Six people are on stage. Five dancers and a choreographer. Backstage, a lighting crew fiddles with the lights as the choreographer, junior Madeline Bires, counts and the dancers begin. A practice of “124 Reasons” begins.
Bires is one of five choreographers who created eight dances for this year’s DanceFusion 2013: Breaking Boundaries.
DanceFusion, previously known as Dance Works, is an annual dance event performed by members of UW-Eau Claire Concert Dance Company.
This year the concert is scheduled for Feb 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Schofield Hall Auditorium.
Bires, who is also the President of CDC, called her dance “124 Reasons” because of life’s simple pleasures.
“We actually got the title because I just had my cast list simple pleasures, things that made them happy,” she said. “And I counted them up and there were 124.”
Bires said she didn’t want her dance to force the audience to think deeply about it.
“I just wanted it to be something that the audience liked watching,” Bires said. “There’s no deep, hidden meaning. I just wanted (the audience) to be happy.”
Showcased in this year’s DanceFusion are dance numbers ranging in type from tap to the group’s first ever hip-hop number in a show. CDC’s Vice President Amanda Chase said the dances are not centered around a theme, but instead are created out of the inspiration of the choreographers.
“It’s kind of magical how it comes together,” Chase said.
Chase partnered junior Meredith Oates, the CDC’s secretary, in choreographing a tap number for the show called “Chaos to Conduct.” Oates said the number she and Chase choreographed for the show starts with a city scene with lots of commotion. Then, the dancing begins.
“(CDC) always try to throw a tap one in there,” Oates said about the different numbers in DanceFusion.
Oates has been part of CDC since she was a freshman, and has been dancing since she was young.
“I look forward to putting on my own piece,” Oates said. “I’m hoping next year I’ll do that.”
Oates said DanceFusion is the company’s biggest show of the year. Other event’s the group puts on include a Christmas performance as well as “Jump, Jive and Read.” “Jump, Jive and Read” is a program for children where the group teaches creative movements and reads stories to those who attend.
At the beginning of the fall semester CDC holds auditions to join the company. Oates said each year, there are roughly 50 to 70 dancers who audition to be part of the 20 or so members of the company. Following the general audition is a choreographer’s audition, and after that the company practices every week until DanceFusion.
The group funds performances through bake sales and funds from previous shows.
“Most of our income comes from after the show,” Oates said. “Usually parents are very generous and throw a twenty in.”
There will also be a by-donation snack table at DanceFusion.
Bires, an elementary education major, said she hopes to work with dance when she has a job, whether that be with a private studio, or creating dance curriculum with a physical education teacher.
“It’s a good way to relieve stress,” Bires said. “And it’s a good way to stay fit.”
