“I Step Better Than Greeks Do” part 2

(Continued from Part 1)

So back to the conversation. After hearing my friend sarcastically comment, “Hell, I can step better than greeks these days”, I was stunned. Picture Dwight Howard telling Julius Erving, “Man, Dunkin’ ain’t special; Everybody catches ally-oops these days”. Or, Omarion telling Michael Jackson that a spin is just a spin, and Moonwalkin’ isn’t exciting to see anymore. Evidently, my friend believed that the classic Greek flair in stepping was diluted or watered down to the point where any warm body could do it beyond imitation. I decided to call the blasphemer’s bluff: “Well, what makes you believe that you can OUTSTEP Greeks?”

Now, normally, I don’t entertain hype or hot-air rants, but I must admit, my boy made a few decent points. The first point he made was that most non-Greek teams are UNRESTRICTED. In his opinion, every Divine 9 team is expected to perform inside of a box (figuratively). The signature moves and styles which we as audience members have grown to love become the rigid confines of each organization. For example, when was the last time you saw a Sigma show where they didn’t do a tribute to all the black sororities? Or an Alpha show where there wasn’t an extensively intricate train? Or a Delta show where the legacy boom - clap - snap sequence (don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talkin about) wasn’t apart of it?……I’ll wait.

According to my friend, non-Greek teams don’t work under those same expectations/limitations, therefore they are able to have really diverse shows. They maintain the creative license to implement a cane step, a tribute, a train, a hop, step in heels, use swords (don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talkin about…again), the whole 9…..all in ONE show. Non-greek teams do not have the obligation to perform as expected. In fact, these teams garner more respect when they DON’T conform. And, because “functional fixedness” (google it, be a scholar) is absent, non-greek teams are more inclined to push the creative limits in all directions.

Stay posted for Part 3 of the four part series.

What do you think? Do Greek step teams ever step OUTSIDE the box? Do non-greek teams have a monopoly on creativity?