Best of the East Dance Competition at Eastern

Written by Sarah Swann

                                     Phunk   Phenomenon                                                      

 Willimantic, CT - Nearly 1,000 people are expected to attend the Third Annual Best of

the East Dance Competition on March 13 from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Francis E. Geissler

Gymnasium at Eastern Connecticut State University.  The public is invited.  Admission is

free for Eastern students. Outside guests will be charged $10. 

            The dance competition, hosted by Eastern's Men Achieving Leadership Excellence and Success (M.A.L.E.S.) student group, will feature nearly a dozen of the best hip-hop dance crews from New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. The winning dance team will receive $2,000 in cash and $100,000 in scholarships from the Hip Hop Dance Conservatory in New York City.

All of the teams have appeared on television programs such as "Live at the Apollo" and "MTV's America's Best Dance Crew." Eastern's dance team, The New Element, and another dance group, YNot, will also perform.

            WZMX's (Hot 93.7) G-Monday the Prince, host of a morning talk show at the station, will emcee the dance competition.  He will be accompanied by WZMX's DJ Bigg Mann. 

            "This will be one of the biggest events to ever appear on campus," said Omar Rodriguez, M.A.L.E.S. public relations officer. "Not only will this be a fun-filled night with exciting performances; all donations go toward a good cause - the M.A.L.E.S. Endowed Scholarship Fund, which benefits a Windham High School student. What better way to spend a dollar than to give back to an unfortunate student in the Willimantic area?"  

Friday after Dark, a Housing Office committee, is co-sponsoring the event with M.A.L.E.S.