This year, the Orange Pulse Dance Troupe will be honoring the life of one of its own during the 11th annual charity showcase this weekend.

The dance troupe, which is a non-audition based dance group, will celebrate the life of Katlyn Bennett, an SU and Orange Pulse alum who died last June from anorexia, said Sara King, Orange Pulse’s president. The troupe will donate all ticket sale proceeds to the charity KMB for Answers, which was started by Bennett’s mother following her death.

“We thought donating the proceeds to KMB for Answers would be a really great way to bring the community together, while raising awareness and informing people about an issue that affects a lot of people,” said King, a senior biology and forensic science major.

The showcase will be held in Goldstein Auditorium this Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets will be $3 for Syracuse University students and $5 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased at the Schine Box Office.

Since Orange Pulse is a philanthropic student organization, every year the troupe hosts a showcase that will benefit a specific charity or organization. Previous beneficiaries of the showcase include Dr. King Elementary, the American Cancer Society and the Make a Wish Foundation of Central New York, according to Orange Pulse’s website.

Bennett attended SU for both undergraduate and graduate school, earning a bachelor’s degree in information management and technology in 2010 and a master’s in information management.

With the passing of Bennett, King said the dancers hope to help anyone affected by the disease and to help find better support and treatment. The donations will go specifically toward women suffering from the disease and their families.

This year’s theme for the showcase will be “Dancing in the Dark,” and will feature 140 dancers and 17 choreographed numbers, King said. She added that the executive board, which consists of 16 members, wanted to have a general theme so the choreographers could be more creative.

The troupe has a wide range of dancers, including those who specialize in tap, ballet, jazz, Irish step dancing, hip-hop and contemporary.

King added that the executive board has been “really big” with its public relations this year, and has been pushing to increase its presence on Facebook and Twitter. Orange Pulse has reached out to more than 5,000 people on social media, King said, and the group hopes they can fill as many seats as possible this weekend. Orange Pulse has also reached out to SU’s Panhellenic Council, the School of Information Studies, as well as Wegmans to sponsor the event.

“Our organization is really up-and-coming,” King said. “People should expect to see a really great show.”

Published on March 20, 2014 at 1:00 am

Contact Meredith: mhnewman@syr.edu | @MerNewman93