By Lindsay Christ
Next Wednesday and Thursday, Imani, one of the University’s dance clubs, will be holding their fifth annual show. The group, who has been around since 1972 and currently has 20 members, performs on and off campus throughout the school year.
This year, the show, titled “Imani after hours 197.2 FM,” has two themes within it. The first is a radio station, where audience members will watch the radio “come to life,” according to Imani president Brie Henry, a sophomore public relations major.
The second portrays the five stages of a relationship: infatuation, love, intimacy, infidelity and breakup. The genres of dance that have influenced the show’s pieces range from hip-hop, lyrical, some jazz, a little bit of African flavor and even some West Indian inspiration.
Along with an annual show, Imani also holds an Apollo night once a year, usually in the fall. Modeled after the famed nights at the Apollo Theater, different groups come to compete and win over tough audiences. While Imani themselves do not compete, they do perform at the end of the night.
In the past year, Imani found itslef at odds with Student Activities and the Dean of Students regarding the date of the show. The group had requested May 8 but was told that they couldn’t perform then because it is a snow/study day. They refused to give up, and after signing a petition and pointing out that some clubs have their formals on that day, they were finally granted permission to perform on the date requested just two weeks ago.
For most of the dancers it is their first or second year, but Laura Giannitti is in her fourth. “We consider ourselves a family instead of an organization,” she says of the group. Only about half are dance majors, and they all come from different types of dance backgrounds.
The main goal of the show for Imani is to try and broaden its audience. Along with being a dance club, it is also a multi-cultural one, and the girls would like to expose themselves to other organizations.
However, their main purpose is still to dance. Henry explains, “We are performing to raise money for our organization, but the sole reason is to entertain because we all have a passion for dance.”
“Imani after hours 197.2 FM” will be held Wed. May 7 at 8 p.m. and Thurs. May 8 at 5 p.m. in Monroe Lecture Hall. Tickets are $4 in advance and $6 at the door.

(Imani)