Urban Dance Troupe has come a long way since it began, literally. The hip-hop dance troupe moved from Altoona to University Park in 2005. It was Penn State’s first dance club to specifically focus on hip-hop.

But Urban Dance Troupe, or UDT, has made more than physical strides in the past decade. “We were Penn State’s original Best Dance Crew,” said member and choreographer Devon Fields. “We actually reclaimed that title last year.”

UDT does not have one choreographer in the group. Instead, each of the sixteen members contribute by teaching the type of dance they love the most. “It’s an eclectic group, but we all come together to dance,” said Fields.

For its THON 2015 performance, UDT spent a month rehearsing and perfecting its routine. “We put our blood, sweat, and tears into this performance,” said Fields.

UDT won’t take the main THON stage until early Sunday morning. But instead of just waiting to bust a move until then, the troupe is taking its moves to the floor. It’s what Fields calls a stand dance.

“I came up with the idea when I saw dancers creating their own little dances on the floor to keep their spirits alive,” said Fields. “From there, I thought it would be cool if we could use our bodies to teach the entire stadium a dance, just like they were playing one big game of Just Dance.”

Thus, the stand dance was born. It made it’s debut at THON 2014, and made a big impression. “We were out on the floor, flapping our limbs and hoping that people would pay attention to us,” said Fields.

Urban Dance Troupe reprised the stand dance this year, encouraging the entire BJC to dance along with them.

“We are always marveled by the fact that people really enjoy what we do, because we love what we do,” said Fields.