Marina Gaytan / The Collegian

All they want to do is dance. Whether it’s pop-lockin’ to practice, Clown dancin’ to class or throwing their hands up to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” in the bowling alley, Dance Xpress is having a blast everywhere they go.

A team that throws the same old song and dance cliché on the ground, Dance Xpress (BDX) represents an art form California State University, Fresno.

BDX fuses hip-hop, ballet and free style dancing with multicultural, expressive and eclectic choreography. The team’s founder and president, Mikeisha Tresevant moved to Fresno from Los Angeles three years ago.

After joining Black Students United (BSU) and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Tresevant was determined to enhance her college experience through a creative dance team, however, no such organization existed. Determined to do something about the lack of versatile dance groups on campus, Tresevant submitted a proposal to student activities and leadership development and received the green light to two months later.

“I immediately began posting audition flyers on campus, Facebook walls and MySpace pages with the help of BSU,” Tresevant said.
Less than one month later 17 students responded, tried out and made the cut.

The co-ed team specializes in a variety of techniques such as modern, salsa and crump and changes their style of dance depending on the type event.

Business major Benny Thongsaone said he feels good to be the only guy surrounded by beautiful woman as for the only man on the team.
“To be the only guy can make me feel out of place sometimes, because some of the dance moves are feminine and everyone in there are ladies,” Thongsaone said.

Thongsaone found out about BDX when passing by a workshop for tryouts.

“I saw my friend Shakea in there dancing so I decided to text her to see what it was and she told me it was the BDX dance team,” Thongsaone said. “So I asked her if guys can try out and if you
had to be African American.”

Business marketing major Aminata Koroma heard about the dance team at BSU’s last fall’s welcome back event.

“I was appointed the vice president position last spring after a year of dancing for BDX,” said Koroma who now organizes the community service events for the team.

The group’s fresh innovations and expressive choreography has led to opportunities both on and off campus.

While some of the organizations on campus offer to pay, a majority are for fun and community service.

The team went on to win first place at “Blues for Blue,” a dance competition presented by USU productions.

BDX is currently practicing three times a week for the fourth annual Central Valley Dance Festival.

Incorporating different styles of dance allows BDX to learn about different cultures, Tresevant said.

“We also have a majority of African American members on the team, two Hispanics and one Asian,” Tresevant said. “Dance is one language that is spoken in many different forms, so why limit ourselves to a certain culture or style of dance?”

In response to collaborating with the Kappa Alpha Psi step team Tresevant said it would actually be kind of fun since they step and we dance.

“We are ready, let’s get it done. Let me know the date and time.”