Music, lights, movement—the Hartung Theater at the University of Idaho welcomed the 34th annual DancersDrummerDreamers, a creative collaboration between UI’s Dance Program and the Lionel Hampton School of Music Percussion and DDD Ensemble this weekend. The first show began at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, and the last show started on Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m.
If you missed the shows, worry not! There will be a virtual stream available to purchase tickets starting at $10 at uitickets.com. The virtual stream will be available March 24-30.
The show opened with the entire company performing the “DDD Overture 2025.” The piece was a blend of percussion and dancing that set the tone for what the audience could expect for the next hour and a half.
Following that, “Chromatic Jubilee” was comprised of all the dancers. This piece was a whirlwind of color and gave off an air of joy. Afterward, the DDD Ensemble performed “Feet Beet,” showcasing how percussion doesn’t always need instruments. For the next few numbers, the DDD Ensemble and the dancers alternated, captivating the audience.
About halfway through the show, an audience favorite took the stage. “Broken O’Clock” emphasized the abstract choreography for the tap dancers’ performance. One audience member said, “The lights, music, and movement perfectly captured the essence of a clock. It made me feel like time fractured and then started up again!” This piece was performed by five dancers.
Another fan favorite piece came shortly after. “Boomwacker Medley” included well known songs, such as “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Queen. This piece was performed by the DDD Ensemble.
The entire production showcased 15 pieces, and many of them were composed and choreographed by students participating in DDD this year. Kaylee Clough, a third-year dance major and a theatre B.F.A. candidate said, “This was my first year choreographing for DDD and it was so much fun!”
She explained the challenges she needed to face during her planning process. “I think the hardest part for me was learning how to communicate with my composer what I was envisioning musically because I don’t have a lot of musical knowledge when it comes to instruments.”
This was Clough’s third year participating in DDD and she plans to return next year. “This is one of my favorite shows to be involved in,” she said.
The production for DDD took months to prepare for. Belle Baggs, one of the dance faculty and co-program coordinators, explained that planning began during the fall semester. The DDD choreographers auditioned their pieces, and once dances were selected, they were paired with a composer. Baggs said, “In the spring, the choreographers audition dancers and then launch into the creative process, working incredibly hard in the studio multiple days a week.”
Preparing for the production wasn’t the only difficult part. Timing was a big factor in the performances as well. Alexander Ramella, a sophomore music education major, said, “The hardest part is keeping track of transitions between the beginning and endings of pieces, because the transitions need to be smooth and seamless.”
Ramella was a DDD Ensemble member and musician playing the tenor saxophone and clarinet. “Performance-wise, my favorite part was probably playing in the band for the piece, ‘Broken O’Clock,’ where I played the bass clarinet and tenor saxophone,” he said. “It was a really fun piece.”
DancersDrummersDreamers performs every year and auditions are open to students of any major. If you missed DDD but want to see more of what the UI Dance Program and others do, there will be workshops and a performance for JazzFest in mid-April.
Sierra Rode can be reached at arg-life@uidaho.edu