Pounding bass, coordinated steps and strobe lights turned the O'Connell Center into a thunder dome as nine step teams from across the nation battled for first place at the 19th Annual Florida Invitational Step Show on Saturday night.
"Let's have some old-school fun," said Terrence Jenkins, of Black Entertainment Television's "106 & Park," as he kicked off the show.
Sponsored by the Black Student Union, the event featured fraternity and sorority teams that came from as far as Maryland and Indiana. Step teams strutted their stuff to the beat of artists like Soulja Boy and Snoop Dogg, while some of the 5,800 spectators shimmied along to the steps.
As the competition began, nine phone-booth-looking boxes, with a representative from each fraternity and sorority inside, began to rattle.
Supporters grouped around their favorite box from which a dancer emerged to perform a step unique to their Greek organization. But the real show began when each organization took the stage to perform an elaborately choreographed routine before the panel of 11 judges.
Some jumped rope using human bodies in place of rope, and others performed steps while sitting on the shoulders of their teammates.
One sorority even performed its acrobatics in stilettos.
While all the teams exhibited strength and artistic qualities, only one fraternity and one sorority would be awarded first place. Florida A&M University's Delta Sigma Theta Sorority received a $5,000 check and a first-place plaque for its magician-themed performance. Morehouse College's Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity won first place for its performance, which relied mainly on traditional steps.
Ariane Jolliet, a UF event management sophomore, enjoyed her first time at the invitational and said she plans to attend next year.
"It was more than I expected," Jolliet said. "I was really impressed by all of the special effects, and the energy among the people was really high."
