Written by Marjorie Eldira Edited by Mrs.Wanda
On Saturday, November 11th, Florida Atlantic University Haitian Student Organization Konbit Kreyol hosted their 8th Annual Best Haitian Dance Troupe Competition. What began as a small event in FAU’s Live Oak Pavilion has now captured hundreds all across Florida and expanded to FAU’s Barry Kaye Auditorium. This free cultural dancing showcase had a packed house filled with 1,500+ attendees.
This annual competition commenced in 2010, while Konbit Kreyol’s executive board and dance troupe at the time, aspired to highlight the talents of all dance troupes. This event launched with only two schools participating, which included Broward College Roots Club and Konbit Kreyol. Over the years, the list of competitors has grown as the competition has received state-level attention. This competition serves as an outlet for each organization to have the opportunity to represent their institution while promoting the Haitian culture with the hopes of winning the coveted trophy.
Two hosts captivated the night, Jessica Hazel who is no stranger to hosting BHDT and the funny man himself Zoe Poze. The night filled with jokes and an excellent ambiance. This year, the groups came out with their members, supporters, and families with chants and signs all over the auditorium.
The competition comprised of three categories Hip-Hop, Kanaval, and Konpa. The theme was a blast to the past, in one word “throwback!” Now all of you know when it is a throwback the show is set to be captivating.
The eight institutions included Konbit Kreyol of FAU, Haitian Cultural Club of Tallahassee, Djakout Lakay of PBSC, USF Club Creole, UCF Club Creole, Haitian IBO at Miami-Dade College, FIU HSO Toucho, and UWF 509 Dance Troupe.
The organizations turned it up this year, and for few, it was their first time competing at BHDT. The creativity was one like no other. From the composer in HCC’s konpa section to Djackout Lakay Kanaval routine and KK’s Hip Hop piece the list of originality could go on. Each year this competition gets better and tighter than ever!
The organizations spend months and practice endless hours a day to perfect their skills, and it was apparent. The rivalry was intense as the judges had their hands to their heads after each performance. The judges comprised of DJ 5 Etwal, Rebecca Aristil, Marie-Carmelle Lindley, Sony Laventure, Jessica Saint-Georges, and Kajanee Smith.
The best category or most intricate category saved for last which is the Konpa section where the teams bring their A game. With the gouyads, dips and cultural dance move the crowd is guaranteed to go wild and not stay in their seats throughout this section. In the end, USF was able to knock HCC off the throne after their four-peat consecutive wins in the past years. Overall, job well done by all eight teams and for those who did not attend this year be sure to come out the next year 2018. Follow Konibit Kreyol for event notifications. Check out the overall winners below:
Overall Winners:
1st Place: USF Club Creole Dance Troupe
2nd Place: FAU Konbit Kreyol Dance Troupe
3rd Place: PBSC Djakout Lakay Dance Troupe
Hip Hop Category: FAU Konbit Kreyol
Kanaval Category: PBSC Djakout Lakay
Konpa Category: USF Club Creole
See more photos here.
Pictures captured by Focal Muse Photography.
Full Video clip here.
Official videos on Konbit Kreyol
![Republican senators are warning that President Trump has fumbled immigration, an issue that helped GOP candidates in 2024 and is now becoming a political liability as the party defends its Senate majority.
Several GOP senators told The Hill that the administration’s mass-deportation campaign has been too aggressive, overshadowing what they describe as a major border-security win: illegal crossings down more than 90 percent since former President Biden left office. They say the enforcement is costing Republicans support among suburban and Hispanic voters weeks before the midterms.
“Once you start deporting people who have otherwise been here without incident for 15, 20 years, that’s a gray zone that I think where you find a lot of division of opinion,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. “I always thought that this idea of mass deportations sent the wrong message.”
Cornyn pointed to a campaign ad from Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), who told the president that some enforcement “has gone too far” and that Hispanic voters who helped elect him in 2024 “feel betrayed.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who is running for reelection, said most Americans want Immigration and Customs Enforcement focused on people who have committed crimes beyond unlawful presence.
“Most Americans are saying we are a nation of laws, but with as many people here illegally as we’ve got, let’s make darn sure that our focus is on getting those individuals that have violated our laws with regard to other things other than being here illegally,” Rounds said. He urged the administration to ease off people who “are here and that have a court determination that [says] they can be here,” and to “refocus on those individuals that are actually causing harm within society today.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was blunter. “I would rather have 100 illegally present people go free than have that innocent person caught,” he said. Of sweeps that have swept up citizens and green-card holders.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://www.lunionsuite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/840991051_18641085889023307_7642861791848397517_n-512x640.jpg)
![Republican senators are warning that President Trump has fumbled immigration, an issue that helped GOP candidates in 2024 and is now becoming a political liability as the party defends its Senate majority.
Several GOP senators told The Hill that the administration’s mass-deportation campaign has been too aggressive, overshadowing what they describe as a major border-security win: illegal crossings down more than 90 percent since former President Biden left office. They say the enforcement is costing Republicans support among suburban and Hispanic voters weeks before the midterms.
“Once you start deporting people who have otherwise been here without incident for 15, 20 years, that’s a gray zone that I think where you find a lot of division of opinion,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. “I always thought that this idea of mass deportations sent the wrong message.”
Cornyn pointed to a campaign ad from Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), who told the president that some enforcement “has gone too far” and that Hispanic voters who helped elect him in 2024 “feel betrayed.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who is running for reelection, said most Americans want Immigration and Customs Enforcement focused on people who have committed crimes beyond unlawful presence.
