For immediate release: March 16, 2009

BLOOMSBURG — More than 100 Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania students will present 13 styles of dance during BU Dance Ensemble's annual spring show Thursday and Friday, March 26 and 27, at 7 p.m. in Haas Center for the Performing Arts, Mitrani Hall.

Members of the Dance Ensemble, BU's largest student organization, will perform Latin, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, ballet, Irish hard and soft shoe, African, swing, ballroom, acrobatic, country line and country couples. The dancers practice year-round, with two-hour sessions to train for the recital plus extra rehearsals for competitions.

"I have my students double their practice time to two practices a week for two hours just to prepare for the recital," said Maryam Cristillo, Saylorsburg, a junior anthropology major and a student teacher for the African dance class.

Cristillo, a new student dance teacher this semester, looks forward to her first performance as an instructor. "I have dedicated a lot of time and preparation to my 16 students and can't wait to see the results. I look forward to seeing the girls enjoy themselves and have fun as they perform and watching them draw in the crowd."

The spring show is open to the public; a donation of $2 to $10 is requested. For more information about the event, contact dance ensemble adviser Susan Dauria at sdauria@bloomu.edu.

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 8,000 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of Professional Studies, Business, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology.