The lights were low and the music was raging. Sorority girls and fraternity guys filled the Classic Center for one of the biggest and most well-known Greek events of the year. It was 7:30 pm on Wednesday, Oct. 20, and up-and-coming musical artist J*Midd took the stage. The sold out crowd went crazy; it was time for Greek Grind 2010.

Greek Grind is an annual dance competition put on by the University of Georgia’s Sigma Delta Tau sorority. Each Panhellenic sorority on campus is invited to put together a short dance routine encompassing 25 to 30 girls and perform it in front of an audience. This year marked the sixth annual Greek Grind, with a record number of sixteen sororities participating. Special guest judges, which included football players Aaron Murray and A.J Green, choose the top three performances at the closing of the show.  A spirit award is also given to the sorority with the best banner and most monetary donations (a spirit-table is set up in the lobby to give students the opportunity to donate money to support whichever sorority they choose).

“Tickets are sold to the sororities first because they all want to be there to support their sisters. This year, we sold-out the show through these initial sales,” said 2010 Greek Grind coordinator Jamie Lincenberg. “Around 2,100 tickets were sold.”

This year, the show began with a quick song and introduction from J* Midd, followed by a performance by fourteen guys, each of which were sponsored by individual sororities. The show continued with performances from the sororities, all of which included a variety of hip-hop moves, lifts, stunts, tumbling, ballet and even some krumping. The UGA Red Hots also rocked the stage halfway through the performances with a dance routine of their own.

As the judges deliberated following all the competitive performances, the audience was entertained by Remote Kontrol; a dance troupe consisting of three robotic dancers who have appeared on “So You Think You Can Dance” and CNN.com, and Whitney Keith, winner of last year’s UGA Idol, an event also put on by Sigma Delta Tau. The judges made their decisions, and all sixteen sororities gathered on stage to hear the winners. The spirit award was given to Phi Mu, for their Lady Gaga-esque Greek Grind banner. First place was awarded to last year’s winners, Zeta Tau Alpha, and second and third were given to Alpha Omicron Pi and Kappa Delta, respectively.

Beyond all of the fun and games, the main cause for participating in Greek Grind is philanthropy. All the proceeds from the event are donated to Sigma Delta Tau’s national philanthropy, Prevent Child Abuse America or PCAA. PCAA aims to raise awareness about the mistreatment of children across the nation. For more information about Prevent Child Abuse America or to join Sigma Delta Tau’s effort in supporting the cause, visit the organization’s website at http://preventchildabuse.org.

Greek Grind is said to get more exciting every year, and Lincenberg spent months preparing to ensure this year’s show would be better than ever. Greek Grind 2010 was certainly nothing short of a success. The experiences are unlike any other, but if you are not sure it is meant for you, consider these words from Lincenberg.

“Greek Grind is such an amazing way to raise money for a charity. Everyone has such a fantastic time. Whether they are participating in the event, or attending it to show their support, everyone there is doing such a wonderful thing for society, and that is something we should all feel great about.”

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