On Saturday, April 9, 2001, the City of Orange Extended School Day Program Step Team took their fancy foot work, precise steps and dramatic theatrics to the Christopher Columbus High School in New York City where they won first prize in the 4th annual Step and Dance Competition.
On March 20, 2011, the team competed in the 5th Annual “BATTLE IN THE APPLE” High School Step Competition at Baruch College in Manhattan and won third prize.
The two-day “BATTLE IN THE APPLE” included competing events in dance, step and drum line, attracting over 500 participants and more than 2,000 enthusiastic spectators. Teams from every New York City Borough, Long Island, and Orange, New Jersey converged on the college and took turns showing off their skills.
The battle began around 6:30pm and the second group to perform out of the ten teams in the competition was our Orange Step Team affectionately called “Catastrophic” and made up of 20 teenage male and female students. The Step Team is in it second year and has made it to the big stage of New York City. Team Catastrophic did not disappoint as they presented their routine dressed as a graduating class in caps and gowns and after some intense step routines finally disrobed to their traditional black bottoms and white tops dazzling the audience with their rhythmic moves and precision steps.
When it was time to select the winners, Team Catastrophic was in a step off for second place, going head to head with a team from Queens, New York. Orange ended up placing third in the competition but firmly established itself as the step team to beat from New Jersey.
Keith Pressey, Orange Supervisor for Recreation, thanked Seye Charles and his staff from Focus Movement for the great job they have done introducing and nurturing the kids in the Step Mentorship Program. The step program was brought to Orange by Mayor Eldridge Hawkins Jr., who is member of the same Fraternity as Mr. Charles, Phi Beta Sigma Inc.
Mr. Pressey told the kids after the Baruch competition, “you have no reason to hold your heads down, you came into this competition as unknowns to the step world, but you left your indelible mark and when they hear that a team from Orange is in the competition they all will know they’d better have their A game because Orange is coming for the title. This was a job well done, and your City is proud of you all.”
For more information about the Step Team contact Keith Pressey at 973-266-4047.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
