WUHHU performs on stage in Edison Theatre during their showcase (Eran Fann | Photo Editor).

The lights dimmed, the chatter hushed — and then the cheering erupted. Audience members could feel the bass vibrating through the seats before the first dancer even hit the stage.

From the second the WashU Hip Hop Union (WUHHU) opened their first-ever spring showcase this past Friday (April 11), the energy in Edison Theatre was electric. Every routine was met with applause, crowd roars, and that kind of half gasp–half scream you only hear when a crowd knows they’re witnessing something special. It wasn’t just a performance — it was a celebration of dance, hip-hop culture, and a student group stepping into a long-awaited spotlight.

The showcase featured 14 jam-packed routines, with guest performances by WashU dance groups WuSauce, WuFuego, and PL4Y, as well as XQUIZIT — a hip-hop group from Saint Louis University. For a first-ever spring showcase, WUHHU made it clear they weren’t holding anything back.

In a typical year, the group performs a fall showcase in Tisch Commons at the Danforth University Center (DUC). But this year, scheduling conflicts with competitions and end-of-semester chaos led to the emergence of a new plan.

“All the competitions that we typically attend in the spring were the last week of classes,” said Siyam Tekle, one of the showcase directors. “With finals and WILD, we didn’t want to take away the end of the year from anyone. So we decided to do a spring showcase.”

That decision opened the door to an even bigger shift: moving the performance to Edison Theatre. The change was exciting — and a little daunting.

“Typically if you want to have a show in the Edison you need to reserve it a year in advance, and we reserved it this semester, which was pretty stressful,” Tekle said. “We only got one option for a date, and that was April 11th … so everything felt a little bit rushed.”

Despite the quick turnaround, the team rose to the occasion. “It felt way more serious,” Tekle said. “The fact that we got to level-up our showcase was really cool. We filled out the Edison, and before the show even happened, dancers backstage were saying ‘oh my god, there’s so many people here right now.’”

Head choreographers Gabriella Amurao and Jacob Lee embraced the challenge with vision and ambition.

“When we found out that we would be performing in the Edison, I felt like the possibilities were endless for us,” Amurao said. “We had so much more creative freedom over our pieces in terms of energy, visuals, and formations.” 

The elevated production space allowed the group to push themselves further than ever before — but it also came with a learning curve.

“They were throwing things at us that we didn’t even know we had to do,” Tekle admitted. “There were so many new logistical and technical aspects.”

Still, the payoff was huge. Lee described dancing on Edison’s stage as nothing short of surreal. 

“Having performed in Tisch for so long, there was an extraordinary buzz of excitement from the whole team to finally have the chance to perform on the big stage,” he said. “I vividly remember the sight of the massive audience, filled with so many supportive members from the WashU community, and how it gave me so much energy while dancing on the stage.”

The audience matched the performers’ enthusiasm, creating an atmosphere of constant energy. “The crowd was crazy,” first-year and audience member Lila Duus said. “I think the theater was actually fully booked…And the entire time it was just constant cheering,” Duus added, “I had never seen WUHHU perform before, so when my friends told me they were performing in the spring, I knew I couldn’t miss it.”

That final number — a standout seven minute piece — was the perfect finale for a night full of exceptional performances. “We aimed for more dynamic dance moves, more complex formations, and overall greater hype,” Lee said. “We wanted the showcase to not only exhibit talent through performance, but also to highlight that hip-hop is more than simply a dance genre.”

Audience members appreciated the messaging in the choreography. “I liked their final act,” first year Brandon Chang said. “The beef that arises between different artists has always been so relevant, and they performed that concept so well.”

Amurao elaborated on the concept behind the piece, “The industry is filled with these celebrity or artist feuds, and we wanted to showcase the art that comes from the back and forth between two artists. There is passion and art that comes from each pair — Drake and Kendrick, Nicki and Cardi, Rihanna and Beyoncé — and we wanted to channel that energy into a piece that the audience could relate to.”

The bold and theatrical production left a lasting impression on more than just the audience.

“It legitimized the performance aspect of WUHHU in a way that has never been done for any of our showcases before,” Amurao said. 

For some team members, it was their very first show. For others, it was their last. Regardless, the gravity of the moment was shared by all.

“Being able to perform in the Edison has been a huge ‘what-if,’” Amurao said. “It’s made so much of the hard work, stress over choreography, and late nights in the studio worth it.”

And while the Edison gave WUHHU a long-awaited “big stage” moment, the group hasn’t forgotten its origins in Tisch Commons. It’s where many members first fell in love with performing at WashU, and where WUHHU’s identity as a student-led hip-hop group first came about.

“WUHHU’s roots will always lie in the DUC,” said Lee. “The DUC offers a more intimate performer-audience experience and an environment that is more reflective of hip-hop street dance, while the Edison allows for higher quality production and much more room for both performers and audience.”

In the end, the showcase wasn’t just a milestone — it was a launchpad. “It is clear that WUHHU is currently on an upward trajectory, and I am excited to see what is to come in the next chapter,” Lee says.