Current Members!

Raman Gupta (President)

Raman is Hype’s president and resource for all things computer-related.  Whether it’s updating the website or one of his infamous google calendars, Raman is on top of his game.  Hailing from Maryland , he joined Hype with little to no dancing experience.  Now, after vast improvement, Raman is one of Hype’s Bhangra experts!

 Niketa Patel (Vice-President)

 Dancing had been a passion for Niketa ever since she was a little girl. Whether it was in front of the mirror at home or at ballet class in junior high, she was always busting a move. She had always hoped to branch into different kinds of dance including krumping, hip-hop and funk. With no fusion-style dance troupe in high school, Niketa had to wait until college where Hype presented her with the opportunity to learn all these styles and much, much more from her fellow students. Majoring in English and French, Niketa plans to attend law school in the future.

Miten Mistry (Business Administrator)

 Having spent most of his life watching others on the dance floor, Miten decided it was time for a change.  In his junior year of high school, Miten started b-boying (breakdancing), giving him the confidence he needed to branch out into other areas of dance. As a result, hip hop inevitably became one of Miten’s passions.  A sophomore majoring in Materials Science Engineering, Miten hopes to add new flavor to Hype’s repertoire of styles.

Devika Ray (Secretary)

Hailing all the way from the sunny beaches of Accra , Ghana , Devika danced her way into Penn hoping to explore a new country, make new friends and learn a thing or two along the way. Passionate about music and the performing arts, she joined Hype as a freshman, choreographing pieces for the team. Aside from a hip-hop background, she is also familiar with many Latin dances such as salsa, merengue and the cha-cha. She is currently studying business in the Wharton School , and plans to concentrate in Management and minor in French.

Fadeke Agboke (Dance Chair)

Fadeke is a junior, pre-med student planning to major in biology. Dancing has always been something she’s enjoyed – whether it’s dancing when her favorite song comes on or with Hype. Hip-hop is Fadeke’s forte because she loves the style and the expressions that come from it. After choreographing a piece for one of Hype’s shows, Fadeke has already become one of Hype’s most valued assets.  Despite the little dancing background Fadeke has, dancing is one of her passions and is something she hopes to continue to do in the future.

 Gabrielle Ritaccio

Enchanted at an early age by the New York City Ballet, Gabrielle began taking ballet class at age three.  When she turned four, she was accepted at the Albany Academy for Girls, which has a modern dance class embedded in its curriculum.  She was trained in the Limón and Horton techniques until high school when Gabrielle auditioned for and was accepted into the elite Dance Workshop, a performance group and academic course designed to develop technique and to study composition and choreography. She has attended several workshops, including studio study at the world-renowned Alvin Ailey School in New York City .  She is no stranger to the stage: Gabrielle has danced in numerous student shows and has even performed a version of Alvin Ailey’s Revelations.  As a member of Hype, she is eager to fuse the expressivity of modern dance with the energy of hip-hop.  Gabrielle is a junior from Albany , New York pursuing a major in Health and Societies and a minor in Political Science.

Julia Enyart  

After Julia twirled her way into a library bookshelf at the age of seven, her mom decided it was time to invest her daughter’s energy into ballet class. Twelve years later, Julia still cites dance as a driving passion in her daily life and (most of the time) manages to avoid collisions with large objects while performing. Training with the Turning Pointe Dance Centre for most of her dance career, Julia also counts jazz, tap, modern, hip-hop, lyrical, and pointe as part of her repertoire. Specializing in classical training, Julia hopes to incorporate ballet and jazz elements in funkified forms for Hype. A junior hailing from Devon , Pennsylvania , Julia is majoring in International Relations with a minor in French.

Lamont Johnson

A new-comer to choreographed dance, Lamont has been a member of Hype since his freshman year.  Before college he had never danced in a troupe but was a known force on the dance floor! A junior in Wharton, Lamont looks forward to graduation and going into the U.S. Navy. Hype is glad to have this exciting and dynamic performer and hopes you come out to support!

Rahul Natesh

Born in the tropics, this whacky Singaporean loves to bump and shake. With no prior dance i nstruction, he simply lives to move to a beat. While he’s not dancing, Rahul can be found procrastinating, riding his bicycle, or eating anything with cheese on it. He is currently completing his his Bioengineering degree and is in his final year.

Raj Parikh

Three years of college have taught Raj one important lesson: pursue passion and you will achieve perfection. This is why Hype and dancing in general is so important for him –  it's his passion. Whether it's his crazy bhangra smile or laid-back attitude, Raj loves to have fun dancing as well. He is also in The Wharton School, pursuing a double concentration in Finance and Real Estate, looking to be a hot shot some day on Wall Street. If not that, at least a hot shot at the local disco joint.

 Sandy Pillalamarri  

Hailing from the West Coast, this California girl likes her dance moves like she likes her men – racy, hot, and fast. Don’t be confused by her innocent look – this girl has been around the world and back. Long hair, fair skin, and a beautiful smile… this female is ready to rock your world!

 Shriya Raghunathan  

Born in the deserted dunes of Arabia , before she could speak any
language, Shriya began dancing alongside her grandmother, training in
various classical dance forms from bharatnatyam to ballet. However, after
completing all her classical training 17 years later, she continued to
dabble in different dance forms while still secretly harboring a fascination with hip hop and street dance.  She then travelled across 7 seas (literally) and found Hype!  As a member, she is excited to learn more and fuse her experience from other dance forms with hip-hop. Aside from teaching karate and procrastinating, she is a pre-med studying Bioengineering and Computer Science and minoring in Math and Engineering Entrepreneurship student.

Wildersee Harris (aka Mr. AKA        

Willy can turn the toughest cacophony into a melodic masterpiece of synth, samples, and sensual sounds. Born in D.C and raised in Maryland , Willy is Hype’s star producer and track mixer. At an early age you could tell he was of the musically inclined. As a junior in the College, majoring in Philosophy and minoring in Fine Arts, he’s well on his way to making the world break-dance to the rhythm of his life and having it stand on its ear!