To say that the 909 Dance Troupe is passionate would be an understatement. Every Tuesday and Thursday night from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., laughter echoes off the walls of the Big Springs parking structure. A unique energy emanates from the group as they gather to greet one another. There is not one unhappy face as bags are thrown down on the floor and speakers are turned on. From loving hugs to breaking out into song, this club is more than just a group; it’s a family. Co-directors Nikki Shekhtman and Bobby Zepeda look at their troupe with pride as they explain that their club is unique for the tightly-knit community that creates it.
909 Dance Troupe was founded in 1997 by Christopher Ayson and Jennifer Fontanilla. The club began as a Filipino Culture Club and branched out into a hip-hop club, which was later renamed 909 Hip-Hop Dance Troupe. The name was later changed to 909 Dance Troupe after the club began to incorporate dances that, although closely related to hip-hop, were not exclusively in that style.
For the 909 Dance Troupe, the biggest struggle was bouncing back after the COVID pandemic. Shektman shares that, “in recent years, we’ve had a lot of people leave, and usually, everyone kind of stays throughout their entire undergrad, but recently it’s been a little more difficult to recruit people. Like a lot of our team this year is mostly first years, when usually it’s mostly older members because they stay throughout their entire college careers, so that’s definitely been a change.”
Bobby Zepeda, a senior majoring in business management, and Nikki Shektman, a junior majoring in psychology, both joined the club in the 2022-2023 academic year and have now taken roles of co-directors as they lead their group into success.
“Our goal is to constantly improve year by year and help others grow as dancers. We want to win and keep our name relevant within the dance community so that our name doesn’t die out,” mentioned Zepeda when asked about their club’s aims. “We really want to provide a safe space for dancers here in Riverside,” added Shektman.
Both dancers insisted on the idea that their club is meant to create a comfortable and safe community for dancers at the University of California, Riverside. It is meant to create a connection between people who share the same passion. The club has one main rule — every dancer must hug all the other members when they arrive at practice and before they leave as a way to maintain the community spirit. Even though I am not a part of the club myself, I still received a couple of hugs, which really speaks to the welcoming atmosphere of this group.
It seems that they are on the right track to achieve these goals as the 40-person troupe won second place in the 2024 Maxt Out competition. Their passion for dance is mirrored in their dedication to organising their very own competition, Ultimate Brawl. Every year, they connect with dance teams from Mexico, Canada, NorCal, SoCal and more to bring this competition to life, here in Riverside. As hosts, they perform an exhibition piece to close the event, which their talented dance captains, Talyah Ejan and Anastasia Sachs, choreograph, along with both directors.
This year, Ultimate Brawl is taking place on May 4 in the Riverside Municipal Auditorium. The goal behind this event is to bring dancers to Riverside. As Zepeda and Shektman mentioned on several occasions, the dance scene is more present in Los Angeles, and it is difficult to find dance communities here in Riverside. The goal of this competition is to bring dance to this city and gather dancers from all over to compete and have fun.
If you are interested in joining this club, auditions take place during the Fall quarter after a one-week workshop in Week 0 of each new academic year. The troupe also leads free workshops and classes throughout the year that anyone can participate in. Their club Instagram is @909dt and the Instagram for Ultimate Brawl is @ultimatebrawl.
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