The gala dance concert known as Barjche offers a unique opportunity.

“Barjche is great for someone’s first exposure to dance, because they can come and see so many different things at once,” said Megan Helmers, senior choreographer and member of Orchesis I.

Barjche (pronounced Bar-SHEY) is a visual spectacle in which dance students unveil their talents in choreography and design. It is a compilation of many types of dance and choreography in one large performance.

The featured dances are from works by faculty and undergraduate students.

Bill Evans, a nationally known choreographer and dancer, will be the guest artist at this year’s event.

Students create their own pieces, which will be performed by the dancers of Orchesis I, an auditioned dance club. Under the guidance of an artistic director, students are free to select their own style of dance, music and even costume design.

This year, because of the record number of choreographers, Barjche will be broken into two shows.

Program A, titled “Familiar Abstractions,” will run at 7:30 p.m. Friday evening and at 2 p.m. Saturday. Program B, “Strange Places,” will run at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. All shows will take place at Fisher Theatre. Tickets cost $6, and are available through Ticketmaster and at the ISU Box Office.

The students’ shows are geared towards individual personality and artistic taste, and thus display different types of expression.

Ashley Miller, sophomore choreographer and Orchesis member, says she believes Barjche raises interest for dance in the community.

“It is a great opportunity to see what students have been working on all year,” Miller says. “It lets the community see the talent that is in the Orchesis club.”

Other cultures will also play a large part in several of the performances. Some choreographers have incorporated international dance, myth or history into their work.

Another example of this variety is “Embracing Sorrow,” a work by Janice Baker.

Baker, professor of health and human performance, says her piece deals with the need for support after the events of Sept. 11.

Preparation for Barjche has been going on since the middle of last semester. Auditions for choreography positions and dancers were held in October. Since then, most pieces were rehearsed twice each week in order to prepare for this weekend’s big event.