Go outside and play, and don’t come in until dinner.

How many times did you hear this when you were a child? Or, do you remember gathering around the family dinner table, and the chaos of conversation that would erupt?

Well, Valerie Williams remembers and has choreographed these memories to the music of Brahms, Mozart, Faure, Smith and Rutter.

“Requiem,” a series of dances composed from memories, will be performed by the Valerie Williams Co’Motion Dance Theater tonight through Sunday.

“I’ve been wanting to do this project a while,” Williams said. “People write music in memory of, that’s where requiems come from. I was thinking of making a dance in memory of.”

Williams said she is trying to “verbalize” a non-verbal art form. “I made dances both in memory of and that come from memories,” she explained. “Much of my inspiration comes from the music. Some memories are very specific, some are more general. I am hoping this performance speaks to that non-verbal place.”

One memory Williams felt compelled to choreograph was the near death of her father. “When I first listened to Brahms, I had such a sense of grief,” she said. “It spoke to me in such a way that I needed when my father went into the hospital. I used that music to reflect that memory.”

Co’ Motion Dance Theater, made up of six dancers, uses modern dance to translate the memories. Williams said this form is ideal because it “comes from the inside out.”

“We create movement that reflects and communicates inside feelings,” she said. “It’s really the opposite of ballet. We use abstract gestures that come from inside feelings. Then, we develop that to create a dance.”

But not all the memories that make up “Requiem” are of a serious nature. Williams said the dance “Memories of Home” recalls conversations around the family dinner table. And one section of the performance called “A.I.S.” (artists in school) was inspired by the playfulness of school children.

“We have been collecting the waves of children on [school] buses,” Williams said. “When a child puts their hands up to their face and wiggles their fingers, it’s so charming. It’s completely different from the rest of the performance, but we thought now was the time to use these waves.”

The music of Brahms and Mozart has always been a strong part of Williams’ life. A soprano who sings with the Collegiate United Methodist Choir, she has sung many of the requiems she uses in her dance performance.

“Some pieces just resonate in me,” she said.” The music and dances work together. The music is grand, as is the dancing. It’s very triumphant.”

“Requiem” will be performed tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. at the Ames City Auditorium and Sunday at 3 p.m. There will be a lecture/demonstration before the performances at 7:45 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.

Tickets are available for $9 at the door, The Octagon Shop, Big Table Books and Stomping Grounds, or by calling 232-7374. Student and senior citizens get a discount price of $6.