Blackout, Tufts University’s all-male step team, took first place at the inaugural Kollaboration Boston 1 competition on Saturday, April 16, 2011. In front of over 1000 audience members at the John Hancock Hall in downtown Boston, Blackout performed a crisp, high-energy routine that ultimately beat out the eight other competing acts in combined audience reaction and judges’ scores.

As the members – Kyle Carbone, Groom Dinkneh, Chris Owens, Ekow Essel, Drew Bibby, Fernando Fiorentino, and Karl Wang – stood backstage after the show, all that they could say at first amidst their shock and excitement were words of gratitude. “It’s for everybody, not just us,” said Owens, in reference to their win. “We appreciate the help and the cooperation everyone’s given us and it’s just amazing.” Added Dinkneh, “It’s the greatest thing that’s happened to the group, that’s for sure.” The step tradition has roots in African culture, and Blackout was founded in 2004 under the Tufts African Students Organization, according to their website. Today, the diversity of the group – which Fiorentino likened to “a Gap commercial” – is a testament to how successfully the team, in its short history, has been able to bring an appreciation for step to a much larger community.

Their diversity also illustrates how far Kollaboration has come as a movement in the entertainment industry. Eric Nam, the executive director of Kollaboration Boston, thought that Blackout was very deserving of their win, despite the fact that the team doesn’t exactly have the look of a typical Kollaboration winner. “Kollaboration Boston is about uniting and empowering,” Nam said. “We sought to showcase the talents and abilities of Asian Americans across all forms of the fine arts.

At it’s core, Kollaboration should rise above racial bounds; this is why we exist in the first place. The men of Blackout put on an outstanding show and in the end, I only have to say, ‘Congratulations!’”

The team, in return, credits a lot of their success to shows precisely like Kollaboration, shows that help to get people to “look at you,” which Bibby described as another key factor in becoming successful. All of the current members had little to no experience with step coming into Blackout, but through hard work, dedication, and a lot of performance, wound up loving the dance form. The team used Wang, whom Fiorentino called one of the team’s best steppers, as an example of someone who worked through his initial intimidation on Blackout by continually putting himself in front of audiences.

“For anyone trying to make it out and trying to make their big break,” Bibby advised, “just go out there and keep trying.” For their first-place win, the team received the Kollaboration trophy and $1000, as well as a trip to Kollaboration in LA later in the year.

Blackout Step Team : Kollaboration 1 Winners