Though Ball State's hip-hop dance group, Outlet, fell short of the competition at BET's annual "Spring Bling" April 16, members are still reflecting on their experience with a sense of pride.
"We performed very well under the circumstances," sophomore Emmanuel Exum said. "I can't say we were flawless, but we were all personally satisfied with the performance. Everybody gave 110 percent."
Outlet joined 31 other dance teams at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Daytona Beach, Fla., to audition for the reality show "Revamped," which gave two winning dance teams an opportunity to create their own versions of popular music videos by recreating the videos' dance sequences.
Outlet, formed at Ball State in February, consists of 12 students who successfully completed a rigorous audition process formatted like FOX-TV's "American Idol." Members include sophomore Lamar Alexander, who serves as the group's choreographer, junior Cami Thomas, senior Kisha Keeney, senior Kenny Daniels, sophomore Arlisha Doctor, sophomore Emmanuel Exum, freshman De'Jolea Laster, freshman Krystle Simmons, sophomore Nawaf Melyas, junior Ricky Mesina, freshman Sarah Taylor and freshman Natalie Wesley.
Several other dance groups who attended this year's "Spring Bling" included squads from Vanderbilt University, the University of Wisconsin, North Carolina A&T and several professional dance groups.
During the competition, Outlet was chosen to perform its one-minute routine first, doing urban hip-hop dance routines to rap music, Exum said. Outlet was one of seven groups who were interviewed immediately after its performance, which was a positive experience for the students, he said.
"I think it may have shown that college students aren't just fully focused on academics," Exum said. "They focus on their other talents and try to use them for the greater good."
After each dance group's performance, celebrity and dance judges such as Cassidy, Elephant Man and Big Tigger critiqued them, eventually selecting the two best dance groups for "Revamped."
Laster said because the judging was similar to "American Idol," it benefited Outlet by providing the members with strong feedback on their dance routines.
"We got professional ideas about how to help ourselves," Laster said.
She said a Washington D.C., dance team, a member of whom has danced for Janet Jackson, won second place in the competition after revamping a Janet Jackson music video. A group from Canada named Mad Skillz claimed the first-place title after revamping Beyonce Knowles' "Baby Boy."
Exum said while Outlet did not come out on top, the group still has a lot to be proud of. To be accepted for this year's "Spring Bling" competition, Outlet submitted its audition tape in late March and was notified shortly after that it was selected out of more than 200 other college and professional dance teams across the nation. Exum said the group had only five days to choreograph its new routine for the competition.
"Being in those situations under pressure just gave me a stronger sense of who I was, what I can accomplish and what the group can accomplish when we work together as one," Exum said.
He said he and other Outlet members have been enriched because of their experiences in Florida during "Spring Bling." Being around so many other groups of dancers and celebrities have helped them to undergo personal growth, he said. Laster said a BET Comic View comedian even invited Outlet to dance for him in a future show.
"The exposure helped to give us a broader sense about the way things were outside of our personal circles," Exum said.
Laster said she hopes Outlet will continue to participate in the "Spring Bling" in future semesters so as to increase the group's renown on the Ball State campus and throughout the nation.
This year's "Spring Bling" performances will appear on a special airing on BET April 29 at 8 p.m. "Revamped" will premiere April 29 at 7:30 p.m. Central and will be shown again May 1 at 6:30 p.m. Central.
Exum said he was glad to be able to participate in "Spring Bling" this year with fellow Outlet members. The group's participation in the competition has put Ball State in a good light, which is important considering the negative publicity the university has received this year, he said.
"This probably helped to show that Ball State students are focused on doing things that are positive and are producing positive fruit," Exum said.
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