The Lantern

Issue date: 5/9/08 Section: Arts

Megan Grund, a senior who is passionate about dance and AIDS relief, always longed for a way to combine the two.

After traveling to New York City because of the College of the Arts research scholarship, she got a chance to see a performance put on by the Dancers Responding to AIDS that changed her life.

"Never before had I seen dance done in such a way that it drew together a diverse crowd and helped fight AIDS at the same time," said Grund, a dance major. "From then, I felt that it was my calling as a dancer to move people for a cause."

Grund planned the Columbus Cares Benefit Dance Performance being held Saturday at the Riffe Center's Capitol Theatre downtown.

She said all the proceeds of the event will go directly to the Dancers Response to AIDS, which is the nation's leading non-profit AIDS fundraising organization. Grund said the founder, Denise Roberts Hurlin, will be flying in from New York to attend the Columbus Cares performance.

She said this event is so pivotal because a number of dancers have AIDS.

"I think it's so great that through this performance, we'll be able to help DRA do more to stop this epidemic that's hitting the dance community hard," Grund said.

There will be more than 150 dancers performing, including members of Ohio State's Department of Dance, Columbus Dance Centre, Dance Linx, the Ohio State Dance Team, Delta Gamma Dance Team, Phi Beta Sigma Steppers, Folclor Hispano, Dance Plus Ballroom, Dublin Dance Center and Columbus Youth Ballet.

Erika Harris, a junior in dance, said students will get the opportunity to see the widest range of dance teams and dance forms.

"It's so amazing how Columbus Cares will feature dance styles from tap and hip-hop to the cha-cha and rumba that normally aren't showcased together," said Harris, a member of Dance Linx.

Grund coordinated the entire event by herself and said it was a more difficult task than she ever anticipated.

"I had to become a total one-man team, dealing with ticket sales, marketing and production," she said.

She said she will not be dancing in the event because of her major role. Her greatest challenge in planning Columbus Cares is trying to get interest for DRA, since it is a relatively new group. Another obstacle she faced was getting people to buy a ticket, which costs $25.

Branden Mack, a sophomore in communications said he would love to help support the cause and see the dancing, but he thinks the ticket price is a little steep for a college student.

Harris said $25 is nothing compared to how much students willingly spend for a party or at the mall.

Despite the price, Grund said she still expects a crowd of all types to show up and support.

"This event is going to do so much to help stop the spread of this disease," she said. "We're going to send money to families of AIDS victims and many AIDS service organizations."

She said many college students would be shocked to know that one in 250 college students has AIDS.

Tickets will be sold by all the dancers participating in the show and at the door. For more information, visit columbuscares.org

Heather Hope can be reached at hope.27@osu.edu.

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