April 25, 2008 through May 4, 2008 is National Dance Week. Didn’t know such a week existed? Well, the students in the Performance Arts department’s dance program do, and have been gearing up all semester to showcase their rhythmic abilities. National Dance Week was first celebrated in 1981 and has been gaining steam ever since. Through movement and expression, dance has become an appreciated and revered art form that has inspired many.

What better way to commemorate this beautiful art form than to take in a performance by the students in the dance program at UMass Boston? The artistic director of the Cambridge Chamber Ballet and UMass Boston dance professor, Liz Lapuh, explains that through the collaboration of students and faculty, the final concert is the culmination of a semester’s worth of hard work and practice. “The choreography is done by the students themselves…some of whom have been dancing and choreographing their entire lives!” she explains.

And while Lapuh is trained in classical ballet, don’t simply expect your basic ballet or lyrical concert. “The concert represents many dance styles and techniques,” Lapuh assures. “We have modern dance, Egyptian dance, Latin dance, MTV-video-style dance, and even some Broadway style dance.” With a diverse lineup of various genres of dance, students and friends are sure to find something they can enjoy.

The show, which will be performed in the McCormack Theater on campus, will be showcased on Thursday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m., with an second show added for Saturday, May 10 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets to the show will be available at the door, and are $5 for students and $10 for all others. The students in the show, who became involved in the show through their enrollment in DANCE 325 (offered in the spring only), have been working the entire semester to give the audience a night of exquisite dance and a beautiful memory of Spring 2008. Lapuh guarantees you won’t be disappointed and promises a “wonderful and exciting” concert.

So come support your fellow students in their hard work and dedication to the art form of dance. Whether you are a dancer or are interested in dance, or are simply looking for a night away from the books, join the Performance Arts department at their semester concert and see what it’s all about.