A behind-the-scenes look at the Hip Hop Dance Championships

By April Corbin

Friday, Aug. 6, 2010 | 2 p.m.

The hallway outside the Red Rock Ballroom has become a sea of obstacles to maneuver around. Scattered about are bottles of hairspray and makeup, portable electronics, and gym bags that have traveled many miles to get to this Summerlin casino. There's plenty of food and drink — Tropical Smoothie, Fatburger, Gatorade — but it all belongs to people too busy stretching to consume it.

It is here that Irvine, California-based dance crew Kaba Modern is prepping for its run at the USA Hip Hop Dance Championships, a regional division of the World Hip Hop Dance Championships, hosted by America's Best Dance Crew creators Hip Hop International.

It's 7 p.m. on a Monday of what promises — if the dancers are talented, or lucky, enough — to be a long week. They've been up since before dawn, were on a local newscast at 5 a.m. and have been practicing for much of the day. Actually, they've been practicing for much of this month — that's how long it has been since choreographers Jonah Aki and Darina Littleton put together the two-minute set that will determine their success or failure.

The routine is diverse, using elements of breaking, intricate choreography and vogueing — a dancing style from New York City's underground scene that mimics poses often seen in fashion magazines. The latter is their strong point, Aki says, and the group of eight (seven gals and one Aki) is making sure it's perfect. In a practice ballroom, a friend plays their track through the speakers on his BlackBerry and the dancers move to it — their stomping hands louder than the phone. Even without music, their movements are perfectly synchronized.

Back in the hallway after their run-through, the group lounges to the noise of the screaming audience in the performance ballroom.

Aki's not listening. "Ignorance is bliss," he says. "Once you see other teams, you start second-guessing yourself. You can't have that."

Thirty minutes before they're scheduled to take the stage, Kaba forms a prayer circle. Dana Roy, the coordinator for the group, thanks God and sings the group's praises. "We have mad chemistry," she says, nearly crying. "Let's be stuck up and show it. Please just let us kill it."

They kill it.

"It's surreal. I'm not even tired," says Aki, coming off the stage after their U.S. preliminary performance.

Someone in the group shouts, "Steak and eggs!" and soon they're all screaming it, laughing. With the difficult part of tonight over, it's time to focus on that special advertised at their hotel, the Tuscany.

First, however, the results! Tonight, 12 of 22 crews will advance. Defending U.S. champions Poreotics easily take first with a score of 8.63. Instant Noodles of LA and Jungle Boogie of Atlanta take second and third, respectively. Then, it's Kaba in fourth, with a score of 7.92 — only .02 behind the third-place team.

As Kaba's name is announced, the group jumps and shouts and runs toward the stage. Under the competitors' stomping feet, the stage practically is bouncing. Those steak-and-egg meals are going to taste so good tonight.

***

Tuesday, 7 p.m., back in the hallway. Less fast food lying around, probably because the group slept in until noon. "We're feeling really refreshed," says Roy as she warms up. "Sleep helps."

That extra rest could come in handy as there's added pressure to tonight's performance. Only three of the 13 crews move on to Thursday night's World Hip Hop Dance Championship preliminaries, far worse odds than Monday's preliminary. The best thing you can do is put it all out there on the stage, Roy says.

You have to kill it. Again.

Tonight, Kaba's better prepared. Someone's brought a laptop and they're reviewing a video of their performance for minor tweaks. Remember to space yourself a foot farther out, hit that mark even harder, really whip that hair — anything to earn even an extra one-hundredth of a point.

Kaba Modern is no stranger to the nine-year-old Hip Hop International or other high-profile competitions. The Kaba Modern "family" is an extended group with dozens in its ranks. Each year for HHI's competition they come back with different routines and lineups. Two of this year's performers are first-timers. A different lineup also appeared on the inaugural season of America's Best Dance Crew, where they came in third place — losing only to Status Quo and eventual champions JabbaWockeeZ.

Living up to the growing legacy of being Kaba Modern is important. "We just want to make the Kaba Modern name proud," says Roy.

In the wings before their performance, Katie Uno is still stretching. Everyone is hugging one another, a last-minute show of support. Somewhere past the bright light of the stage, the packed ballroom audience is starting to chant.

KA-BA MO-DERN — clap, clap, clap, clap, clap — KA-BA MO-DERN.

"Irvine is in the house!" declares emcee Mookie, before calling the group to the stage. As they hear their name, Aki, Roy and the rest run toward the stage.

***

Waiting is the hard part. You can train your body to move, to fall backward on stage and plop without hurting yourself. After a while, it's muscle memory. Training your mind not to get your hopes up, to be okay with not going as far as you wanted to in a competition? That's more difficult.

Waiting near the stage as HHI co-founder Howard Schwartz announces the winners, you can see the worry and hope written all over the Kaba dancers' faces.

With a score of 8.20, fellow Irving-based crew CADC lands the bronze medal; yesterday, they'd placed seventh, a harsh reminder that performances — and judging — can vary dramatically from day to day. As that crew rushes the stage, Kaba braces themselves.

The silver spot goes to... Boston's Phunk Phenomenon, with a score of 8.35.

One spot left, and the mood in the packed Kaba circle is dropping. If Vegas bettors were paying attention to this event, the defending champions Poreotics would be the favorite — everyone knows it.

On stage, Schwartz makes the announcement. "And the gold medalists... Poreotics!"

The crowd goes wild as the robot-embracing dance crew takes the stage to accept its position as the only two-time champion of this U.S. Hip Hop Dance Competition. Poreotics will go on to represent the country in the World Hip Hop Dance Competition, held Sunday at the Orleans Arena, where they will do exceptionally well — taking the silver medal, placing behind only New Zealand's Request.

But for Kaba Modern, the tale ends here.

Hugs and kisses are exchanged. Tears shed. Aki doesn't feel like talking, which is OK, because the three-dozen or so people surrounding him and the crew are more than happy to do it for him. They tell him and the others how great they were, how tough the competition was and how proud they are.

"We've had our whole family here," says Roy. "Even when things don't go the way you expect it to, they're always going to be here. And that's the most comforting feeling."

— For more photos of Kaba Modern and the Hip Hop Dance Championships, see the original version of this story on LasVegasWeekly.com.