Video: X-Tasee, UVA’s Oldest Hip-Hop Dance Crew Brings Street Dance to Grounds

You might know how to pop ’n’ lock or nae nae or dab, but do you do it with ferocity? For members of the X-Tasee dance crew at the University of Virginia, being fierce comes with the territory.

Founded in 2005, X-Tasee is the oldest competitive hip-hop dance crew at UVA. Members can be found practicing late night at 1515, the Aquatics and Fitness Center or in the Observatory Hill Forum.

This year, X-Tasee has performed at basketball games and Lighting of the Lawn, dancing to the staccato lyrics and deep, throbbing beats of Nicki Minaj or The Game and Skrillex. The group heads to Virginia Tech for a competition at the end of this month, and to another in Philadelphia in April.

The team members call each other family and give each other “X” nicknames to match their dance style; the current squad features dancers nicknamed “Xquisite” and “Xtreme.”

The dance crew is one of literally hundreds of student organizations that offer Wahoos any number of extracurricular options, all of them student-run. Pancakes for Parkinson’s is one of the higher-profile student organizations and is UVA’s largest student fundraiser. Drill down deeper and you can find a club for 3-D printing, Arabic conversation, roller derby or even a UVA-themed game of “Survivor.” The sky is the limit and if students want to launch a new club, they can do that, too.

X-Tasee members say there is always a moment of anxiety before a performance. But once the music starts, the crew gets lost in the moment and the steps fly.

If you want to join the co-ed crew, the group will hold auditions early in the fall. No dancing experience is required – only ferocity.