Dancers perform “No Contact,” choreographed by Jamal Jackson White, during the Fall 2010 Brown Bag Dance Series. (Student Media Co. File Photo / PAUL MOSELEY )

Contrasted against the towering columns of the Meadows School of the Arts, SMU’s coveted dance program hosts its most popular event, the Brown Bag Dance Series.

Occurring only once a semester, the recital features student- choreographed works that range from hip-hop, to jazz, to lyrical numbers.

Consistently beginning during the lunch hour, the dancers invite their audiences to pack their lunch, find a spot in the always-crowded venue, and enjoy an hour of riveting and entertaining dance. This past semester, the dancers invited other Meadows students to participate in the event; as one dance featured a chilling opera piece that accompanied the dancers’ graceful moves.

Occurring earlier in the semester, the Brown Bag Dance series is a grand welcoming to freshman students to the vast pool of talent that is SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts.

Alex Nowlin, a sophomore dancer at SMU, was featured in the recent spring semester’s closing number, a fast-paced hip-hop dance that served as an electric closing for the successful show.

“Brown Bag is an awesome opportunity for people to test out the designing, revising, and execution of their choreographic skills,” Nowlin said. “I have been going to Brown Bag since I was a freshman in high school and I have seen some inspiring pieces that I can still remember how they made me feel to this day.”

While the event may seem dancer-centered, the show is easily relatable to all sorts of SMU students. Junior Natalie Coca, explains why Brown Bag is a highlight of her SMU career.

“As a freshman, Brown Bag was my first exposure to SMU’s awesome dance department,” Coca said. “As an incoming junior, I now see Brown Bag as a vehicle for expression. I continue to be amazed by the work that the dancers and especially the choreographers put into each routine.”

The Brown Bag Dance Series is one of the premiere events at SMU, that every Mustang should attend at least once in their college career. While the event may be advertised as a casual gathering, the dances are good enough to grace the most formal of stages.