P

repare to pack in the seats, Dances We Dance, a celebration of student dance varying from ballet to hip-hop, will be returning for its semiannual showcase this weekend at the University Theatre.

Since the fall of 2004, the Department of Theatre and Dance has had students present their talents once in the fall and once more in the spring.

This fall showcase will premiere the works of director and associate professor Clarence Brooks, as well as faculty members Danielle Jolie Dale and Crystal Patient. Guest and student choreographers’ work will also be displayed.

“The purpose was to showcase what dance students at FAU were learning and creating at the end of each semester,” director Clarence Brooks said via email. “All three points [showcase, awareness, and promotion] are still the guiding missions and visions of Dances We Dance.”

Photographer Alex Catalan, who has covered Dances We Dance events in the past, said at last spring’s showcase: “Every year [the dance department] seems to get a little bit stronger and stronger.”

According to the theater and dance department’s website, the showcase “will feature a ballerina performing the pointe variation from La Esmeralda, a graduate student in ethno-musicology presenting ancient dance and music from indigenous people from Peru.”

Hip-hop, samba, traditional Chinese and modern dance will also be included in the show.

Brooks said, “There is something for everyone. Very diverse dance styles, diversity in bodies, diversity in music, diversity in backgrounds, diversity in concepts and more.”

Last spring’s rendition of Dances We Dance included ballroom, interpretive, hip-hop and cultural dance.

“The talent is not only onstage with the dancers and choreographers. The student talent is backstage and front-of-house crew members too,” Brooks said. “These are students who make the show run – student stage managers, student assistant stage managers, ushers, props, run crew, sound board operators, light board operators, projections, camera, promotions, etc.”

Tickets are on sale now online and at the Student Union Box Office on the Boca Raton campus.

The performances will take place on Thursday from 7-9 p.m., Friday from 7-9 p.m., Saturday from 1-3 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the show.

Ticket Prices:

FAU Students – $12

General Admission – $15

Children under 13 – $5

Celina DeCastro is a contributing writer with the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet her @Deca_Celina.