Sacramento State’s Dance Sites is a combined effort of the professional dance faculty and talented student dancers.

Faculty members bring their expertise to the table to teach students different styles of dance in this creative show. The show is a combination of modern, two different styles of contemporary jazz, an African Caribbean number and Mexican folkloric. The variety of dances demonstrates the diversity of dance to the audience.

Cameron Eggers, a dance and deaf studies senior, is dancing two different styles in the jazz portion.

“I am totally excited,” Eggers said. “A lot of my family and friends haven’t seen me perform the jazz style and I am really excited because this is the first opportunity my family and friends have to see me do this style that I love.”

The auditions for the show were held at the beginning of the year by the faculty members who run the show.

“This year, there were over 60 dancers there,” Eggers said. “Different dance combinations were taught. It was a three hour audition. They run their own rehearsal. They show us their process. It is a learning experience at the same time.”

This year will be Eggers’ third time performing in Dance Sites, but he initially partook in the show to fulfill the performance requirement.

“The process of doing it was such a learning experience so I decided to keep doing it,” Eggers said. “I love to perform, as a dancer you dive into every opportunity you can get to perform.”

Eggers said he loves to dance, but his favorite aspect of the performance is the close relationships he forms with the other dancers during rehearsals.

“We are all united by dance,” Eggers said. “We see each other every day or close to every day so it is kind of like this embedded thing that you get to know each other in the dancing process so you can start to tell when they are super grumpy or happy about something.”

Eggers is not alone in this feeling either. Child development junior Lisa Rankin also finds value in the friendships she makes through Dance Sites; especially because they are individuals with the same interests. More so than friendships, Rankin emphasizes the professionalism Dance Sites has taught her.

“The professionalism is a huge part,” Rankin said. “They are really big on us being a unit. We aren’t just individuals. It is one show with one ream. I can use that in any career.”

Although Rankin is not a dance major, she said she finds enjoyment participating in dance in her spare time. After spontaneously attending the auditions, she made the cut. She will be performing in the opening act with a dance style called modern and then later on in the show, the Mexican folklore.

“Mexican folklore is a traditional dance performed in part of Mexico called Oaxaca for a long time. We dance with a pineapple,” Rankin said.

This light-hearted dance is much different that the first, modern act. The faculty member instructing this type of dance, Lisa Ross, often refers to it as “learning to find peace within being still,” Rankin said.

Not only is Dance Sites an opportunity for students to improve their dancing by learning new styles, but the faculty is given the opportunity to pass on their knowledge on dance and culture as well.

“It is a cool opportunity to see what the professors in the department view dance as and how they are able to express that on stage,” Eggers said.

With only six weeks to prepare, those involved have dedicated an immense amount of time and energy into Dance Sites. This show demonstrates the background and hard-work from the Sac State dance faculty and students by showing unique styles while tying in cultural elements.

“It is very seldom you get to see Mexican folklore and an African dance in the same night,” Eggers said. “It is a collaboration of all these experiences with professionals that have been in the dance field forever. To see their work is a great opportunity to teach yourself about culture and dance, plus it is really entertaining.”

Alex Mecredy can be reached at [email protected]