Meadows dance to do its “Best” (Photo by Austin Kilgore, The Daily Campus)

The SMU Division of Dance will present “Best of Meadows Dance: A Celebration of Student Choreography” April 28-30 in the Bob Hope Theatre of the Owen Fine Arts Center.

“Best-Of” is a compilation of the best student-choreographed works produced during the fall and spring semesters. Faculty of the division of dance chose the dance pieces they believe represent the “best of” the student works. After the pieces were chosen they were voted on by students in the division of dance to decide which pieces will be performed in the show.

“Best-Of” is a new show this year and a great opportunity for student choreographers to showcase their work. “We decided to start doing a “Best-Of” concert this year because of the exceptional quality of student work we’re seeing,” said Myra Woodruff, chair of the dance division and a former member of the Martha Graham Dance Company. “It enables the undergraduates to have their own work fully produced in a theater with professional lighting and staging, which is a rare opportunity in university dance departments.” The division of dance plans to offer a “Best-Of” concert every other year in alternation with a graduate thesis concert.

After the recent completion of the Spring Dance Concert, dancers have limited time to prepare for the new show. “In less than two weeks nine pieces must be prepared and ready for performance. It is a huge undertaking for the students and faculty in the division of dance,” said sophomore dancer Jessica Bendig.

All of the pieces are performed and choreographed by Meadows dance students. Choreographers have the opportunity to experiment with sound and lighting so that each piece has a unique personalized presentation. Junior dancer Katie Mitchell enjoys preparing for the “Best-Of” performance. “It’s really fun because it’s our friends that are choreographing and directing the rehearsal-It’s also really exciting because we rarely get to perform student works on a main stage,” Mitchell said.

The hour-long program will feature 11 original ballet, modern and tap works. Performance times are 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:00 p.m. Sunday.  Tickets are $12 for adults, $9 for seniors and $6 for SMU students, faculty and staff. For more information call the Meadows Ticket Office at 214-768-2787.