The music starts slow and then bursts into quick, red-hot hip-hop beats that inspire the dancers’ moves across the floor.

Tiffany Matt steps to the front and does the count, five, six seven, eight. The dancers jump, kick and sway their hips rhythmically to the music.

As the music changes into a spiritual song, the movements slow again and the women move their arms graciously as they fall into simultaneous splits on the floor.

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Whether using the music of Busta Rhymz, Beethoven or Gloria Gaynor, the Black Fire Dancers keep the crowd on its feet as they dance to funky beats.

The dancers are not stuck in one type of dance format. They do everything from jazz, to hip-hop, to ballet.

Matt, a senior in psychology from Bellwood and president of the Black Fire Dancers, said the group was started in the late 70s to develop more Registered Student Organizations for African-Americans.

The students wanted more RSOs that they could identify with, she said. The Black Fire Dancers was formed with the needs of African-American students in mind.

The 20 members of the Black Fire Dancers meet twice a week to rehearse routines for events they have scheduled throughout the semester.

Auditions for the group are in March or April.

We teach a dance to see how fast people can learn, Matt said. We also have people make up their own dance to show their talent. It’s not necessary to have prior dance experience.

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Matt said the group is important because African-Americans use dance to express themselves.

If we look back to Africa, dance is very important, she said. It’s the way we express ourselves and relieve our stress.

Matt joined the Black Fire Dancers rather than other dance groups because it enables her to reach out to the community.

I found that with this team I can express myself and dance the way I want to, she said. African-Americans can relate to what we do.

The Black Fire Dancers perform throughout the campus and plan the type of dance according to the function.

We try to do performances that fit the crowd we are performing for, Matt said. One of our best performances was at last year’s Player’s Ball that had a 70s theme.

We had afro wigs and went way back with the clothing. We used disco music, and the crowd really got into it.

Nikki Wilson, a junior in psychology from Maywood, has been dancing with the Black Fire Dancers for 2 1/2 years to satisfy her performing bug.

I like to perform, especially with the Black Fire Dancers because we have flavor, she said. Flavor is unique. It’s being your own person and not being afraid to do the types of dances we want to do regardless of what people say.

Brenda Major, the group’s adviser, said the dancers combine many different styles of dancing from an African-American perspective.

At one point they did a lot of afro-Cuban dances, she said. Afro-Cuban dance is traditional African dance mixed with the dances of Cuba.

Charmaine Apara, a junior in administration of justice from Chicago and a choreographer for the group, gets the dance moves from watching television and adding new things to old dance moves.

Our dance moves are soulful with lots of rhythms, she said. We do both fast and slow dances.

Shontell Smith, a senior in psychology from Chicago, said the Black Fire Dancers show a spicy flavor in their dances.

We add a little more spice in the dances we do and the types of music that we choose, she said.

The Black Fire Dancers will perform Dec. 5 and 6 with another SIUC dance group called Dance Expresso at an undetermined location. For more information, contact Tiffany at 457-4414.