Annual Stompfest competition takes Waco Hall stage

By Bailey Brammer | Editor-in-Chief

With a mix of popular dance music, hilarious fairy tale-themed skits, light-hearted teasing and, of course, stepping, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. and Baylor Student Productions put on their annual Stompfest on Friday evening in Waco Hall.

This year’s theme, “Once Upon a Step,” had students embracing popular childhood stories, complete with bright colors and well-rehearsed step moves. Ten on-campus organizations competed in the step show, and Alpha Delta Pi’s act took home first place with its “Evil Queen” theme.

Second place went to Chi Omega with their take on “Alice in Wonderland,” and third place went to last year’s Stompfest winner, Zeta Tau Alpha, for their version of “Puss in Boots.”

Other groups that participated in the competition were Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Chi Omega, Kappa Chi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Theta, Pi Beta Phi, Pi Kappa Chi and the Asian Student Association. The show also featured four exhibition acts and ended with performances from the Baylor Dance Company and VirtuOso.

Castle Pines, Colo., sophomore Leelee Nelson, a Tri Delt Stompfest chair, said she was proud of her team and effort they put into their “Snow White” themed act.

“I’m a dance minor and have been performing since I was little, so it’s a great opportunity for me to get to perform with some of my best friends,” Nelson said. “My favorite part of the event was watching all the hard work from our team come together and all the support our friends showed us.”

Nelson said her team practiced about three days a week for around two hours at a time, and that she and the other Stompfest chairs began planning their act at the end of January. Nelson also said Stompfest acts are not as complex as All-University Sing acts because there are less people involved and don’t take as much time to plan.

Participating for their first time ever in Stompfest, the men of Phi Chi stepped to a “Peter Pan” themed act, which Austin freshman Christian Orred said took around eight hours per week for about a month to perfect.

“The biggest motivation by far was performing for the rest of the team and fraternity,” Orred said. “I wanted to show everyone that Phi Chi is a group of fun guys that can also put on a great show.”

Crowd participation is a big part of stepping, and the Stompfest judges supposedly take into account the audience’s reactions to each act. For example, when the performers strike a specific pose with one of their legs crossed and their foot resting atop their knee, the audience shouts “Hold it!” and cheers the dancers on as they balance on one foot.

Orred said his favorite part of performing was the crowd’s reaction, and he plans to continue participating in Stompfest in the future.

“The feeling when the curtain lifts and everyone is roaring is something I’ll never forget,” Orred said. “I definitely think it would be awesome to continue being involved, whether as a coach or a performer.”