Shall we dance?: A ‘breakdown’ of BAC’s ‘After Hours’ performance

As I waited in the clamoring line outside Frist Theater, I could feel the frenetic energy rise as each person scanned their tickets. The excitement surrounding me was palpable. I watched as groups of students and adults chatted loudly, brimming with infectious liveliness. One by one, people disappeared through the door into the dark theater. Making my way slowly but surely to the entrance, I started to hear the sound of blaring music. After a five-minute wait, I scanned my ticket and entered. The speakers pounded with the sound of distorted 808 bass and hi-hats.

The theater’s animated energy was a result of the Black Arts Company (BAC) “After Hours” performance. I attended their early Saturday night show that featured an impressive twenty-six songs over eight themes. These themes, “Bring the House Down,” “TikTok Rizz Party,” “truth || dare,” “Sneak Dissin’,” “Lollipop,” “All For You,” “Midnight Rage,” and “Get Busy,” contained a diverse selection of R&B and hip-hop, from the boom-bap pop of Janet Jackson’s “All for You” to the headbanging mosh pit of Playboi Carti’s “On That Time.”

BAC, also known as the Black Arts Company, is one of Princeton’s oldest hip-hop dance groups, founded in 1990 with the hope of “spreading cultural awareness of the African Diaspora through dance.” The group performed “After Hours” both Friday and Saturday evening: two shows each. Attending my first dance performance, I was completely unsure of what to expect.

Luckily, I was not disappointed in the slightest.

As the lights turned low, the performance began with a projected video showing various BAC members in a smoky speakeasy bar accompanied by elegant jazz in the background. Introducing the performance’s overall theme, “After Hours,” the video quickly transitioned into an intentionally absurd, yet hilarious skit about a world where dancing was outlawed. While I was uncertain throughout the performance about how the various skits and “After Hours” theme related to the diverse styles of dance and music performed, it did not negatively impact my feelings on any part of the performance.

Although the performance’s title and initial skit hinted at a more laid-back, sultry style of music, the truth couldn’t be more different. In fact, from the very first performance, “After Hours” was a thrilling, nonstop flurry of energy. Dance after dance, BAC delivered exceptionally executed performances that, in all honesty, blew me away.

While the group was able to cover a wide range of dance styles within some smaller subgenres of hip-hop and R&B, each dance also felt as if it owned its own distinct identity — something incredibly challenging to do through such an extensive list of songs and choreography. Covering the irresistible rhythmic beats of Tyla, uplifting highs of Beyonce, and dueling sides of the viral “rap beef” between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, “After Hours” was an equally unpredictable yet consistent performance.

After a brief intermission, “After Hours” featured a succinct, yet enjoyable appearance from the R&B and soul a capella group “Old NasSoul.”

One of the night’s most exciting elements was a section in which three BAC members rounded up “volunteers” from the crowd to have a “dance battle.” What followed next perfectly encapsulated Princeton students’ unbelievable range of talents. Between improvised backflips and hard-hitting dance moves, each volunteer left me incredibly impressed.

In all, “After Hours” was a relentless and exceptional example of BAC’s raw talent, hard work, and showmanship. Despite the performance lasting over two hours, I can honestly say there wasn’t a single moment during the event when I felt bored. In fact, after each performance, I was excited about what song would be performed next. When the group’s eruption of dances finally ended, I couldn’t help but want more. While I may not have known what I was getting myself into beforehand, I know I will be first in line for BAC’s next performance.

Gavin McLoughlin, a member of the Class of 2028, is a contributing writer for The Prospect. He can be reached at gm9041[at]princeton.edu.