Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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after a long absence, student produced dance returns In a 94-seat theater hidden in Memorial Stadium, 20 students revived the Dance Concert for nearly sold-out crowds. Students performed, choreo- graphed, directed and lighted the show in the Purple Masque Theater, Oct. 3 and 4. It is all student run, said Jeremy Seemann, lighting designer and junior in theater. There has been some faculty advice, but that ' s really been a Janusz Jaworski, senior in secondary education, coordinated the show. I found old clippings from student concerts in newspapers and yearbooks, Jaworski said. I asked the faculty why we didn ' t do student shows, and they said because we didn ' t have students to put them together. Jaworski volunteered to direct the show and began planning for it spring semester 1997. We contacted the choreography classes and the dance majors in general and said we would do a dance show the first month of school, Jaworski said. In the beginning, it wasn ' t hard to get them involved, he said. Originally, we had eight choreographers, but then four dropped, so we were down to four choreographers. To make up for the loss of Jaworski choreographed three of the six modern dances, making his job as production coordinator more difficult, he said. Jaworski said if he could have coordinated the show again he might ask students to sign contracts to increase their accountability. I ' d rather just deal with people as people and not deal with contracts and stuff like that, he said. Maybe I ' d require them at the onset to show they ' ve put some more effort into it before we begin. Since most student choreographers directed their pieces, recruited dancers and decided when rehearsals began, they were able to give personal attention to their dancers. Colin Milligan, senior in theater, said he had not experienced that attention in other shows. There ' s a lot more one-on-one Milligan said. They ' re on your level. You can talk to them one-on-one more, and they ' ll understand you bet- ter. To keep costs low, dancers posted photocopied posters around campus and asked friends and family to attend the $2 show. This was just designed to be a experience, Jaworski said. We didn ' t want to spend a lot, and we didn ' t want to charge a lot. Shelby Jennings, senior in theater, said the audience almost filled the auditorium both nights, despite the theater ' s obscure location. We thought with it being in the Purple Masque Theater a lot of people wouldn ' t know where it was, but I guess our posters really reached people, she said. I saw a lot of theater students. I think a lot of the people were from the community. Prior to a dress rehearsal, Crystal Gwaltney, sophomore in arts and sciences, applies make-up. Gwaltney performed in Where We Lived at the Student Dance Concert, Oct. 3 and 4. (Photo by Brandon White) Jeanne Yamabayashi, freshman in social work, and Laura Davis, sophomore in theater, practice at dress rehearsal. The two came together with more than 20 other people to produce the student dance performance. (Photo by Brandon White) by barbara hollingsworth dance.

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Students perform End Ever, choreographed by Janusz Jaworski, senior in secondary education. Ten students performed in the dance, which dancers said portrayed everyday life. (Photo by Brandon White) Back-stage antics entertain Davis and fellow dancers. Davis performed in, Where We Lived , one of six modern dances that evening. (Photo by Brandon White) 1 4.dance

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this is about men in boxers do for a patio full of pecs? by j.j. kuntz Even on chilly nights, bulging biceps, wash-board abs and boxer shorts kept the crowd simmering in Rusty ' s Outback. Wednesday nights, from Sept. 24 to Oct. 15, marked the revival of the washed-up chest fest, Pecs on the Patio, sponsored by KMKF-FM 101.5 and eight Aggieville businesses. A couple of years ago it went by the wayside, Eric Weber, sales manager at KMAN-AM 1350, said. It was something we had to bring back from the dead. Whether signing up in advance or acting on a last-minute impulse, contestants had their own reasons for joining the competition. One contestant, Dan Shenck, self-proclaimed Stupid Dan, said the contest should be less serious and more upbeat. For me it was a joke because I ' m fat, and I thought they needed some entertainment, Shenck said. It doesn ' t matter if you ' re fat, ugly, short or tall, it ' s all about having a good time. Friends encouraged contestant Seth Spangler, senior in management, to enter the contest. Spangler won the contest that rewarded the hours working out at the gym. I realize I am not the biggest or best fit guy up there, Spangler said, but it gave me a way to show off all the hours I put in at the Rec. The contest was broken into three apparel categories: formal wear, casual wear and boxer shorts. Questions were asked during each round of competition, and contestants were evaluated on stage appearance and presence. I think the questions are one of the best parts. It ' s funny to just hear what they ' re going to say, Cheryl Newman, sopho- more in park resource management, said. They ' re just doing it for the crowd. Interaction with the crowd was an important factor in the contestants ' performances, Ryan Carey, sophomore in said. If you get the audience screaming when you ' re up there, it amplifies whatever you ' re he said. It ' s nerve but when everybody ' s cheering you on, it makes you feel like they like you, and then you want to try that much harder. was the key to having a Each judge filled out a sheet rating the contestants on their answers, personality and physique. Bottom left. Gina Engel, senior in psychology, and Jill Montgomery, Manhattan, react to a participant at the Pecs on the Patio competition. (Photos by Clif Palmberg) good time and being successful in the contest, crowd member Hollie Vance, senior in life span and family studies, said. When their is good up there, and they are having a lot of fun dancing, that ' s the best part, Vance said. Even that guy (Shenck) went up there and didn ' t have that good of a body. When he was all party, that was the best part. a The fall competition and the 26 contestants acted as a trial run for expanding the contest. We ' re kind of like a pilot series would be on TV, Carey said. They ' re seeing how this goes and what kind of crowd it draws. If everybody has fun, they might keep doing it. Crowd members enjoyed the contest and wanted more events like Pecs on the Patio to break up the normal activities in Aggieville, Vance said. There ' s nothing wrong with coining to Aggieville and seeing a good time, Vance said. of the competition also grew and several contestants said they found thinking about the next contest. I will definitely do it again. It ' s been so much fun that it kind of becomes an addiction, Carey said. You just get up there, be yourself and have a good time. 16. pets