The word “shaggy” has several meanings, but Valerie Williams was sticking to the original when she named the Co’ Motion Dance Theater’s third concert of the season “Shaggy Dances.”

“It’s ‘Shaggy’ because it goes on forever, just like the fur on a dog,” she said.

The event will feature dancers and musicians from all around Iowa performing live on stage at the same time. All of the dances were choreographed specifically for this event, and the music was taken from classic works.

“Co’ Motion has a stress on hiring locally,” Williams, a choreographer and organizer for the event, said.

The concert will feature cellist George Work, composer Robert C. Fuller, director M. Burton Drexler, choreographers and dancers Kathleen Hurley, Paula McArthur, Lana Lyddon Hatten and other dancers from central Iowa.

Kids Co’ Motion, a dance company with kids ranging from 10 to 18 years, will also be participating in the event.

With the dance concert, Williams is aiming to make everything easy to understand, with no hidden meanings or underlying stories.

“Dance is a non-verbal art form,” Williams said. “What you see is what you get.”

The evening will begin with a segment called “Me About You.” Rather than work together on the dance and music, the composers and choreographers made short works on their own and later studied each other’s pieces to produce a final product.

“The ideas developed as we worked,” Williams said. “All of the choreographers for the event had a wonderful time.”

The next piece, “Bach Suites,” is the centerpiece for the evening and has multiple sections to it. One part, called “State of Grace,” was choreographed by Hatten and McArthur and is accompanied by Work’s cello playing.

“A state of grace is the awareness of your inner and outer self,” Williams said.

Another part of “Bach Suites” is called “Spills,” choreographed by Williams. It was inspired by canvases Williams saw when she was overseas.

“The dancers spill on to the floor and on each other,” Williams said. “That is where the name came from.”

One thing that helps make this dance performance interesting is the fact that it is a repertory performance, and there is not one single idea throughout the show, like there is in pieces such as “Swan Lake.”

“Shaggy Dances” is different from other dances the Co’ Motion troupe has performed during the season because it was made for fun, with no ulterior motives.

“It’s not one of our heavy-duty performances,” Williams said. “We’re dancers, and we have to dance; this is going to be a fun program.”

One of the most amazing things people don’t realize about dance performances such as this is the amount of time needed for a good final product.

“For every minute of dancing, you can guess there was an hour spent working on it in rehearsal,” Williams said. “Creating anything takes awhile.”

Co’ Motion Dance Theater presents “Shaggy Dances” at the Ames City Auditorium tonight, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and seniors.