On Friday, March 28th, I FOUND my way into the packed gym on Spelman College’s campus (if you saw the line, you would understand). The mission: Freshman Regional Stepshow 2008. As a lil background info, this competition has been going on for… who knows how long (this was the 6th show I’ve attended).

Three regions, East Coast aka East Phi East, Midwest/West Coast aka Deuce Eta Chi, and Dirty South aka Psi Phi Deuce, go head-to-head in a winner-takes-all step competition. Historically, Dirty South has been the perennial powerhouse of the competition, known for being thunderous and EXTREMELY CRUNK. East Coast has been consistently impressive, bringing a distinct style of stepping that is both diverse and energetic. Midwest/ West Coast has been considered the underdog team, however with strong showings in recent years, have quickly turned the tables with their mixture of precision and creativity. Needless to say, the rivalry grows bigger and bigger every year.

So this year, in the overcrowded gym, I watched each team take the stage and perform. Now, some of my inside sources had forewarned me that this year’s contest would be kinda intense. Apparently, East Coast was seeking a repeat, Midwest/West Coast — a revenge, and Dirty South — a reemergence as #1.

The first team to perform was Midwest/West Coast with their Beauty Salon – themed show. I fell out at the sight of black aprons with hood monikers such as, “Vasolina” and “Fabreeze”. I mean, this theme was SOO Hood Fab, I shoulda threw them a pack of tube socks (don’t ack like you never saw that on MTV Jams, shouts to Buttaman)! Check out this clip of their team being comedic but still wreckin the stage:

– Above video –

The second team, East Coast, went for a hole in one…literally. The Golf theme was probably one of the most creative approaches I’ve seen from East Coast in years (the best being their 2003 Coming to America show). East Coast stepped it up this year by adding more complex routines to their show lineup. After watching this, I bet everybody is gonna be sayin “You can’t wu-tang better than me!”:

– Clip #1 in Media Panel –

The third team, Dirty South, took the stage and went to work…as MEN. The male construction worker-themed show was both animated and energy-filled, giving these women the chance to entertain while stepping hard. The funniest moment of the whole night though, was one of the skits, mentioning Red Lobster… “and them Chedda Cheeze Biscuits!!” Check out Dirty South:

– Clip #2 in Media Panel –

By judges’ decision, Midwest/ West Coast won the competition, followed by Dirty South (2nd) and East Coast (3rd). I have to say that the shows were all pretty close on my scorecard. However, a LOT of controversy (about placing) stemmed from a finale mishap in the Dirty South show (cop the DVD on May 1st RIGHT HERE to see what I’m talking about).

If you were there…who do you think won? From the clips…who do you feel stepped harder? Does anybody else want some cheddar cheese biscuits now?