The Sharp Dance Series has always been a fun event on the SMU campus, especially for the dancers and choreographers involved. This year though the Meadows Dance Department decided to take a different approach. The department plans to use this as an opportunity to interact meaningfully with the greater Dallas community by way of the series and their art.

“The seniors of the Division of Dance decided early on in the process of planning that we wanted to reach out to the community,” says Breanna Gribble, choreographer and artistic director of the series.

After remembering a class visit to Bryan’s House, a non-profit organization that provides resources for families with children affected by HIV and AIDS, for their dance composition class with Professor Nathan Montoya last year, the group knew exactly where they wanted to volunteer their time and talents.

Michael Wright, another choreographer for the show, wrote in a proposal to the group to work on this project, “The role of the artist within the community is not only the expression of him or herself. The artist must frequently, if not always, look outside and see what they can do to positively affect the world around them.”

Aside from and encouraging audience members of the free series to make donations to the organization, the group also put on a two-day creative movement class for the children of Bryan’s House earlier this month.

“When our composition class went previously… the presentation was appreciated by the kids but what we didn’t originally plan on was how enthusiastic the kids were at trying it themselves,” said Gribble. In their recent visit, they were more prepared to teach the children a thing or two. “In addition to hokey pokey, the [younger] children danced like different animals in the jungle and fun things like that.”

While in the past, only a handful of seniors are chosen to choreograph for the show, this year all seniors were included in the choreography process. The five “core” choreographers include Gribble, Wright, Jade Curtis, Tiffany Halay and Trista Jennings while the other seniors choreographed interludes in the show.

“I am very proud to have worked with my classmates on a project such as this,” Gribble said.

She names several other students and faculty who were a part of the show: “Andrew Parker, faculty advisor; Dick Abrahamson, production advisor and senior Matt Walfish, production director. We also have the expertise of Caitlin Johnston (senior theater major) as our stage manager, and Michael Wonson, Clay Eads, Lois Catanzaro and Emily Bean as our lighting designers.”

This year’s show has another new aspect as it has moved from the Meadows basement to the Margo Jones Theatre.

“It is a beautiful venue and we are so grateful that we were able to use it,” Gribble says.

While keeping some of its best features, the Sharp Dance Series has made a few alterations since it first began in the spring semester of 2001 to make the show even better and more evocative.

The Sharp Dance Series: “A Common Thread” runs Jan. 19 at 9 p.m. and Jan. 20 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. in Margo Jones Theatre. The program is free though donations toward Bryan’s House are encouraged.