Block 2: Space Jam
March 10, 2018
The Dance Marathon tent lit up as dancers shimmied with their alien headbands bopping in the air.
With “Space Jam” as this block’s theme, Communication senior Dee Dee Morrow said she “naturally” had to go all out. In her galaxy leggings and sparkly top, Morrow said dressing up excites people even more.
“Also, can’t forget the colorful sunglasses!” said Morrow, who has participated in DM since her freshman year. Some of the dancers chose to go in a more athletic direction for Block 2, with sportswear including basketball jerseys and running shorts.
Weinberg freshman Julian Freiberg said he particularly enjoyed the 30-hour dance, which students began learning in Block 1. He said not knowing what was coming up in the next blocks excited him.
Morrow added that she found the short events helpful. The breaks and speakers gave her some downtime to “breathe and relax,” she said.
Shortly after the food break, Yaritza Sandoval (Weinberg ’16), Cradles to Crayons’ partner relations coordinator, took the stage. Sandoval spoke about the impact of Cradles to Crayons and thanked the dancers for their hard work and their contribution to the cause.
“Working together for a common goal is why we’re here, because every kid deserves a chance to be a kid,” she said.
After Sandoval’s speech, members of the 87th Annual Waa-Mu Show performed one of the songs from this year’s show, Manhattan Miracle. Communication senior Lucy Godinez, one of the cast members who performed, said the cast learned the song a mere 24 hours before performing it, and they still do not know where it will be in the show or what the context of the song is.
Godinez said she believed DM invite Waa-Mu members to perform because it is one of the cornerstones of student involvement on campus.
“It’s written by students, it’s overseen by students, it’s performed by students, so it’s another great example of student involvement in the arts,” Godinez said.
Before dancers left to change for Block 3, Louis the Child appeared in the second celebrity video. The Chicago-based DJ gave a shout-out to all the dancers for helping Cradles to Crayons and cheered them on.
Many dancers in the tent, when asked why they chose to do DM, mentioned the positive impact that Cradles to Crayons has on the lives of children.
“I did Dance Marathon because it’s for a really great cause, and I’m proud to support it,” Communication freshman Jenni Huston said. “Also, I just really wanted to see if I was capable of physically doing it, of lasting the full 30 hours.”
Read more of The Daily’s coverage of Dance Marathon here.
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Twitter: @wilsonchapman10
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