The EIU Dancers were “In the Spotlight” this weekend, performing a variety of dances during their annual student-/director-choreographed show.

About 700 people came to McAfee Gymnasium to see the company perform dances ranging from ballet to tap during shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday, co-director Jeanna McFarland said.

“I heard (the show) was really good,” said Christy Anderson, a sophomore history major. “My friend came last night.”

McFarland, who is also an instructor in the physical education department, said the company consists of 17 dancers this year. This show is their annual event.

“We started practicing in September,” said Cynthia Baker, a junior psychology major.

Baker, secretary of the EIU Dancers, was involved with various aspects of the show this year.

“I choreographed two (dances) by myself and helped with three of them,” Baker said.

During one of the dances, entitled “Some Days Are Like That,” the dancers pretended to run across and around the stage in slow motion. The dance ended with all of the dancers, dressed in sweatpants and T-shirts, lying on the floor.

“The last one was very funny,” Anderson said. “I liked how they did the slow motion so long.”

Other dances included a little bit of hip-hop with music by Missy Elliott, tap dancing to songs by the Dixie Chicks and the Charlie Daniels Band, and ballet to Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.”

“I liked ‘Sweet Angel’ and ‘We’re Dancing’ the best, because my friends choreographed them,” said Kari Blazek, a junior Spanish major.

Dancers were clad in a variety of costumes throughout the performance, from sweatpants to dresses to flannel shirts and jeans.

“I really liked the costumes this year,” said Elizabeth Bucciarelli, a junior elementary education major. “Before they were just kind of plain.”

The dancers took the stage for the last dance of the night, entitled “Never Felt This Way,” to the song “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. The entire company performed the dance along with the show’s two directors, McFarland and assistant physical education professor Nancy Nordtvedt.

Baker, along with other members of the EIU Dancers, said all three shows went really well, especially Saturday night, which had the biggest turnout.

The company will perform again at Carl Sandburg Elementary School later in the semester, and possibly at the Relay for Life, Baker said.