Incarnations of spacewomen, prisoners, Oompa-Loompas and Sean "Diddy" Combs pounded the stage of the Phillips Center for Performing Arts on Saturday night.
Four UF fraternities and four sororities from the National Panhellenic Council portrayed the characters as part of the annual Battle of the Greeks Step Show.
About 1,400 students piled into the center to watch the competition, sponsored by the nine-member greek council.
Although the Battle of the Greeks has only existed for four years, its predecessor, the Black Greek Expedition, has been around since the late 1990s, said John Foster, a member of the show's publicity committee.
Some of the themes included swashbuckling pirates, space expeditions, a spoof of MTV's "Making the Band" and a futuristic voyage.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity started off the night on the right foot - literally - when they performed their routine blindfolded and standing on one leg.
The uniqueness of the routine earned extra points with the nine judges.
Some of the performers took advantage of special effects, such as fog and black lights, for their performances. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, whose show was based on a journey to Mars, used strobe lights to simulate a feeling of low gravity.
Groups also made short video clips to help narrate their storylines.
Acrobatics and stunts were also used in routines. The pirates of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority made a human compass while spinning and lifting a girl, who posed as the needle.
Performers wove elements such as jump ropes and swords into some of the performances. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority used canes in their routines, with one dancer banging her cane so hard against the stage that it broke into three pieces.
Once the organizations finished competing, UF's Apocalypse Dance Troupe performed and R&B artist Bobby Valentino put on a concert.
Audience members sang and danced along while waiting for the judges' results. Once the scores were tallied, the Philips Center became quiet as the audience awaited the news.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority - last year's reigning champions - took home a trophy and another year's worth of bragging rights.
Foster said he was pleased with the execution of this year's show.
"It was quite possibly the best one yet," he said.
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