Feet were tapping and hands were clapping as dance faculty members and guest dancers from Ames and Des Moines raised money for dance scholarships.

“The concert was to help underwrite scholarships for performing arts majors at ISU,” said Janice Baker, assistant professor of health and human performance. The event was 7 p.m. Sunday in the Forker Building.

The department is hoping to start a scholarship for performing arts majors with a dance emphasis, Baker said. After this concert, which is in its fourth year, the department will have enough money to start a $400 annual scholarship for a current student. Baker said the group currently has $600 in the fund and will now have enough money to keep the concert going annually.

The money is raised by admission to the event, said Laurie Sanda, assistant professor of health and human performance, and the performers are volunteering their time and participation in the concert.

“I think this is an excellent way to raise money for a scholarship,” she said. “Dancing to raise money for a dancing scholarship is great, and it’s a great way for students to see what we do.”

The concert featured nine different acts and a wide range of dancing, including comedic, tango, ballet and religious works, Sanda said.

“We invited many different people to dance in the concert,” she said. “We wanted a broad base of interests to show the audience there is something for everyone, and to allow the performers a certain sense of freedom to do what they want.”

In the future, the dance department hopes to have two more annual scholarships in addition to what will be established this year, Sanda said. “We are working on a couple of different scholarships in the future including one for incoming freshmen, and those in need of financial aid,” she said. “Students always call asking about scholarships, and we haven’t been able to offer any before this point. It can be a recruiting tool and to facilitate students in need, along with rewarding those doing well in the program currently.”

Baker said she feels there are many talented dancers in the area, and it seems logical to feature them at Iowa State.

“There is always a need for dance events,” she said. “The Toman Studio Theater is a great facility, and there is a wealth of talented dancers in the Ames and Des Moines area. The benefit concert seemed like a natural event to raise money.”