by Lauren McGuire, Student Public Relations Writer
CEDARVILLE, OHIO -- AYO Dance Company will host its Fall Showcase on November 15 and 16 at 7 p.m. at the Cedarville Opera House. Cost is $5, and it is open to the public.
AYO is a student organization committed to student development in the form of purposeful dance. There are nine dance styles that will be performed at this showcase, including lyrical, jazz, hip-hop, swing, ballet, pointe, broadway, tap and Irish step. The dance routines will feature 80 students who have auditioned for the performance.
This year’s showcase is titled “Garden” and is centered around the theme of growth. The idea for the theme came from brainstorming between the organization’s president, Paige DeHaven, and the secretary, Amy Wikrent. “Our team felt that ‘Garden’ represented all of our various seasons and experiences in life and tied together our unique talents extremely well,” Wikrent said.
DeHaven hopes the audience will walk away with a greater desire for growth in their faith.
“Growing up and becoming an adult is something that is unbelievably beautiful, and it is a gift from God,” DeHaven said. “I don’t think there’s a lot of ways that you can say that and explain how beautiful that is with words, but you can paint a picture of it through dance.”
— Amy Wikrent
This showcase is also a great opportunity to show a different kind of worship of God.
“It is beautiful to see how dance can make an impact for Christ and how we can witness the fruit of stewarding our gifts for God’s glory,” Wikrent said.
“I think it’s so cool when a dancer comes in and they do a single turn and then they leave the semester doing doubles,” DeHaven said. “I’m already anticipating all of the proud mom moments.”
Tickets can be purchased the week prior to the performance in the Stevens Student Center.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,380 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including the Master of Divinity program, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.