Lipsync showcases freshman talent

Members of Lipscomb’s freshman class displayed their teamwork and dancing skills at Tuesday night’s lip-sync competition in Willard Collins Alumni Auditorium.

This year’s theme was “Girl Group Power and Boy Band Fever.” The two teams that walked away with the grand prizes were Team One, which won Crowd Vote with its performance to *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye,” and Team Eight, which won Judge’s Pick with its performance to One Direction’s “Drag Me Down.”

The evening started when the ten male members of Team One took to the stage in leather jackets, dancing to *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye.” The performance was accentuated by impressive stunts such as backflips, and the audience cheered throughout the song.

Camp Akers, the leader of Team One, said that the team had developed and practiced the performance on a road trip, only taking around four hours to choreograph the group dance routine.

“We had a big group of guys that are pretty good at dancing, and we were just like, it’s a great way to bond and grow close together,” he said.

The next group, Team Two, danced to “Boyfriend” by Big Time Rush. Team Two’s dancing style was markedly different from Team One’s, as it was more free-flowing and had occasional breaks in the music when members of the group acted out the narrative of trying to find one’s perfect match.

Team Three took quite a different approach from the first two teams in its musical style, lip-syncing to “Single Ladies” by The Chipettes. The all-female group wore glittery outfits and did a tightly choreographed dance routine that had the crowd going wild by the end of the performance.

Team Four, a group of boys from High Rise, did an elaborate performance to “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5. Four of the ten boys “played” instruments while the rest, adorned in suits and sunglasses, did a smoothly-coordinated routine with elements of Michael Jackson’s distinctive style.

Nathan Geyrozaga, one of the members of Team Four, said that the elaborate performance took only three weeks to organize. Holden Camp, the director of Team Four, shared that he enjoyed the experience although the team did not take home either trophy.

“We did not have a choreographer, so I had to just try my best, but it was a hurdle we very strongly overcame and I’m very proud of the result,” he said.

Perhaps one of the most loved teams of the night was Team Five, which danced to “Wannabe” by The Spice Girls. Codenamed “the Spiceons,” the team was made up of both girls and guys wearing wigs. The performance was packed with fun features, such as flashlight props and high kicks.

When asked about what prompted the group of friends to participate, Team Five member Grant Baker said, “we wanted to show people our love for The Spice Girls and make people laugh.”

Team Six, an all-female group, danced to “Burning Up” by the Jonas Brothers. Sporting mix-and-match outfits, the group incorporated several unique features into their performance, including the “Worm” near the conclusion of the performance.

Team Seven’s dance proved to be a standout performance, with six female students sporting golden vests and fedoras while lip-syncing to “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters. The audience loved the performance, and with students giving a standing ovation at the performance’s conclusion.

The final group, Team Eight, which would go on to win Judge’s Pick, gave an elaborate performance to “Drag Me Down” by One Direction. One student emulated Lipscomb President Candice McQueen, while three others acted as “judges” watching the rest of the team dance. As the song continued, the president and judges donned sunglasses and joined in the dancing, eventually throwing golden streamers at the song’s climax.

After the performances concluded and the students in the audience voted for their favorite team, McQueen took the stage to announce the winners of the night. First, she thanked the students in the audience for their energy and stated that “everyone is a winner at Lipsync.” Then, she revealed the winners—Team One for the Crowd Vote and Team Eight for the Judge’s Pick—and was drowned out in the crowd’s roaring applause.

Dr. McQueen’s “everyone is a winner” mindset was evidenced in the enthusiasm that the audience showed for every single team. Freshman Gavin Boyle, who was dressed in color-coordinated outfits with his classmates, stated before the performances that they were there to cheer on their fellow freshmen.

“We’re excited, we’re enthused—we’re gonna be loud and proud tonight.”

Photo courtesy of @lipscombstudentlife on Instagram