NYU's 8th annual Ultra Violet Live event was an eclectic blend of talent, energy and passion. The annual talent show, organized by the Inter-Residence Hall Council, featured 19 acts showcasing the most talented performers from each residence hall.
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With DJ Thick As Thieves spinning in the background, students filed into the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts anxious to witness each residence hall's act. Charismatic host and NYU alumnus Josh Segarra (PBS's "The Electric Company") demonstrated a playful rapport with the three prominent judges. Hip-hop artist Nyle, ABC writer and SNL contributor John Kazlauskas and Broadway star Josephine Rose Roberts each brought their own quirky personality to the commentary.
The five winners were selected based on stage appearance, personality, originality and audience response.
Founders Hall residents and Tisch freshmen Tara Halpern, Alex Rivera, Dimitri Moise and Alex Gibson won the Best Group Performance award. The androgynously dressed foursome did a fierce a cappella arrangement of "Telephone." Their harmonious voices and gyrating dance moves would have made Gaga herself proud.
"We weren't even thinking about winning," Halpern said. "We were just so excited to perform as freshmen."
The winner of the Best Variety Act award was Seventh Street and Alumni Hall's Allison Schieler. The haunting soundtrack from "Black Swan" played while the second-year Tisch dancer twisted and bent across the stage in inhuman ways. After watching her routine, Kazlauskas asked, "How many vertebrae are you missing?"
Bridgette Bazunu of the graduate residence halls was the victorious Solo Cover award winner, performing a vocal medley about the turbulence of falling in and out of love. She engaged the audience with her confident stage presence and displayed her impressive rhythmic range.
"It was awesome getting the support from the audience and having them enjoy what they saw, considering I was really nervous," Bazunu said.
Nyle described her unique style as one that left him "wanting to light incense and barbecue."
The contestant bringing home the prize for Best Solo Original Performance was Gramercy Green resident and Steinhardt sophomore A.J. Smith. Smith captivated the audience by writing and composing a song on the spot using a loop machine and a guitar. Smith said he was "still rattled by the end of the show."
Afro-funk band EMEFE of Carlyle Court was the grand winner of the evening. The 11-piece band closed the night with their unique, wildly energetic sound. The audience was enthralled by the incredible group dynamic that got the entire theater dancing to their original song, "Oh, That's What It Is."
"We got them on their feet, and that's what we wanted more than anything," said group member Raymond Mason.
Miles Arntzen, the band leader and drummer, saw the win as an opportunity to bring the large group closer together.
"We have an awesome amount of chemistry between all 11 of us. Having that win and going through the whole process, it all built our relationship to each other so much," Arntzen said.
Patrick Higgins, IRHC co-programming chair and the event's coordinator, was impressed with Ultra Violet Live's success. The event highlighted the creativity and talent that abounds in NYU's residence halls, selling out the 850-seat auditorium.
"The best feeling was coming to Skirball after dinner and seeing the line curving around the block, and knowing that the show was going to be a hit," he said.
