Empire dance preps for summer nationals event
“I’ve got a cute face, chubby waist, thick legs, in shape. Rump shaking both ways. Make you do a double take.” These are the lyrics to the Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot hip-hop classic, “Lose Control,” a song so invigorating and full of life that it could make a skeleton shuffle its feet and jiggle its bones.
But the Empire dance team, which practices in Taos, moves to this track and many others awardwinningly well.
The team was going over choreography involving front handsprings on Thursday (April 28). For this routine, a dancer forms a table top on all fours while their partner uses their back as a platform to generate power off of the forward handspring. One of the dancers, Mario Enriquez-Limas, can do the maneuver quickly enough and powerfully enough to bring the hood of their hoodie onto their head with just the momentum of the move. The coolness factor of this effect is on par with the swagger the hip-hop crew, the Jabbawockeez, brings to their dance sets.
Empire descends from the Mystic Dance Team that was associated with the Mystic Dance Studio, which is no longer in operation. Most of their public dancing happens in competitions. Over the years, they have accrued many first-place and second-place national titles in competitions held in places such as the ESPN center in Orlando, Fla. and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev. In Taos, they usually perform once a year for Taos High School and at the Fiestas de Taos.
The independent dance team is not associated with any school but is currently using the Taos Academy gymnasium to get into the groove. The atmosphere of their practice is laid back. You can’t regiment hip-hop. You can’t force the funk. Coach Angelica Lucero encourages collaboration.
“Whenever they have new moves or anything, if it works, we add it,” she says.
Lucero has family ties to the dance team. She is the daughter of Maria Lucero, who started the team in 2007 and coached the team throughout the years that the studio was operational.
“I danced with my mom on Mystic since I was 11, and I finished when I was 23. So I’ve danced for most of my life. And
then, I don’t know. I guess I just said, ‘okay, let’s start coaching,’” Lucero said.
Angel Lucero thanks her mom for guiding her through her journey and sticking by her side. Maria Lucero is still a presence on the
team as she watches and sometimes critiques from the sidelines. When Angel Lucero joined in on the dance routine to be included in a photograph, Maria yelled for them to do it again, because they hadn’t quite nailed it.
She also imprints all the clothing for the Empire dance team — the brand has a crown on the top left corner of the E in Empire. She does it just for the team.
According to Angelica Lucero, “The girls will actually sit there and
help us — peel them off, get them ready and things like that.”
Before the “Lose Control” dance routine, the team was practicing an athletic dance move known as a rubberband or a reverse kip-up.
You start with your feet apart with a slight bend, as in a general athletic stance. You then jump back onto your hands. Your hands touch the ground first. Then the top of your shoulder blades. It’s kind of like doing half of a backhand spring. Ideally, you absorb some of the shock with your triceps, and you tuck your chin to avoid hitting the back of your cranium. Lastly, you explosively jump back up to the starting position. Luisa Munoz did this tough maneuver several times on a mat.
“I don’t see how you can’t hate from outside the club, you can’t even get in [insert Chris Brown’s high pitched laughter] Leggo.” This is the intro to the “Look at Me Now” song by Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne, and Busta Rhymes. That intro offers a good opportunity to incorporate facial expressions and gestures. Limas struggled to keep a straight face during the routine whenever a photograph was taken of her. Instead, she would burst out into laughter each time.
The Empire dance team recently won regionals and will be heading to Anaheim, Calif. for nationals in July. They will be looking to raise funds with an Enchilada Dinner held at the at the Masonic Bent Lodge on Friday (May 27) from 5:30-8 p.m.