After five months of hard work and practice, several budding Iowa State performers will take the stage tonight to present “Barjche ’98.”

“[‘Barjche ’98’] is Iowa State’s best kept secret,” Laurie Sanda, assistant professor and “Barjche ’98” director, said.

“Barjche” is a dance performance that is held every year by ISU Orchesis dancers and includes dance performances, costumes and music. However, every year “Barjche” is different.

Orchesis dancers auditioned for “Barjche” last October and have been practicing for five months. Choreographers have been working since last spring.

“The dancers and choreographers are flexible and dedicated,” Sanda said. “We have dancers from all colleges on campus, including animal science, biology, education, engineering, performing arts and psychology.”

This is the second year that performing arts, as a major, has been available at ISU, and “it’s made a difference in how seriously students take dance. The students are more willing to dedicate themselves,” Sanda said.

“Barjche ’98” includes 15 dances about “the driving forces of change. Powerful or confrontational or tender dances in ‘Barjche ’98’ explore breaking boundaries, breaking expectations and breaking traditions,” a press release stated.

Dancers and choreographers are breaking boundaries in the content of the dances, many of which contain adult content.

“This year we’re sort of pushing the envelope,” Sanda said. “These things are hard to pull off. My students have given themselves some choreographic challenges this year, and I’m very happy in the way the students are meeting their goals.”

“All of the shows are different, and all have unique personalities,” Janice Baker, assistant professor of dance who has been involved with “Barjche” for 20 years, said. “This one in particular is a very ambitious gathering of a great variety of dances.”

One dance, “Pass Me the Lipstick,” was choreographed by Riley Campney, a junior in accounting, and Trude Grosenbach, a junior in LAS. Campney and Grosenbach are also “Barjche” dancers.

“Pass Me the Lipstick” is a take- off from a pom squad and includes music from “Rodeo,” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Star Wars” and “Jurassic Park.”

“‘Pass Me the Lipstick’ is fun, upbeat and happy, and the dancers are constantly changing costumes,” Campney commented.

“[Choreographing] is a lot of fun and a real learning experience,” Grosenbach said. “Not only do I get to see my ideas take shape on stage, but I get to work with people of different abilities, styles and attitudes. That’s the best part of choreographing.”

Another piece, “Jigsaw,” is a dance duet between Nadege Souvenir, senior in performing arts, and Kelly Bartlett, freshman in performing arts.

“It was a difficult piece to do,” Souvenir said. “It’s the first time that I’ve choreographed a dance and been in it at the same time.”

Communication is large part of the dance performance and is important among the dancers, the choreographer, the lights crew and the audience.

“You learn how to communicate,” Kimberly Scott, senior in music education, said. “As a choreographer, trying to tell the dancers what you want, and as a dancer, trying to figure out what the choreographer wants.”

“I encourage the audience to relax,” Baker said. “The audience should not become frustrated with finding a story. The magic of dance is that you can get out of it what you want, and that’s okay.”

Sanda agreed. “Not every painting is about flowers and a bowl of fruit. In the same way, not every dance is about looking pretty and being graceful,” she said.

After five months and hours upon hours of rehearsing the same dances, the dancers still are excited for the performance.

“This week is hectic, but when you get to the performance, it’s all worth it,” Souvenir added.

“Barjche ’98” will be presented by the Orchesis dancers tonight and Saturday night at 7:30, and on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Fisher Theater. Tickets are $5 and are available at the Stephens Auditorium box office.

Spring auditions for Orchesis I will be held on April 2. Auditions are open to all ISU students, faculty and staff. For more information, contact Laurie Sanda at 294-7349.