The Flipside student dance organization offered a free hip-hop dance class on Thursday, Nov. 3. It took place on the second floor of the Pennington Student Activity Center, and it was open to all students interested in learning hip-hop dance moves.

“We do hip-hop dance, and we perform at various events on and off campus,” said President of Flipside and junior nursing major, Raychell Smith. “I’ve been with Flipside since my freshman year and its really fun.”

Since starting in the organization her freshmen year, Smith has worked her way up the totem pole. “I was voted president this semester,” said Smith.

The dance instructor for the night, and founder of Flipside, A.J. Jackson is a Southeastern alumnus from 2008. According to Jackson, the free dance classes are open to all students, not just Flipside members, and they are offered every Homecoming.

Jackson formed the hip-hop dance group when he was a freshman in 2005, and the organization has blossomed since then.

“Flipside has been an organization since 2005, and I’m thankful because I didn’t think my group from 2005 would still be here in 2011,” Jackson said.

Flipside, as a student organization, helps to empower Southeastern students through hip-hop dance. However, the free dance classes are also a place for students from all over Louisiana to come and join together.

“I feel like Louisiana dancers out here don’t have much to go for. I brought people from Baton Rouge, New Orleans and even Grambling State University for the class.”

An aspiring choreographer, Jackson has worked with artists and indie dance projects in Los Angeles, CA. He also teaches a dance class to kids ages 5-18 in California. “I also helped choreograph Britney Spears’s Circus Tour for her dance to ‘Toxic’ when she came to New Orleans,” Jackson said.

According to Jackson, the class Thursday had a good turnout and everyone there was excited about dancing. The class danced a routine to Chris Brown’s “First 48.” The song is from his newest mix-tape “Boy in Detention,” which dropped on Aug. 5, 2011. The brash beats of the song helped lend a hand to the fast, assertive moves Jackson taught the class.

Junior business major Kendrick Griffin said, “I love it. I’ve been with Flipside for three years now.”

Other students had nothing but good remarks about the club and the dance class.

Derella Washington, a senior Biology major enjoyed the dance class.

“It was easy. I loved it. This is my first semester with Flipside, and I loved the whole thing,” said Washington. “It was more attitude than actual moves, like more swag.”

Flipside meets every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday to practice from 8-10 p.m, and there is a $20 fee for the semester.

If you would like to find out more about this organization and other dance classes, contact Raychell Smith at [email protected].