Months of planning and preparation on everything from the dancing to the lighting on stage have culminated in the EIU Dancers’ 2018 show, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go.”

“Oh, The Places You’ll Go” is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Theater of the Doudna Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for the general public.

Corina Middleton, director of EIU Dancers, said all of the songs used in the show mention a different place.

“We have 19 dances that vary from jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, kizomba and African styles,” Middleton said. “We have four choreographers who are on the team, and we had four guest choreographers come in and teach a dance.”

There are a total of 12 dancers on the team this year.

The choreographers for this year’s show are Shannon Harback, Cassie Berlin, Chelsey Stinnett, Middleton and Jill Brinati.

Middleton said she and the choreographers have worked hard choosing songs, choreographing dances, teaching the dances to the team and getting costumes together.

Harback said there are also several pieces in the show that were created by guest choreographers, all of which have been members of EIU Dancers in the past.

The places mentioned with each song in the show include Barcelona, California, Chicago, Puerto Rico, Paradise City, Africa, New York, Pompeii and Malibu.

“Throughout the year, the choreographers and I also meet with the Doudna crew to figure out the best ways to use lighting to help bring about the emotions that our dances intend to evoke,” Middleton said. “To see all of our work coming together in Doudna is truly amazing.”

Conor Baltz, assistant technical director for the Doudna Fine Arts Center, said the dancers have been working on this show since the beginning of the fall semester.

“It is really turning out to be a fun show,” Baltz said. “The dancers have improved at each rehearsal, and it is a ton of fun to watch.”

Baltz said the show involves a lot of lighting and theatrical effects.

“This is the first time I have designed lighting for a show, and I am really excited to see how it all turns out,” Baltz said. “It should be one of the most visually exciting shows of the year, and I cannot wait to see the final product.”

Andrew Paisley can be reached at 581-2812 or at abpaisley@eiu.edu.

www.eiu.edu/eiudancers/.