Northwestern College presents RUSH

Northwestern College’s popular RUSH student dance concert returns to the stage this March and April, and will once again offer a variety of dances and entertaining performances. The show will be performed five times: Thursday, March 31, at 7 and 9:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 2, at 4, 7 and 9:30 p.m. in the England Proscenium Theatre of the DeWitt Theatre Arts Center.

This year’s concert will feature 14 dances in a variety of styles, including modern, lyrical, Latin, hip-hop, Bollywood and a theatrical dance to a song from Disney’s “Tangled.” RUSH performances are choreographed by Northwestern students with student dancers who vary from accomplished dancers to those with no dancing experience. After weeks of practice, students come together to put on a fast-paced and entertaining show.

“There’s a lot to be excited about, like our secret neon performance, but I’m not allowed to talk about that,” says Drew Schmidt, assistant professor of theatre at Northwestern and RUSH artistic director and faculty producer. “What I can say is I’m really excited for this year’s RUSH as a whole concert. I’ve been pushing for variety in styles and am especially excited for everyone to see the choreographers’ creativity.”

This year will also feature one choreographer from nearby Dordt College. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had Dordt involved,” says Schmidt. Dordt students have choreographed dances and performed them as part of RUSH in past years. “But this is the first time we’ve had an outside choreographer work with both Northwestern and Dordt students. I think this continues and extends the purpose and mission of RUSH. All are welcome to come and dance for the sheer joy of dancing.”

In addition to Schmidt, other RUSH leaders include Abby Bliss, stage manager; Becky Ochoa, assistant state manager; and choreographers Nancy Becerra-Balbuena, Megan Cole, Krista De Bruin, Sadikshya Gautam, Randyl Getz, Caitlin Hagerty, Heather Korinek, Kory McMahan, Nicole Montgomery, Madison Raska, Brittney Ryks, James Teutschmann, Hannah Wamhoff and Marissa Wiese.

RUSH tickets can be reserved by emailing boxoffice@nwciowa.edu. Tickets for the general public will go on sale Wednesday, March 23, at 4 p.m. Students will be allowed one reserved ticket and Northwestern College faculty and staff, along with the general public, will be allowed to reserve four tickets per family. Tickets are $1.