From Wonderland to Wild West: Swerve 2025 Review
This year's competition brought humor, drama, stunts, and standout moments to the stage.
Swerve 2025 welcomed a diverse repertoire to the Swor Auditorium stage, bringing love and comedy, fantasy and drama. The annual celebrated tradition took place Thursday, February 27.
The spotlight fell on the top three winners for the night, with third place going to Laguna Social Tribe and their Wild West-themed routine, Outlaws; second place going to Kissimmee Social Tribe and their performance of Men In Black; and first place going to New Kids and their production of Alice in Wonderland. The returning independent team claimed their fourth consecutive victory.
The judges also recognized six outstanding performers: Layla Bruce, Kade Stegall, Michael Hederman, Brinley Sullivan, Caden Ball, and Landon Maughon. The Spirit of Swerve Award went to the Choctaw Swing Dancers.
The night opened up with Swannanoa Social Tribe, bringing a fun Descendants themed performance to the stage. Notably, the performers exited into the audience, setting them apart from the other performances. The performers were clearly excited to be on stage with their dynamic facials, and the audience engaged with them as a result.
Following Swannanoa was Civitan Men’s Club and their production entitled Netflix. The audience was intrigued by their unexpected theme and were excited to see how they captured it. The screens framing the stage flashed covers of movie or TV shows while the dancers performed corresponding numbers. Highlights included a number themed after WWE, featuring on-stage wrestling and flips, and Cocomelon – the audience erupted when Civitan member Brayden Parker performed the worm.
Kissimmee Social Tribe, the second-place winner, performed next with Men in Black. The curtain opened to a dark stage, but lights soon revealed the ladies of KT donning sleeveless suit jackets with sparkling hot pink ties. It was an empowering female take on the classic movie. They tied the performance together with a spectacular finale that brought new energy to the piece and excited the audience.
The men of Kokoa followed with a Space Jam-themed production. The performers were clearly excited to be on stage. In turn, the audience was excited to watch them. Their enthusiasm was escalating and brought joy to the stage.
The third-place performers, the Ladies of Laguna, displayed their show Outlaws. It opened mysteriously, with dancers emerging from the corners to diagonally line the stage. The choreography was creative and clean, and they had a charismatic stage presence.
Decerto Men’s Club had a Mission Impossible-themed show. Their show was intense, displaying their dedication and enthusiasm to the performance. They garnered a significant amount of audience participation and support throughout the night.
Nenamoosha opened their Top Gun-themed performance with slides that mimicked the beginning of the movie. The iconic song Great Balls of Fire followed before flowing into Danger Zone. Immediately, the audience was engaged and cheered them on. They displayed complex yet clean choreography that was visually stimulating, pulling together an electrifying performance.
Next, the night’s winners, New Kids, took the stage with their performance Alice in Wonderland, which creatively encapsulated the fantasy world of the age-old story. The performance was dynamic and layered. New Kids dancers performed differing sets of choreography while staying cohesive and clean. The routine featured impressive lifts and difficult choreography, but it was also light-hearted and nostalgic.
The Choctaw Swing Dancers performed A Spanish Love Story next, bringing an entirely different atmosphere to Swor Auditorium. The show featured a markedly different style of dancing that showcased technical ability unique to the team’s style of dance. The choreography contained complex lifts, and the leads captivated the audience with both drama and comedy.
Chenoa Social Tribe followed with a Michael Jackson themed production. Instantly, the crowd oohed and aahed at the performers' sparkling costumes and choreography. The dancers performed to many of Michael Jackson’s most iconic songs, including a crowd favorite, Thriller. Michael Jackson was played by Outstanding Performer Michael Hederman. The audience was enthralled by the familiar tunes and funky performance.
Lastly, the men of Shawreth took the stage with Tron: Legacy. Boasting light-up shoes, the performers were clearly ecstatic performers. They lit up the stage with their passionate stage presence. Their show stood apart from the rest with a unique techno atmosphere and was a crowd favorite.
Swerve 2025 proved why the competition is a lasting tradition on campus. The night was filled with excitement and talent, leaving a tangible anticipation for the years to come.
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