It was just another calm night at the Hippodrome Tuesday, besides a World Series game and return of Michael Jordan playing on TV screens … and the group of break-dancers spinning on their heads.

The first event held by Liquid Arts, a new GW student group dedicated to the “urban arts,” drew a crowd of more than 120 students to the fifth-floor Marvin Center room. The main event: a break-dancing battle among local dance groups.

With 70 members paying $5 each and more than 200 general members, Liquid Arts is emerging as one of GW’s most popular clubs. The reason: GW has been waiting for something like this for a while, co-President Shounuck Patel said.

“This is something GW needed,” said Patel, who founded the club with junior C.J. Chang.

The group began weekly lessons in break-dancing, popping (a fluid dance style seen at raves) and emceeing last week. Student can also learn how to use glow sticks, a common tool of the trade in many dance clubs. Patel said he hopes to incorporate all forms of urban expression in the future, including graffiti and DJ lessons.

But interested students should not expect a lecture series on the art of urban dance, Patel said. They should come ready to participate.

“It’s not exactly teaching as learning off each other,” Patel said.
Students can next see the group during intermissions at South Asian Society event Raas Chaos on Friday.