4
The News Argus
Jan. 29. 2007
Features/Entertaiiiment
Stomp the Yard: Have we seen similar films? Get ready for 'Trouble'
La’Chelle Lewis
Staff Writer
Stomp the Yard is being
compared to Drumline, but
with college fraternities and
sororities stepping and danc
ing instead of college bands
marching.
DJ (Columbus Short) of
Los Angeles and his crew of
dancers battle and win a
dance battle filled with
Krumping, a new form of
hip-hop dancing. Victory
turns into sorrow as the los
ers of the competition seek
violent revenge on DJ and
his dance crew. The two
groups battle it out in a scuf
fle until DJ's college-bound
brother, played by Chris
Brown, lies lifeless on the
ground from a single gun
shot wound.
The death of his brother
lands DJ in Atlanta with his
aunt and uncle who help
him get into the prominent
Truth University.
Immediately he finds himself
infatuated by the beautiful
April (Meagan Good), and
wedged between two rival
fraternity step groups: Mu
Gamma Xi and Theta Nu
Theta.
After a breathtaking dance
performance at a local club,
DJ is approached by both
frats. Both teams feel that DJ
would be a huge advantage
to them in winning the
National Stepping
Competition. Stepping,
which involves stomps, claps
and slaps with startling beats
and synchrony, does not
appeal to DJ. His response to
the fraternities' offers is: "I
Tiphane Deas
MANAGING EDITOR
Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures
Columbus Short stars as DJ, and Meagan Good stars
as April in Stomp the Yard.
don't step, I battle."
DJ is clueless to the tradi
tion and the importance of
fraternities until April
encourages him to visit
Heritage Hall. When he vis
its Heritage Hall, he is
exposed to great people such
as Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Rosa Parks, Ester Rolle and
Michael Jordan, to name just
a few. All these people were
and are a part of fraternities
and sororities and have
made great accomplishments
for humanity.
At this point in the film, DJ
realizes that fraternities are
not about stepping but about
brotherhood, and so he
decides to join Theta Nu
Theta to help his brothers
take home the stepping
championship from seven
time winners and rivals. Mu
Gamma Xi. At this point in
the film, everything becomes
predictable.
As viewers know, there
must be some type of climax
with a setback or major
problem before the film
reaches its grand finale.
Director Sylvain White man
ages to make frenetic dance
routines compelling and
mind-boggling. At the same
time, viewers can anticipate
what's next in the scene of
events. While the story feels
overly familiar and contains
few surprises, it really does
not matter to movie viewers
who like to see a lot of enter
tainment filled with dancing.
This film deserves applause
for its all-star cast and high
intensity.
This film is reminiscent of
"Drumline," though, and
this questions the creative
juices of directors. Are old
ideas from previous films
with an added twist enough
for the movie industry, or
have the creative juices hit a
major drought?
Any number of phrases
could fill in the space in the
statement, "(blank) is the
essential element of a suc
cessful musical group," but
when the members of
Nuthin But Trouble were
asked why they chose to
play in a band with each
other, everybody's first
thought was, "Good vibes."
And those are evident at
any random glance at the
band members together.
Offstage, their chemistry
manifests in antics and
belly laughs that make
them appear more as life
long friends than men who
have been working together
for only six months.
Onstage, it produces a per
formance that is nothing to
laugh at.
Jason Tuttle, 27, Elliott
Yourse, 22, and Gordon
Fields, 23, have been blend
ing their skills to bring to
their growing number of
fans "R&B and hip hop
with a live band sound"
since July of 2006, when
promoter Vincent Wilkins
got the men together for an
engagement.
"He heard me play at the
A.R.T. (Association of
Rhythmic Talent) show; he
already knew Gordon, and
he knew Jason. He got us
together to play a gig, and
we've been playing togeth
er every since," said Yourse.
But the trio was already
Photo courtesy of Nuthin But Trouble
Members of the group Nuthin But Trouble
acquainted with each other
before Wilkins interceded.
Fields, who plays bass for
Nuthin But Trouble, and
Yourse, who handles the
saxophone, are both stu
dents at Winston-Salem
State University where
they study political science
and music, and business,
respectively. Tuttle, the
drummer from Winston-
Salem, met Fields years ago
when the latter moved
down from his hometown
of Salisbury, VA, and came
to play at his church. The
rest, as the guys say, "just
happened."
During a performance at
Ziggy's Tavern in Winston-
Salem on Sunday night,
January 14, the band's
repertoire included music
from artists like Jagged
Edge, Blackstreet, and Dave
Hollister. Joining them
onstage were a trumpet,
keyboards, an additional
percussionist, and three
vocalists. Far from being
selfish with their spotlight,
Nuthin But Trouble is
big on collaborating with
other musicians and artists,
especially those from the
WSSU campus. They have
harmonized with several
Rams, including Charie
Neal, Charmaine, and the
Voices of A.R.T., to name a
few.
"[Wilkins] will spot talent
and they'll come in and
sing with us or rap with
us," said Yourse.
And those who have
worked with them before
give very positive feedback
on the group.
"I'll perform with them
whenever I get the chance.
See Trouble, page 5
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