The Street Dance Association, a multicultural organization founded in the winter of 2009 at Oakland University, is making its comeback this fall.

Nikki Veridiano, secretary of the SDA and senior nursing major, said that the group developed through three Oakland University students. In November of 2008, these students were working for a non-profit Hip Hop organization called FreeSoul Tribe. The SDA would later evolve from the involvement of those students.

Eventually, the organization acquired additional members along with a visiting dance professor as their faculty advisor.

“In the summer of 2010, I failed to find new leadership, so we lost our official status,” said Ricjeareu Villaflor, president of the SDA and junior information technology major.

Villaflor said that he re-registered the organization this past winter semester. He is slowly promoting the organization and creating events.

According to Villaflor, Michigan has a very unique break dancing and street dancing community.

“Break dancing has grown popularity among many college students, especially at Michigan State and Wayne State,” Villaflor said.

Villaflor said to bring attention to this, he plans on holding a competition limited to college break dancers in the fall. He is also trying to create a smaller preview event this summer.

The fall competition will be held at the Oakland Center patio on September 10. Villaflor’s aim for the summer is to acquire sponsors and headliners for the competition. Additionally, outdoor workshops/sessions are planned to help increase student involvement.

“It’s been a couple of years since we’ve tried to hold an event at OU,” Veridiano said. “We just wanted to let people know that we are here. Even if they’re not interested in dancing, they can learn about our respective cultures.”

According to Veridiano, the SDA was initially formed to help raise money for charities and non-profit organizations. She said that the SDA worked with HAVEN and Deaf Professional Arts Network (D-Pan) in Detroit.

Veridiano said that the SDA is currently trying to recruit more members, specifically outside of OU. The group is trying to recruit more members from the Metro Detroit area for the fall competition.

Some of the various dance styles that the SDA teach and share include Bboying, Funk styles and House Dance, which originate from genuine Hip Hop and Street Dance; they teach what skills they have learned, ideas, history and politics to Oakland University’s community.

More information about the SDA and its history can be found online at www,streetdanceou.webs.com