Three of Northwestern’s best-known student performance groups came to dinner in the Dance Marathon tent to pump up the dancers.
A capella group Asterik kicked off the performances with amusing renditions of Phantom Planet’s “California Here We Come” and ‘N Sync’s “It’s Gonna Be Me.” Mee-ow, a campus improv and sketch comedy group, played a few improv games for the crowd that featured classic Northwestern references to the once popular campus bar, The Keg of Evanston. Boomshaka, Northwestern’s premier drum, dance and rhythm ensemble, tried to liven up the crowd with their loud, unique brand of garbage can percussion and rhythmic dance.
However, while the crowd certainly enjoyed watching and cheering on these student groups, their true joy seemed to come from the pasta on their plates and the opportunity to sit. While it may have seemed like a gift, dancers feared taking a sit-break might make the last few hours harder. 120-hour club member Clara Grayhack said that her top priority is keeping her eyes open: She knows that if she closes them, she is “done for.”
“You want to get to the dancing so you can stay awake,” she said.
The performers knew not to expect standing ovations and loud cheering. Boomshaka member, Allison Stenclik, was just happy to do what she could to motivate the dancers. After sharing a few laughs, enjoying some A Capella and watching skilled dancers at work, the DM dancers had to get up and get back to dancing. After some encouragement from Dancer Relations, they wiped the sleep from their eyes, shook their legs and hopped to their feet.
The time for sitting is now over, the dancers are hitting the home stretch of Dance Marathon 2014.