February 26, 2003

Dance Marathon festivities begin March 5

Autistic children and their families will be the main focus of the 500 dancers who will crowd the floor of the Louis Room at Norris University Center during the 30th annual Dance Marathon.

The 30th annual Dance Marathon is expected to attract thousands of visitors to Norris Center to watch and cheer.

Dance Marathon 2004 begins at 7 p.m. Friday (March 5) and concludes at 1 a.m. Sunday (March 7).

This year’s primary beneficiary is Have Dreams, a breakthrough organization dedicated to improving the lives of autistic children and their families through training and structured teaching.

For the seventh consecutive year, the Evanston Community Foundation (ECF), will be Dance Marathon’s secondary beneficiary, and will continue to receive 7.5 percent of the total funds raised by Dance Marathon to help fund a variety of projects and programs proposed by local not-for-profit organizations serving Evanston.

The majority of dancers will be undergraduate students, but seven faculty members, one of their spouses and a Chicago CBS reporter will join the fun.

The local CBS reporter and other news networks also will cover some of the action and activities in and around the Louis Room during the annual 30-hour event, which is co-chaired this year by Justin Ballheim and Margot Bonner.

Dance Marathon, one of the world’s largest collegiate philanthropies, has raised nearly $6 million for various charities since it began in 1975.

The 30th annual Dance Marathon is expected to attract thousands of visitors to Norris Center to watch and cheer on the dancers and participate in a variety of fund-raising activities that range from a capella, hypnotist, dance and comedy show performances to children’s games, craft opportunities, professional hair cuts, massages and makeovers, and yoga, martial arts and hip-hop classes.

Here are some of the events open to the public.

Friday, March 5

• 8 to 10 p.m. Coffee House, Purdue A/B Rooms with performances by Colleen Plein, Matt Ryd, Bootsie Band, and Eric Jackson, $5.

• 8:30 to 10 p.m. Mr. Dance Marathon Competition, 1999 area of Norris, $3.

• 9:30 to 11:30 p.m. A Capella Show, McCormick Auditorium with performances by Purple Haze, Melodius Thunk, Freshman Fifteen, Significant Others, Aural Fixation and Brown Sugar, $5.

• 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Gravel Records Hip-Hop Show, Purdue A/B Room, $5

Saturday, March 6

• 10 a.m. Frozen 5-K Race around campus. Starts with registration that begins at 8:30 a.m. at the 1999 area, $15 minimum donation.

• 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dance Marathon Spa, Purdue A/B Room, professional haircuts ($15 to $20), massages (15 minutes for $10 to $15), cosmetic makeovers ($5), and eyebrow threading ($5).

• 11 a.m. to noon, Kids Fair, Gathering Place, $5 entry fee, children aged 4 and under free.

• 4 to 6:30 p.m. Senior Prom, Ohio State Room, (Senior citizens from local senior centers are invited to this dance social).

• 7 to 8 p.m. Improv Show performance by the Titanic Players, McCormick Auditorium, $3 admission.

• 10 p.m. to midnight Dance Show, McCormick Auditorium, features performances by Boomshaka, Deeva Dance Troupe and the Graffiti Dancers, $5.

Last year, Dance Marathon raised $462,000 for the Chicago Urban Youth Scholarship Fund.

Norris University Center will be closed from 2 to 8 a.m. Saturday, March 6, and will close again at 1:30 a.m. Sunday, March 7, half an hour after the conclusion of Dance Marathon.