The Hip-hop Club at BYUH has more than 50 students who are members of the group with a goal of learning and improving dancing. Members of the club shared they feel united through their passion for this street-style dance.
James Constantino, a junior from California studying biology, is the president of the Hip-hop Club and has been a member since his first semester in 2013, and he said when the Hip-hop Club formed, there were only 11 members. Constantino said, “The special thing about Hip-hop Club is that it does not matter who you are or where you are from. All that matters is what you can bring to the club and your love for the dance.”
Constantino said, “The initial thing that unites us is our love for dance. People who join the Hip-hop Club just want to dance. The thing that helps us stick together is our bond and friendship that grows from this club.” Constantino said he is still friends with some of the members he met in 2013.
The mission of the Hip-hop Club is to help cross cultural barriers and boundaries. Constantino added, “We want to help bridge the cultural gap and help people find the commonality of their love of dancing. In hip hop, and just like any other dancing, you can understand each other without speaking the same language.”
Constantino said hip-hop and Hip-hop Club at BYUH helps him incorporate a lot of what he grew up with and is like a second culture to him. “I am a Filipino at heart,” Constantino said. “But I grew up in America so I am also American. Hip-hop is like a second culture to me and it really helps me express myself.”
Constantino explained how hip-hop has given him the chance to let out his inner feelings and frustration through dancing. Hip-hop is a release and has allowed Constantino to express himself in ways and aspects of his life that words just cannot do.
Grace “Krayce” Tufaga, a junior from New Zealand studying social work, is also a member of the Hip-hop Club. She said Hip-hop Club has allowed her to watch people get out of their comfort zones and develop a passion for dance.
Tufaga said, “When teaching hip-hop, I don’t only look at those who can dance but those who have confidence to push themselves to the limit to get the motions down and perfected.
“It was rewarding to see everyone smiling and enjoying themselves during this experience. It made the end result all worth the experience and time. Through this I was able to see people develop a new passion for this type of dance. It was a very exciting thing for me to watch.”
According to Constantino, hip-hop began in the Bronx of New York City as a way for people to vent and express their feelings and creativity. It is now a universal dance and influences the world.
Yuta Nagano, a senior from Connecticut majoring in business management, is a dancer in the Hip-hop Club. Nagano said, “The Hip-hop Club has given me many opportunities to interact with people from all around the world. It allows for everyone who participates to broaden their cultural perspective and try something new. Historically hip-hop has brought many kinds of people together, and it continues to do so today. I'm really grateful for that.” The hip-hop club has brought people from around the world from all different cultures on the BYUH campus together by uniting everyone who has an interest in this type of dance together.
People who join the hip-hop club join because of their interest in dancing and it unites everyone who has that same skill-set and interest together.
Writer: Mackenzie Beaver