Bamboom, short for Bamboom Dance Company, is an organization for students to share their love of hip-hop and other urban dance styles through workshops and performances.

“We’re a group of people who all share a passion for dance and strive to share that with the community,” said Larry Franco from Annandale, Va., a senior majoring in electrical engineering in the College of Engineering. Franco is the president of the club. “We are a family of friends inside and outside of the club.”

Three students started Bamboom in 2007. The students searched for an organization that would serve as an outlet for their dance passion, and ultimately decided they needed to start Bamboom. The three individuals recruited other students, and the group has grown to 288 members on Facebook.

The group is proud to have recently placed third at Prelude DMV, a regional urban dance competition. They have also performed at Remembrance Through the Arts. The Contemporary Dance Ensemble of Virginia Tech presents the showcase, inspired by the artistic talents of those lost on April 16.

“This event always carries with it a special meaning for all of us, and we wanted to capture an appropriate mood,” Franco said. “Our preparation went down to the wire, but the feedback was better than we could have ever hoped for.”

Bamboom holds dance workshops two to three times a month. These workshops are for all levels of ability and require no experience. New members can join every year through auditions in September. Although the group usually only has one audition a year, they welcome anyone who is interested to reach out to them on Facebook or via email.

Members meet at least twice a week for practice and preparations for shows. Bamboom recently performed in the Contemporary Dance Ensemble’s Fall Show. Their next performance will be at the Asian American Student Union Culture Show on Nov. 5.

“We’d love for anyone and everyone to come out and support us,” Franco said.

There are more than 600 student clubs and organizations at Virginia Tech. To learn more, visit the searchable database or contact Student Centers and Activities.

 

 

Written by Lauren Marshall from Marshall, Va., a senior majoring in communication and human development in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

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