“Most Americans are saying we are a nation of laws, but with as many people here illegally as we’ve got, let’s make darn sure that our focus is on getting those individuals that have violated our laws with regard to other things other than being here illegally,” Rounds said. He urged the administration to ease off people who “are here and that have a court determination that [says] they can be here,” and to “refocus on those individuals that are actually causing harm within society today.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was blunter. “I would rather have 100 illegally present people go free than have that innocent person caught,” he said. Of sweeps that have swept up citizens and green-card holders.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/840991051_18641085889023307_7642861791848397517_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=Ib_peifAtiUQ7kNvwGJHbZW&_nc_oc=Adr-rpbwHnP3VgZYy97VHCho6fk_F4a1Do0G8tZ-0N8s_DJ4WUuSikaqZPFNlFQWMhU&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=53WYFms0cOWz8fJ09rK_tg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQLsVZBFwlxSnVTSviOLfnYtbmoyPDyF36Vka3Nf2UpQ1sBR9fXRchj7fxiuNF1Wi-rJhNo4SVaJ&oh=00_AQP9KSPMtGbVZQR-Prxnsb8364LgbiTDCkoSP2bviRRPZA&oe=6ACFCCD8)
![Republican senators are warning that President Trump has fumbled immigration, an issue that helped GOP candidates in 2024 and is now becoming a political liability as the party defends its Senate majority.
Several GOP senators told The Hill that the administration’s mass-deportation campaign has been too aggressive, overshadowing what they describe as a major border-security win: illegal crossings down more than 90 percent since former President Biden left office. They say the enforcement is costing Republicans support among suburban and Hispanic voters weeks before the midterms.
“Once you start deporting people who have otherwise been here without incident for 15, 20 years, that’s a gray zone that I think where you find a lot of division of opinion,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. “I always thought that this idea of mass deportations sent the wrong message.”
Cornyn pointed to a campaign ad from Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), who told the president that some enforcement “has gone too far” and that Hispanic voters who helped elect him in 2024 “feel betrayed.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who is running for reelection, said most Americans want Immigration and Customs Enforcement focused on people who have committed crimes beyond unlawful presence.
“Most Americans are saying we are a nation of laws, but with as many people here illegally as we’ve got, let’s make darn sure that our focus is on getting those individuals that have violated our laws with regard to other things other than being here illegally,” Rounds said. He urged the administration to ease off people who “are here and that have a court determination that [says] they can be here,” and to “refocus on those individuals that are actually causing harm within society today.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was blunter. “I would rather have 100 illegally present people go free than have that innocent person caught,” he said. Of sweeps that have swept up citizens and green-card holders.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/839766226_18641085904023307_2948675116117924112_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=102&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=EIPPc5Ck2PAQ7kNvwEnR75G&_nc_oc=Adq6yRBvqDfgp2RRFmiLUNWocTWBYd_9XPVPSZyIYFU3CfJBA1I32Jpm2Q9vIRXne_k&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=53WYFms0cOWz8fJ09rK_tg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQLsOFsxgy588CAcA3xGAa0SeNR7BUv7WbPSlQxjuISiHuW46Z6YUnXh2jX70mXBk9ncloZTkpQz&oh=00_AQOISvoz63dVCsuGgn1LK5MOLc911G2x4tSKAC2t4kAsVQ&oe=6ACFA898)
![Republican senators are warning that President Trump has fumbled immigration, an issue that helped GOP candidates in 2024 and is now becoming a political liability as the party defends its Senate majority.
Several GOP senators told The Hill that the administration’s mass-deportation campaign has been too aggressive, overshadowing what they describe as a major border-security win: illegal crossings down more than 90 percent since former President Biden left office. They say the enforcement is costing Republicans support among suburban and Hispanic voters weeks before the midterms.
“Once you start deporting people who have otherwise been here without incident for 15, 20 years, that’s a gray zone that I think where you find a lot of division of opinion,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. “I always thought that this idea of mass deportations sent the wrong message.”
Cornyn pointed to a campaign ad from Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), who told the president that some enforcement “has gone too far” and that Hispanic voters who helped elect him in 2024 “feel betrayed.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who is running for reelection, said most Americans want Immigration and Customs Enforcement focused on people who have committed crimes beyond unlawful presence.
“Most Americans are saying we are a nation of laws, but with as many people here illegally as we’ve got, let’s make darn sure that our focus is on getting those individuals that have violated our laws with regard to other things other than being here illegally,” Rounds said. He urged the administration to ease off people who “are here and that have a court determination that [says] they can be here,” and to “refocus on those individuals that are actually causing harm within society today.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was blunter. “I would rather have 100 illegally present people go free than have that innocent person caught,” he said. Of sweeps that have swept up citizens and green-card holders.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/842191576_18641085880023307_6000724888231376659_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=xtZvFe7RaVYQ7kNvwG4OWwN&_nc_oc=AdovbRSSo7-bJB-h4BjOGp3hCPdXOFQnOzD9Azrpx2vu_gAxIR8ITx7lo-GmhavkZsA&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=53WYFms0cOWz8fJ09rK_tg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQJZ6nRpiSLN34FOGkwh4WIhkaJ9hcmN7-XNKJuLAfR2uYWgyhBg_2ZPaOOSAtGyQ35t3RtzgpB_&oh=00_AQPKdeQMGzijozWoAwvmqcVY3qCrUdIyxFGbKoDtSDj24Q&oe=6ACFB3F6)
