Dance Marathon participants began incorporating handstands and planks into their dance moves in order to give their legs a break during the 22nd hour of the event. The fatigue had begun to set in.
But when hip-hop dance team NSU Modern was announced over the loudspeakers, marathoners surged toward the stage, cheering excitedly. Despite technical malfunctions, the group energized the crowd while jerking their bodies in tandem to a medley of various hip-hop songs, such as “Crank That (Soulja Boy).”
Afterward, NSU Modern offered a dance workshop for marathoners on the upper concord.
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Almost an hour later, Random Voices, an all-female a cappella group at UCLA, took the stage. Members of the group were dressed in a myriad of themed outfits ranging from a “Despicable Me” minion onesie to a picture of Barack Obama taped to a T-shirt. The group performed an early 2000s hip-hop medley called “RV from the Block.”
“We wanted to do an upbeat song as part of our repertoire,” said second-year pre-human biology and society student Rachel Kamran, the business director for the group. “Dance Marathon is a really physically taxing event, so we want to bring some lightheartedness to it.”
The medley featured a wide variety of songs from the era, including “Jenny from the Block” by Jennifer Lopez and “Fergalicious” by Fergie.
Although some participants stood blank-faced and motionless in the back, the front of the crowd erupted into cheers and dancing.
“I have some friends in the group and it’s rejuvenating to see friends that are so talented,” said fourth-year theater student Adam Turney. “It was so fun and nostalgic, so many of my favorite songs from my childhood.”