Bringing hip hop and contemporary styles to the stage, Fade to Black will host their biannual show on Sunday.
Fade to Black, a hip hop dance organization, known for performing at a variety of events such as basketball games, Shack-a-Thon, Aggies United, SongFest and Fish Camp, will host their show “Fade to Black: Origins” on April 15 at 1 p.m. in Rudder Auditorium. Tickets are available for $10 at the MSC Box Office.
The organization was brought to campus by a group of African American women who wanted to dance and celebrate their heritage in a new way, according to Emily Schmidt, Fade to Black president and kinesiology senior.
Schmidt joined Fade to Black in 2014 as a freshman and has found her home within the group. At first, the group was centered around having fun and finding a family, but over the years they have become more serious about dance, according to Schmidt.
“We have people who danced growing up but we also have people who have never danced before, it really doesn’t matter where your background is,” Schmidt said. “We cleaned up our look and now, whether people know about hip hop or not, we want them to be able to come to a show and enjoy themselves.”
Jaycee Jones, political science sophomore and Fade to Black secretary, said she has found her core group of friends through Fade to Black. Although she has a passion for dance, Jones said the people are what make the organization worth while.
“[Fade to Black] is my life and I absolutely love it,” Jones said. “I spend so much time with these people and being able to share a passion with them really brings us closer. We are all here for the same reason.”
Jones said she has been able to improve in her dance technique in the two years she has been involved with Fade to Black.
“These people are my family,” Jones said. “Dancing used to be more of a hobby for [Fade to Black], because it’s fun, but now we are more determined to grow as dancers and are going in the direction of being more serious and growing ourselves as dancers. We want to be a force to [be reckoned] with.”
Matthew Reyes, biomedical engineering junior and Fade to Black member, said he has found an opportunity through Fade to Black where he can apply discipline to his passion of dance. Before joining the group he said he hardly danced outside the confines of his bedroom.
“Fade to Black has connected me with individuals who are arguably the most dedicated, supportive and charismatic you will ever meet,” Reyes said. “The atmosphere is just as unique as it is contagious and has allowed me the opportunity to embrace being uncomfortable for the sake of improving.”
Fade to Black does an alumni dance where all previous members come back to perform. Reyes said that this is his favorite piece that Fade to Black does because he gets to see all his old teammates and even perform with other alumni he might not know.
“The [alumni dance] is honestly incredible because it shows that a true passion will never go away,” Reyes said. “Once you’re a part of Fade to Black, you are a part of a family that will never go away.”