After overcoming hurdles of rebuilding their entire group after the COVID-19 pandemic and finding ample space to rehearse, Chapman’s Floor 13 proved to the community exactly what they’re capable of. 

Every year, the student-run hip-hop dance team Floor 13 holds a dance showcase called “Mosaic” to celebrate the team’s love of dance. Typically, this event is held in the Argyros Forum and is reserved for the group's members and a few other groups on campus. However, this year was different due to the event’s location and the amount of other student organizations who performed.  

Mosaic was held on March 12 in the Memorial Hall Auditorium and was entirely student-run. In addition to Floor 13, Chapman University Tap Ensemble (C.U.T.E.), Men of Harmony, Kapamilya, Soundcheck, Stilettos, The Chaptones and non-Chapman affiliated band Kempton Drive were all featured in the showcase. 

The goal of this event was to provide a platform and highlight the performing arts talent that is often overlooked on campus. 

In total, seven Chapman groups performed and 21 dances were showcased at the event. Around 300 tickets were sold for the event as well. 

Each piece had its own lighting sequences that were customized directly by the choreographers of the performance. In addition, every number had a set costume for all of the dancers to appear unified and in sync. 

Sophomore peace studies major Sam Thompson serves as one of the artistic directors for Floor 13 and told The Panther about how the group has changed over the past year and how Mosaic was a representation of this transformation.

“We really wanted to create a space on campus for all of the performing arts groups that are not recognized on campus as much and give them a space to do whatever they want,” Thompson said. “That is why our slogan became ‘unseen artistry,’ because there is so much creativity on campus that is not seen that much.”

Junior health science major Rachel Berns, a team member on Floor 13, said the experience of performing for Mosaic was extremely impactful. 

“There’s nothing more empowering and invigorating to me than being on a stage and seeing the faces of so many people that I love in the audience there to see me,” Berns said. “I loved getting to get back in the groove of different styles that Floor 13 doesn’t typically do for this performance and sharing my own choreography with the audience.”

With Floor 13 being categorized as mainly a hip hop-based dance group, Mosaic gave Floor 13 members the chance to perform outside of the hip-hop genre and explore different styles of dance, including tap, jazz, contemporary and heels choreography.

The energy each dancer put into the performance did not go unnoticed, with audience members like junior creative writing and communication studies double major Kari Lien applauding the work of everyone involved with the show. 

“I loved attending Chapman’s student performance of Mosaic, it was so well done.” Lien said. “I had a lot of fun and thought that it was incredibly well-executed, because no performance was lacking in liveliness or quality.”

Despite only having two months to put the show together, junior creative producing major and president of Floor 13 Ariana de Leon said the group was able to assemble quite the performance. After being turned away from the newly built dance center, Floor 13 pivoted to rehearsing in team member’s garages, various rooms in Argyros Forum and the Sandhu Conference Center. 

“I am just very impressed with how much we did in such little time because there were so many pieces that needed to be rehearsed, and we did not get access to the dance studio,” de Leon said. “I am very proud of us for being able to adapt to what we were given, and we were able to put on this amazing show.”