Wamidan burned the stage and froze the audience Friday night in the Green Center for the Performing Arts' Kresge Auditorium.
At 7 p.m. groups from Wamidan, DePauw University's international dance group, took to the stage to perform 14 performances representing cultures from around the world. Dance styles ranged traditional ballet to contemporary and featured dances from India, Japan and Korea.
Sophomore Nate Randall, a member of the Wamidan executive board, spoke about the lengthy process that went into the show audience members witnessed Friday night.
"Most of the Wamidan members practiced anywhere from two to six hours a week," Randall said, "depending on the dance and the instructor."
First-year Drake Yeiter, a Wamidan performer, said that practice was enjoyable.
"We would practice in the Lily Center dance room, and we worked on the dance for about three months," Yeiter said. "Practices were really fun and very silly. We'd laugh at each other's mistakes, suggest new ideas and even free style a bit."
Randall's job was to keep up public relations with the campus, including creating banners, logos and posters, as well as managing social media.
Although marketing took most of his efforts, Randall saw one of his biggest contributions as the influence he could have on up-and-coming "Wamidancers."
"Most of the time, I also saw myself as a leader for many of the dancers," Randall said. "I had to set an example for our members - especially our freshmen and new members."
Japanese international students, as well as domestic students learning Japanese, presented Soran Bushi, a common dance for elementary students at athletic festivals in Japan.
Many of the moves featured in Soran Bushi are originally from the Japan's fishing tradition. The dance arose out of the Hokkaido area.
"The moves include miming heaving loaves of fish, gathering fishes and throwing them back over your shoulder, as well as rowing a boat," said junior Mihoko Yagi, a Japanese international student and teacher assistant who participated in Soran Bushi.
The read and black traditions Japanese costumes worn for the dance are called happi and are worn in Japanese fairs and festivals.
"I liked that not only Japanese students participated," Yagi said, "but that's students taking Japanese in it as well."
Wamidan dancers encouraged audience members to participae and learn about the cultures represented.
The emcees taught the audience a traditional Latin dance.
"My first dance was a Korean hip-hop dance called Rainism," Randall said, "and another was a French jazz dance called Elle Me Dit."
Randall also performed a contemporary ballet to the Grammy-winning song "Let it Go" from Disney's "Frozen." Juniors viola-player Reisuke Takeo and pianist Kyle Hahn played the song while Randall danced.
"Of my three [performances], my favorite was definitely 'Let It Go'," Randall said. "Contemporary is my strongest style, and I felt at my best while performing it. I loved that I had Reisuke and Kyle accompanying me on the viola and piano."
This performance was a fan favorite as well.
"The performance was really amazing considering how graceful of a dancer Nate was," said first-year Dara Hou. "The moves that he chose to display on the floor were really captivating."
Hou wasn't the only audience member impressed with Randall's moves.
"My respects go to him, " said first-year Eli Penante, "I could not do any of those moves."
While many of the performances involved dance, first-year Onyi Awani decided to show off her pipes instead, performing a medley of Beyonce.
"I think she did a wonderful job performing her acoustic version of 'Flawless' and 'Drunk in Love'," said first-year audience member Crystal Lopez-Trublood. "I really enjoyed it."
The audience members enjoyed the show, but it was the weeks leading up to the show that stuck with the performers.
"My favorite part was the build up to the concert and seeing how everything that you've been working on for so long come together," Yeiter said. "You really develop a sense of community and feel like you're all in this together."
While many of the dancers of Wamidan have a background in dance, it is not a necessity to participate.
"You do not need to know how to dance at all, trust me." Yeiter said. "If I can be taught a dance anybody can. It was really fun to do something different and out of my comfort zone."
While many of the practices became grueling as the spring concert date grew closer, many participants found practicing to be a fun getaway from the stresses of classes.
"I have many great memories, but a few stick out such as my efforts at learning how to body roll and literally everyone, even people not in the dance, tried to teach me how to do it," Yeiter said. "One practice Nate brought a Styrofoam sword to use on those who made mistakes... mainly me."
Though the road was not always easy, Randall was more than pleased with the final results.
"Each and every member gave their 110 percent to making the spring concert the best it could be," Randall said. "This year's spring concert was the biggest concert Wamidan has ever had and the first time we were able to perform in Kresge. I feel very grateful that I was able to share my passion of dance with the other Wamidancers and those that came to the concert."