Urban Dance Troupe, Penn State’s first official hip-hop dance group, won 2022’s “For The Glory” Homecoming Talent Show. With Urban Dance Troupe’s victory, the group punched its ticket to perform at THON 2023 in February.

Penn State Homecoming’s annual “For The Glory” talent show showcased 14 acts Tuesday night, which were judged by THON 2023 Executive Director Lily Pevoto, SPA Executive Director Hunter Smith, UPUA Vice President Carter Gangl, and Homecoming grand marshal and former Penn State wrestler David Taylor.

The first performance of the night was from tap group Tapestry, which performed to “The Wizard of Ahhhs” by Pentatonix and Todrick Hall. All 14 members dressed up as iconic characters from the movie, which included Dorothy, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and of course, Toto.

Up next was the only all-male a cappella group The Statesmen. The group of 14 men performed “Misery Business” by Paramore, with an a cappella twist. Five soloists alternated from the spotlight throughout the number. 

Last year’s winner, the Orchesis Dance Company, took the stage to perform a lyrical piece. The group danced to “She” by Laura Mvula. During the performance, the audience went wild upon the dancers’ entrance. Orchesis’ dance consisted of jazz, ballet, and contemporary themes.

Reve Dance Company appeared fourth and danced a lyrical performance to “Hometown Glory” by Adele, nodding to the homecoming theme.

Next up, the dance group KPMD performed to “AYA” by Mamamoo. The group of four took the stage and gave the crowd a taste of K-Pop.

The Pennharmonics, also known as “Penns,” followed with “Let Me See You Move” by Haji Springer. The all-gender a cappella group consisted of 13 members, featuring a male soloist that took the spotlight throughout most of the performance.

Nittany Dance Project, a co-ed dance group that specializes in hip-hop and jazz, made its “For The Glory” debut. The group danced to a variety of energy-filled songs from Beyonce, Pitbull, and the Black Eyes Peas. Throughout the performance, many dancers broke out cartwheels and backhand springs, eliciting encouraging hollers from the audience.

Atlas, a popular THON organization on campus, then danced to a variety of popular country songs, including “American Kid” by Kenny Chesney, “5-1-5-0” by Dierks Bentley, and “Cotton Eyed Joe” by Rednex. The co-ed group dosey-doed across the stage, rocking flannels and cowboy hats.

Irish dancing organization Rince Na Leo opened its act with two featured dancers fittingly dancing to an Irish jig. Then, the rest of the group came out to “Zombie Nation,” naturally leading to “We Are” chants from spectators.

Blue in the Face, a co-ed a cappella group, took the stage next for its take on Dua Lipa’s “Levitating.”

Following Blue in the Face was PSDA, also known as Penn State Dance Alliance. PDSA danced to many different songs, such as trending TikTok song “Remember” by Becky Hill and David Guetta. Other songs included “The Other Side” by Jason Derulo and “Sticky” by Drake. The group wore matching yellow Happy Valley t-shirts and ended the number with an elaborate kick line that elated the audience.

Next up, the all-female a cappella group Savoir Faire sang its rendition of “Dancing in the Moonlight.” The group consisted of 14 girls, including a featured soloist.

Volé, the largest all-inclusive dance organization on campus, then performed an energetic number to “Body Language” by Queen. Although there were only a small number of members who danced, the club boasts more than 200 members.

Urban Dance Troupe served as the event’s final performers, dancing to Beyonce’s “Homecoming” and “Lose My Breath” by Destiny’s Child. The pumped-up performance took the crowd by storm.

While the judges made the decision on this year’s winner, the 2022 Homecoming Court performed in lip-sync battle fashion. The group jammed out to “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus, “Cuff It” by Beyonce, “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen, and “Love Story” by Taylor Swift. Each court member had a moment in the spotlight with the crowd joining the singalong.

The judges carefully deliberated, eventually crowing Urban Dance Troupe the winners. Second and third place awards went to Nittany Dance Project and Tapestry, respectively.