Vivacious cheers, booming bass, and squeaking sneakers echoed around a Fullerton ballroom on Tuesday night. The impetus? Seventy dancers auditioning to perform in the next generation of V MO, a competitive hip hop team led by Danyel Moulton.
“We’re very picky about where we put our physical bodies, what we put our money into and our energy into. So the fact that you’re here means the world.”
Danyel previously appeared in 5 Dancers Navigate Life in Los Angeles and shared that at the beginning of 2020, after being invited to perform at VIBE and consistently winning competitions with V MO, she thought she was at the peak of her career. Now a few years later, the acclaimed choreographer gushes that it’s a “full circle moment to see how far I’ve come and to see [the dancers auditioning] believe in me and want to push.”
An undeniable powerhouse, Moulton creates a safe space for self expression, encourages performers to be their best, and cultivates a community where everyone knows they’re valued and respected. These are the core tenets of Danyel Moulton, even at V MO’s inception in 2017 when only 13 dancers were rehearsing in parking lots around UCLA.
“The audition starts now, the support does not [stop].”
For the dancers who made it to callbacks, the audition process consisted of 1) repeatedly performing a choreographed routine to test their drive, stamina and retention, and 2) an open freestyle to showcase their personality and ability to collaborate as a group.
The vibration was high, the passion (and smell of sweat) was palpable, and it was an incredible honor to witness the formation of a superstar team. Announced this morning, here are the official members of V MO GEN 7:
Aldona Fiestas, Ally Cantimbuhan, Andrew Rodriguez, Audrey Bizzle, Cassidy Brown, Celine Manor, Celine Sy, Chloe Nicole Valencia, Colin Schumutzler, Danielle Allianic, Dante Casarin, Don Dang, Emilio Sanchez, Ericka Matias, Gabrielle Rivers, Giselle Edwards, Jada “JD” Warren-Evans, Jessica Vo, Kyle Tanimura, Lesley Solano, Lisa Ryu, Loleina Carlos, Lynette Morales, Malia Dizon, Marissa Espinoza, Mark Tullen, Megumi Cheng, Micah Wong, Michael Burt, Nicolas Sanon, Nicole Ochoa, Samuel Ballungay, Sky Perry, Skylar VanDenburg, Spirit, Tatiyanna Cofield, That Nguyen (Victor), Tori Cone, Tristien Nguyen, Victoria Castreje, Violet Soria, and Vivian Nguyen.
This December, V MO will appear as defending champions at their first competition of the season, BRIDGE, and then several more competitions at the beginning of 2023. Over these next six months, I encourage everyone to follow the resurgence of V MO.
