About Rhythmic Blue

Rhythmic Blue (RB) is Yale University's first and only hip-hop and contemporary dance group. We were founded in 1991 by two undergraduate students who recognized the coming of age of non-traditional styles of dance as popularized by the advent of new schools of thought in the music world that fused rock, pop, hip-hop, dance-hall reggae, Latin music and electronica with vivid visual imagery. RB is now a co-ed, multi-cultural group that relies on the diversity and creative talent of our dancers for our unique and ingenious style, reflected by a repertoire that draws on an eclectic range of music and dance forms; from R&B, House and Puerto Rican Rap, to Breaking, Popping & Locking, various styles of Hip-Hop, Dominican Salsa, Lyrical, Jazz, Modern, contemporary African, and we even incorporate some elements of Broadway style performance.

We hold a semester show on the Yale campus, at which we present our one-of-a-kind energy and newest choreography in full force. We look forward to continuing our rich tradition of exposing the Yale community to unique dance styles and creative movement by performing frequently and inducting new dance enthusiasts into our growing family. We look forward to seeing you at auditions and on the stage! For more information about the group, please contact one of our co-presidents, gabriele.betancourt-martinez@yale.edu or natasja.naarendorp@yale.edu.

Community Service

RB strives to maintain a vibrant relationship with the Yale and New Haven communities. We work with the Alliance for Dance at Yale (ADAY – hyperlink to yale.edu/aday) in constructing a more coherent dance community within Yale University through performances including Dance Jam at the beginning of the Fall semester, and a just concluded collaboration with the World Performance Project in Fall 2008.

In 2007, we performed at Remix a fund-and-awareness raising event hosted by AIDS Walk New Haven. We also conduct workshops for elementary and junior-high students; we travel to schools in the New Haven area, talk about dance and movement, showcase some of our repertoire, and host a dance class. In the past, we have worked with the Dwight Elementary School and the Yale-Dixwell Community Learning Center. We are interested in working with more school students across all age groups. If you would like us work with your dance program, please contact one of our co-presidents, gabriele.betancourt-martinez@yale.edu or natasja.naarendorp@yale.edu.

Collaborations and Competitions

RB is engaged in forging lasting relationships with other dance troupes on Yale Campus. Recently, we have collaborated with Yaledancers and the Yale Ballroom Dance Team to produce one-of-a-kind routines that showcase not only the talent of our dance contemporaries, but also the strength and versatility of RB’s members. If you want to build a relationship between RB and your dance troupe, please do not hesitate to contact our co-presidents at the email addresses above.

We also participate in dance competitions and events hosted by other universities. Most notably, our dynamic group has claimed first place at both the University of Connecticut Hip Hop Dance Competition in 2006 and the state-wide Xplosion! Dance Competition hosted by Yale University in 2007. We have also performed at dance showcases at the University of New Haven, Cornell University and the highly anticipated annual Harvard/Yale Talent Show held in conjunction with the Football Game festivities.

How do I join?

Auditions for RB are held within the first two weeks of each semester at the Payne Whitney Gymnasium. They are preceded by an information session where RB members are available to speak about the group and answer questions. At auditions, auditioning dancers are required to learn pieces from our past shows, and present a 30-second dance solo. We do not require any sort of dance experience, but we do ask for a love of dancing, a confident attitude and a unique sense of flair and pizazz. If you are interested in auditioning for our group, please don't hesitate to contact vice-president: amandla.ooko-ombaka@yale.edu.