OU’s School of Dance presents Summer Dance this weekend, promising to take attendees “Around the World in 80 Minutes.”

The show’s subtitle reflects the variety of dances that will be performed, from classical ballet to contemporary dance and modern dance. During the school year, these styles are usually separated into different shows.

Mary Margaret Holt, School of Dance director, said that when she and other contributing choreographers began to plan the event, they realized the dances selected were associated with several cultures without being what is generally recognized as “world dance.”

“We have been influenced by cultures from around the world, hence the title,” Holt said.

The styles include a Spanish classical ballet; Middle Eastern fusion music and dance; jazz in Long Island; artistic styles of Egypt; and much more.

“From the richness of the deep red tutus in ‘Paquita’ to the elegance of cream-colored 1920s-style dresses and hats in ‘Rags to Jazztime,’ the evocative Parisian couture of the 1940s in the Piaf ballet to the brightly colored snakes in ‘Charmed,’ the audience will be treated to an artistic voyage without ever leaving the Reynolds Performing Arts Center,” Holt said.

Holt said attendees can expect to see an emotional performance, accomplished by the “sheer artistic athleticism of the dancers” and the “evocative beauty of the costumes and lighting design.”

All of this is done on a production schedule of only three weeks, she said.

Sherry Tay, a ballet performance senior participating in Summer Dance, said the short preparation time is a challenge that really tests dancers’ abilities.

“It’s been tiring, but exciting at the same time,” Tay said.

The variety of performances in the show gives it uniqueness, Tay said.

“It’s interesting to see how the dance steps can be so malleable and different depending on the country,” she said.

This is the second summer that ballet performance junior Tara Gragg has danced at OU. She said the schedule is intense but that it has its benefits.

“It’s lots more dancing and less homework, which is fine by me,” Gragg said.

Gragg also said dancing in the summer is interesting because instructors feels freer with their material.

“I would encourage people to come because it’s when the faculty gets to experiment a lot more with the dancers,” she said.

Dance can be enjoyed by anyone, Holt said.

“I am often asked if one has to know a great deal about dance to enjoy it, but I really believe all one has to do is to be open to the experience,” she said.

Summer Dance includes the involvement of 18 dancers, including participants from Complexions Dance Company, Oklahoma City Ballet and Metropolitan Classical Ballet. Two of the guest artists, David Barocio and Ruben Gerding, are alumni of OU’s School of Dance.

In addition to seeing a wide variety of dance and enjoying a more experimental performance, people should come to this performance to be entertained and impressed, Holt said.

“Summer Dance is a great escape into the imagination and the beauty of the international language of dance, expressing the joy and depth of the human spirit,” she said.