Monday night, Ohio University’s Greek population will take over Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium for its annual Air Bands dance competition.
The event pairs fraternities with sororities to choreograph and perform a dance routine for judges. It is scheduled as part of OU’s Greek Week.
The free show, which kicks off at 7 p.m., has been hugely popular in the past and is expected to stay as such this year, said Rob Zimmerman, vice president of operations for OU’s Interfraternity Council.
“This past year, the auditorium was at standing-room only,” he said. “This year we expect a similar, if not larger, crowd.”
Air Bands not only brings in droves of attendees but is also a great experience for the fraternity and sorority students who participate in it.
“I performed last year as a dancer, and this year me and another girl teamed up to be choreographers for our team,” said Chelsea Mabes, a sophomore studying music therapy and member of Alpha Omicron Pi. “Dancing is so much fun, and you get to hang out with your sisters.”
While it is a fun event to work on for most participants, Mabes said a surprising amount of work goes into choreographing.
“Choreography is stressful,” Mabes said. “There’s the pressure to put on a good show, and there are a lot of rules to pay attention to. It’s been a challenge. It’s hard teaching those that don’t dance.”
And choreographing isn’t the only part of the evening that takes work. The participants spend hours rehearsing to prepare for the night.
“We have practiced three or four days a week, two to three hours on those days,” said Shawn Rudolph, a freshman studying strategic communications and a member of Sigma Pi. “It’s really time consuming.”
Mabes has also donated a fair chunk of her time to the cause of Air Bands success.
“Last year, I just attended a few practices and only danced in one dance,” she said. “This year, since I’m in charge, I’m at all the practices every week for all five different dances.”
Despite the stress and time commitment, Mabes said she is excited for the event.
“I’m very excited and very nervous,” she said. “We hope to have a lot of fun, but we also want to win.”
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