Thirteen multicultural fraternities and sororities took the stage at Ithaca’s State Theatre Friday night for Greek Freak 2026, an annual dance competition hosted by Cornell’s Multicultural Greek and Fraternal Council.
With an action movie theme, doors opened at 6 p.m. for 355 attendees who watched organizations step, stroll and salute in choreographed performances inspired by famous films.
Step and stroll — percussive and synchronized dance traditions originating in Black Greek culture — are central to Greek Freak performances, and in order to be eligible for competition, performances must last around ten minutes long.
The Mu Gamma chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority — a Black sorority — claimed first place and $750 in prize money for their set, themed after The Matrix, securing the sorority’s third consecutive Greek Freak championship win.
Omega Phi Beta — a Latina sorority — won second place and $500 with their The Purge themed performance, while Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity — a Black fraternity — earned third place and $250 for their performance, which had a The Fast and the Furious theme.
Audience members were also eligible to enter a raffle, with one event attendee taking home a set of AirPods Pro Max headphones.
Performances opened with Lambda Pi Chi Latina Sorority — the first Latina sorority founded at an Ivy League university — who performed a Mission: Impossible themed set incorporating Spanish music.
Abigail Diaz ’27, the chapter president, said the event carries significance beyond the competition itself.
“Our community is not seen as much compared to the other sororities and fraternity life [on campus],” Diaz said. “Events like this really bring awareness to who we are as multicultural Greek and fraternal organizations.”
One of the evening’s more distinctive performances came from Darwin Mordan ’26 who performed solo to represent Lambda Theta Phi, the first Latino fraternity in the U.S.
Mordan performed the fraternity’s national salute.
“Instead of stepping and strolling, out of respect for the [Divine Nine] fraternities, we do something different. It’s called saluting. It just tells the stories of the brothers and their values,” he said.
Every other organization competed in teams, but Cornell’s Lambda Theta Phi chapter only consists of Mordan, who revived it in Spring 2025.
For Mordan, the evening represented something larger than his solo act.
“It really is a way for all the multicultural Greek fraternities — the [Divine Nine], the Asian fraternities and sororities, the different Latino fraternities and sororities — to come together and just have fun,” he said.
The crowd reacted most boisterously when the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority took the stage, an organization that returned to Cornell after nine years of dormancy, according to Saphira Augustin ’29, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
The chapter, whose name “Kuzaliwa Upia” means “rebirth” in Swahili, was initiated on April 19, less than two weeks before the event, Augustin said.
“After nine years of being gone, we brought a show like no other,” said Fadekemi Falana ’26, another AKA member. “It shows that we have a community of Black women that care, and they’re willing to come out and put in the work.”
Gia Kim ’28 of Kappa Phi Lambda, an Asian sorority that performed a Spider-Man-themed set, reflected on what it means to participate in a tradition rooted in Black Greek culture.
“As an Asian [organization], we get to see our roots,” Kim said. “The Black [organizations] — the Divine Nine — they do amazing. They’re the real stars of the show here. It’s such an honor to be able to perform step, since it’s not originally ours.”
Another Asian sorority, Alpha Kappa Delta Phi, used folding fans as props in their routine to show a piece of their culture.
Diaz said she hopes events like Greek Freak signal something bigger to the wider Cornell community.
“There is a space for people who are multicultural,” she said, “and they can thrive in these spaces.”
Rowan Wallin is a member of the Class of 2027 in the Nolan School of Hotel Administration within the SC Johnson College of Business. He is a senior writer for the news department and can be reached at rwallin@cornellsun.com.
