about the competition.
“Groups who wanted to compete contacted us,” Barksdale said. “If the competition continues to grow throughout the years we may audition groups to get into the show.”
Barksdale also said he hopes the event could evolve into a dedication competition in honor of two charter members who were killed in an automobile accident in 1975.
The competition began with a group named “God’s Young Praises” made up of four young boys.
The crowd went wild for these young men, especially when one of the younger group members, no older than seven years old, took the stage alone and performed with an unexpected intensity and vigor.
The groups competing came as far as Pine Bluff, representing UA-Pine Bluff, University of Arkansas-Little Rock and two of the groups were from UCA.
The second group that performed, named “Versatile,” hailed from UA-PB and were the first-place winners of a $400 cash prize.
This group had about 15 group members, both male and female. The audience clapped and howled in constant approval as the group danced their way through several song and line-up changes.
At times the members in “Versatile” moved as if it were one dancer. The movements of the individuals were often so synchronized that arms and legs formed into one blur of movement in front of the plain black backdrop.
A group that proved to be a crowd favorite, but did not place in the compeition, named “Dominion,” from North Little Rock, was made up of around 20 group members, both male and female.
This group took on a military theme with all members wearing camouflage pants and matching sneakers.
The dancers took control of the stage and performed a heart-pounding dance that drew praise from the active audience.
The audience members could have counted as another group in the compeition. During the break between performances the, auditorium would fill with music, and the audience would break into dance.
At the end of the competition a battle broke out between “Dominion” and the young boys of “God’s Young Praises.”
This battle turned into an all-group show down as each competing group rushed the stage to show off their talents one last time before the winners were announced.
Henderson State University sophomore Shannon Nelson said the battle between “Dominion” and “God’s Young Praises” was her favorite part of the night.
“I loved to watch the interaction of the different age groups all on one stage,” Nelson said.
“If they have this next year, I will definitely be back. They put on a great show.”
