[media-credit name=”Amanda Sowerby” align=”alignright” width=”273″][/media-credit]The Weber State University Department of Performing Arts has provided entertainment for countless faculty, students and supporters in the community through the years. 2012 has been no different.

One of the many shows this past year has been the Orchesis Dance Theater performance earlier this month.

“I thought it was really different than a lot of the other Orchesis before,” said Dasha Kearns, a WSU communications student with a dance minor. “I thought they were very innovative. They did a lot of different things that we haven’t seen before.”

Orchesis (a Greek word that means “to dance”) is performed in the spring and fall semesters.

“They had some really cool dances in it,” said WSU freshman and dance major Breanne Bird. “They had a dance on the trapeze. It was really cool.”

Another favorite within the department of performing arts was the musical theater production of “Lucky Stiff.” Performances took place earlier this month in the Browning Center.

Nicholas Maughen, a WSU senior majoring in piano performance, praised “the high quality of the performance, the actors, and the finesse of the show (‘Lucky Stiff’). It was a lot of fun to see a well-produced show put on by the students.”

Eliza Taylor, a WSU sophomore also majoring in piano performance, said she enjoyed the concert that introduced the Foulger School of Music.

“I thought that was the biggest concert for the school,” Taylor said. “I feel that there was a lot of support from the community — there was a lot of people from Weber State, but a lot from the community.”

Both Taylor and Maughen said they are looking forward to the student recitals.

“I’m really looking forward to the Bonneville Chamber Music Festival and ‘Will Rogers Follies,’” Maughen said.

WSU students will have more opportunities to participate in performing arts events in 2013. “The Will Rogers Follies,” a musical, will run in February of 2013 in the Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts. WSU dance majors will have opportunities to perform, choreograph and develop community connections. Music students will also have performance opportunities throughout the year.

Future events for the WSU Department of Performing Arts can be found on its event calendar, located online at http://departments.weber.edu/performingarts/Events/. Tickets for most events can be purchased at the Browning Center, the Dee Events Center ticket office, online at www.weberstatetickets.com, or by calling 801-626-7000.