Dancers scurried around the dressing room to correct a few moves in their performance, stretch and touch up their already flawless makeup at a rehearsal in Ball Gym's KDS Studio on Wednesday night. For eight seniors, seven weeks of these late-night rehearsals, costume fittings and last-minute changes are finally going to pay off.
This weekend the Ball State Dance Department will present its annual Senior Choreography Showcase.
Director of dance Sarah Manglesdorf described the showcase as "an immersive and capstone experience for senior dance majors in the area of choreography and producing a performance."
Dance auditions were held in August. Since then the eight choreographers have worked endless hours to create and refine their dances.
Contemporary choreographer Tracy Poti said putting together a senior project isn't exactly easy.
"It's always hard to come up with different concepts and moves," she said. "I wanted to provide diversity in my piece and show the audience something fresh."
Creating original choreography is a long process, and some students begin thinking of ideas before the project is assigned.
"I've been thinking about my senior project since last summer," Shanna Corner, who is presenting a modern piece called "Seasons and Transformations," said.
Even though she's had the concept planned for awhile, Corner said developing her routine was an experimental process.
"I still struggled some because the idea in my head wouldn't always match my individual dancers," she said. "I had a lot of trial and error experiences."
Dancers are often encouraged to choose music that is difficult to work with to challenge their creativity. Each choreographer also works to tell stories through body movement in addition to song lyrics and rhythms.
Chadaé McAlister chose to choreograph a modern piece to the spoken word.
"It was hard to create choreography that wasn't too literal but still got the point across," she said. "I want [the audience] to leave with a perception of self and realize that life isn't about living for perfection."
This weekend's showcase is also an opportunity to show Ball State's campus how passionate the dancers and choreographers are about the arts. For the dancers, Corner said it's hard to sit back and not want to be a part of what's going on onstage.
"I would rather be dancing, but it's certainly a different feeling of accomplishment to watch your piece performed in front of a live audience," said Corner.
Go seeWhat: Senior Choreography ShowcaseWhen: Fri.-Sat. 7:30 p.m. & Sun 2:30 p.m.Where: KDS Studio in Ball GymAdmission: $5.50 at University Box Office or at the door an hour prior to the show
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