Sean Paul would have been proud. Temperatures certainly rose in Packer Hall during the Inter-Greek Council's ninth Annual Step Show, "Up in Smoke," Friday.
Members of several fraternities, sororities and dance teams entertained students of the College as they danced, shook, clapped, stomped and stepped. The newest hip-hop and dance songs permeated the gym in between and during the performances.
The performers were not the only ones dancing at the show. When they weren't using their programs to fan themselves from the heat that filled the gym, many members of the audience took turns showing off their own moves.
Some stayed in the bleachers but most took the times between performances to show off on the dance floor.
Stepping has a number of different influences, all of which were displayed during each performance.
These influences include traditional African dances, cheerleading, hip-hop and tap dancing.
Each group incorporated the variety of influences into the performances in a unique and creative way.
"The different themes, like the Inspector Gadget and the preachers, made it sick. It definitely made me want to dance," Kevin Maulbeck, freshman graphic design major, said.
While Maulbeck, who was attending his first step show, enjoyed the themes, others felt differently.
"With all the skits and talk, the true essence of step was lacking," senior Janely Jose, president of the Lambda Tau Omega Sorority, said.
Lambda Tau Omega placed second in the competition between the sororities, and Jose said that she was proud of her sorority "for showing (the College) their accurate and complex stepping style."
The winning sorority team, Zeta Phi Beta, incorporated comedic acts and dialogue into its Charlie's Angels themed performance.
The winning fraternity team was Phi Beta Sigma, whose performance was church themed and also acknowledged the African roots of stepping.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity definitely brought theatrics into their performance with many flips and jumps.
They, along with several members of the audience, barked during their Grim Reaper themed performance.
Omega Psi Phi placed second in the competition, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity placed third.
Phi Beta Sigma has not only been competing here at the College.
They have won several step shows across the East Coast, and recently finished filming a movie about stepping in Canada.
"Although (we're) exhausted, it was still our duty to come and perform at (the College), and that's just what we did," Ike Anyanwu, senior business management major and member of Phi Beta Sigma, said.
Along with the fraternities and sororities that competed at the show, several others entertained the audience before the competition.
UNITY, the TCNJ Dance Team, the Flow Hip Hop Dance Team and a step team from Trenton High School also performed.
The step show was not only important to the fraternities and sororities that took part in it, but also has become an anticipated event all throughout campus.
"Hopefully, this shows all people that although our campus is small and diverse, we can come together and enjoy each others' company," Tommie Glenn, sophomore criminology and justice studies major, member of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity and vice-president of multicultural affairs for the Inter-Greek Council, said. "It was a success."
