The University of Idaho Argonaut

The annual Dancers Drummers Dreamers cast will be performing in the Hartung Theatre this Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Perry Hanson/Argonaut

After spending between 60 to 70 hours in the theater together during rehearsal, or tech week, the people behind the show build friendships and devote their hard work to one common love: Dancers Drummers Dreamers.

The show, which is an annual collaboration between the Lionel Hampton School of Music and the College of Education’s dance program, features music and dance created by the students, faculty and alumni.

Every year both first time and returning dancers, drummers and dreamers perform for sold-out crowds and excited fans at the University of Idaho’s Hartung Theatre.

After spending between 60 to 70 hours in the theater together during rehearsal, or tech week, the people behind the show build friendships and devote their hard work to one common love: Dancers Drummers Dreamers.

The show, which is an annual collaboration between the Lionel Hampton School of Music and the College of Education’s dance program, features music and dance created by the students, faculty and alumni.

The final week before opening night is where it all comes together, as the dancers and musicians are pushed to their limits, working late into the night to make sure that everything works out.
Some love it, while some don’t.

Greg Halloran, director of the show, said DDD is a great professional learning experience and 60 to 70 percent of participants fall in love with the show and come back when they can — even after graduation.

“Students don’t often get the chance to spend the time in the theater together working, and for six days, and seven to nine hours a day they work together in the theater to make this show happen,” Halloran said. “The energy drives them.”

Shelly Werner, a UI graduate, dancer and choreographer who got her start with DDD as a student, said this year will be her 11th show.
Werner said that the week of rehearsals is her favorite part, and even though she might be at rehearsal until 2 a.m. it doesn’t make her tired because it’s her passion.

“Rehearsals week is this crazy, chaotic moment, and that’s the essence of art at its height — I strive for it,” Werner said. “There are some pieces that will need a ton of work during rehearsals week, and to see how everyone brainstorms and problem solves to fix these issues is amazing. The audience doesn’t get to see the work that goes into this show.”

Jennifer Razmus, who has been dancing in DDD for five years, said that while she loves the show, she also loves the week of rehearsals.
“It’s so much fun, we’re all in the theater together and it’s stressful, but we all get to watch each other and work with each other,” Razmus said. “It helps us form a comradery of sorts.”

Audrey Roman, who is a chemistry major with a dance minor, said tech week can be hard on a student.
“I’ve missed quite a few classes because of tech week,” Roman said. “It’s hard to concentrate and study because there’s so much going on, so you really have to be on top of everything.”

Roman, who danced throughout high school and in college, said that when she saw the show for the first time, she knew she wanted to get involved.
This is her second year performing.

“I saw the show and I loved it,” she said. “I knew it was something I wanted to do.”
She also likes working with the musicians and said it was the only opportunity she has had to collaborate.
“Working with live music is so different. You can do the same dance four times and it could be different every time because maybe the music was played slower or faster,” Roman said. “Live music really changes the dynamic.”

Amanda McGavin, a senior dance major, first got her start in DDD back in 2005 and is dancing in three different pieces and choreographing one this year.
“It is very hard to balance the show and school,” she said. “Pretty often though, the teachers will cancel our dance classes for the week, to give our bodies the rest they need to perform. Also, the show lands right around midterms and ACDFA, which is a dance conference that many of us majors go to. The Monday after the show is when we leave for California, so it’s a busy time.”

While the schedule can be grueling for some, McGavin said the experience has been beneficial for her as a dancer planning on going into the field of performance.

“The collaboration has prepared not only the dancers, but the musicians to go out and get jobs after graduation,” she said. “It’s an important thing to learn to work with live musicians and vice versa.”
McGavin said she has also made some friends from her experience with the show, even meeting her current boyfriend back when she first got involved in 2005.
Her two roommates are dancers as well.

“I have met so many amazing people in this show,” she said. “I already know most of the dancers from classes, but the musicians are so much fun and entertaining.”

Roman said that she thinks those involved with DDD bond so well because everyone is there for the same reason.
“Everyone’s so happy and doing something they love,” she said. “You really get to know the people you work with, and everyone’s there for the same reason. Good things spring from that.”

Halloran said that the friendships and relationships that people form while working on the show is a special and unique thing that happens each year.
“These people are putting 60 to 70 hours worth of work in the theater during the course of the week, and they get to know each other so well that it’s only natural that they form these bonds,” he said.

Andrea Locke, who is a DDD alumna and has been a part of the show for seven years, got her start with the show when she was a student.
She is now a choreographer, dancer and costume coordinator.

Locke said that a show like this is really important because two art forms are showcased and that it is a different kind of entertainment than what you see in movies and television shows.

“It’s all encompassing,” she said. “It’s acting without lines. You tell a story through music and dance.”
Since it’s creation in 1991, DDD has been a hands-on experience for musicians and dancers, allowing them to collaborate and create a special show that is unique to UI.

“We started this new thing where we wanted to create a seamless performance,” said Diane Walker, retired UI dance professor and executive producer of DDD.
With this style of show, the audience is never ignored and is less likely to get bored as the energy rolls along and stimulates the audience, even into intermission.
“The show doesn’t stop,” Walker said. “There are musicians performing during intermission and there’s even fire dancing afterwards.”
Halloran said that each piece lasts no longer than five minutes, that way if it isn’t your “cup of tea” you can move on to the next one.
“It’s a wacky show,” Halloran said. “The excitement really makes the show. The audience knows that anything is going to happen anywhere, and they’re on the edge of their seats.”

Halloran, who first came to UI seven years ago and is now an associate professor of dance, said that when he first learned of the show he was a little intimidated.
“Someone told me to just go with the flow, and that’s the best advice anyone ever gave me about this show,” he said. “You can’t understand what goes into a show like this until you experience it. I’ve learned a lot from it over the years.”

Walker, who helped create the show 17 years ago, said that everything is original — the music, the dancing — everything.
“They have a good time because it’s non-traditional and playful,” Walker said. “Musicians in the past have played with folding metal chairs, big 32 oz. cups, pop cans, all sorts of stuff.”

Werner said DDD is something she looks forward to every year and loves the collaborative effort between the musicians and herself.
“It’s nice to be able to have live music — it’s just such a treat,” she said. “The spontaneity and the freshness makes it so different, and to have this kind of formula for a performance makes it magical every year.”

Werner said that she also likes that it’s a place where she can truly be creative.
The year before last she had choreographed a piece titled “Oops” that was about Fruit Loops. She said during the week of rehearsals, Dan Bukvich, director of the DDD Ensemble, thought it would be a good idea to have the musicians use kitchen utensils and cereal boxes to play their music.

“Who would have known that using spoons, bowls, cereal and boxes would complete the piece like it did?” Werner said.
Through all the stress, those behind DDD still manage to put on an adored show that sells out each year.
Walker said it’s all a part of the magic of theater.
“People think that it’s so easy they can do it, but it’s the result of a lot of hard work,” she said. “People thinking they can do it is the sign of a good performance.”