Dance Ensemble, ballet, jazz, tap and Legacy dance students and choreographers presented themselves this weekend in Shaver Theatre.The 11th Dance Concert returned to the theater after a six-year hiatus because of renovations.About 100 dance students participated, said Molly Buchmann, head of the dance department.Dance Ensemble, a dance class in the department, presented dances choreographed by students.”We have eight choreographers total,” Buchmann said.The show was an exciting opportunity for participating seniors to showcase their work, Buchmann said.Students are selected to be in Dance Ensemble through a competitive process, and the concert will count as part of their final grade, Buchmann said.Rachel Assaf, psychology senior and dance minor, choreographed two dances for the show — one by herself and a tap dance with another student.Dance is one area threatened by budget cuts, Assaf said.”This concert means a lot to me, and I think it means a lot to everyone in the Theatre Department, considering the uncertainty of whether there will be a dance concert next year,” Assaf said.Juliet Lestage, kinesiology freshman and dance minor, said cutting the dance program could affect the prestige of Tiger Girls.”You have to have a dance program to continue to support a nationally ranked dance team,” Lestage said.She said some students are trying to complete all their dance minor hours by spring of next year in case the program gets cut.”Teachers aren’t really allowed to tell us anything about the budget cuts, but we have talked a little about them in class and what we can do to prepare,” Lestage said.Lestage, who usually dances ballet, presented a style of dance new to her this weekend that was choreographed by dance adjunct Christine Chrest: contemporary jazz.There were two shows Saturday and one on Sunday, and the public packed the theater.”We always have a great turnout,” Buchmann said.—-Contact Mallory Logan at [email protected]