Sashay into Spring with Volé Ballet Club’s Seasonal Showcase

Put on your dancing shoes and tap into your inner ballerina this weekend, because Penn State’s ballet club, Volé is taking you on a Broadway-inspired ride with their spring showcase.

The showcase, taking place at two different times on Sunday, April 27^th in Schwab Auditorium at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., will feature an array of exciting numbers from popular Broadway musicals like The Lion King, Mamma Mia and Cats, performed by a talented group of over 100 dancers.

“It’s a great show for all ages. It’s very engaging,” says vice president and artistic director Mariel Harden. “I think we’re really going to connect with the audience. They’re going to be drawn in the entire time, and hopefully singing along.”

As artistic director, Harden coordinates every aspect of the show, including casting the dancers, coordinating the rehearsal schedules, designing the costumes and creating the light show.

In preparation for the performance itself, Volé started dance classes in January, designating weekly rehearsals for each number. As the event approaches, practices have picked up and rehearsals last just over three hours a night.

“This year we tried to mix it up a bit and do more of an edgier type of ballet than the classical. It’s still ballet, but there’s a little more oomph to it in our show. We break through the classical style and let loose a little bit with the songs,” says Harden.

Past themes have included Peter Pan, icons of music, songs from dance movies and love songs, but this semester marks a turn for the artistic style of the show.

Though the showcase is the big performance of the semester, the dance group has an audition-based performance group within the company comprised of 10 to 12 girls. The troupe serves as the face of Volé, performing at smaller events throughout campus.

As for the showcase, it’s sure to be an awe-inspiring performance, featuring dancers of every level and skill set from the dance troupe, from beginner to intermediate to advanced.

“What is really exciting is we’re going to have a guest performance during the show – the Ambitions Dance Organization. There’s also going to be a nice little surprise at the end of the performance, so you’ll have to come out and see the show to find out what it is,” says Harden.

The event is free and open to the public, so get there early to snag a good seat! To keep up with Volé and their adventures, follow them on Twitter (@PSUVole), Instagram (@VolePSUBallet) and Facebook.

Photo provided by Mariel Harden