As you make your way through the sea of artistic offerings this weekend, take note that there is one and one place only where you can indulge in, “the essence of Michael Jackson morphed into a rhythmic display.”

Or so says student choreographer Lisa B. Flannery ’08 of TAPS, the campus tap-dancing troupe.

Along with the company’s “Smooth Criminal” piece, Susan E. Maya ’08 has also choreographed “a fun, whimsical dance set,” which combines “a showy Broadway feel and traditional rhythm-tap.” Maya says that her dance, set to the song “King of New York,” uniquely diverges from the average tap performance and “gives the audience a taste of what tap is really like.”

But if tap dancing isn’t your thing, don’t fret.

The Arts First Dance Festival, occurring all day Saturday, May 6 in Lowell Lecture Hall, includes a wide array of dance styles, from the culturally rooted Harvard Pan-African Dance and Music Ensemble to the Balanchine-esque Harvard Ballet Company.

The Harvard-Radcliffe Dance Company, Harvard’s oldest student dance troupe, will be featured in the show as well. Mai-King C. Chan ’06, one of the directors of HRDC, says that the group will be sticking with its modern-dance roots for its performance during the dance festival, presenting an elegant piece set to string music and drums.

“Modern dance in general is appealing because it reflects upon life’s feelings and experiences so that anyone not rehearsed in dance techniques or history can relate,” says Chan.

Other troupes performing include the South Asian Dance Company, which will incorporate folk and modern dance from South Asia, Dance Edge, a local company that displays the work of amateur choreographers, and the Harvard Philippine Forum, which will mix traditional cultural dance with new versions set to Ciara’s “One, Two Step,” among other hip-hop staples.

A deviation from the more traditional dance forms—such as those of The Harvard Ballroom Dance Team and Harvard Ballet Folklorico—is Mainly Jazz, a company which presents a mix of jazz, hip-hop, and funk. Choreographer Shruti E. Saini ’06 incorporated moves from her background in cheerleading and dancing to create a high energy piece set to ’90s hits like “Baby One More Time” and everyone’s all-time favorite, the “Macarena.”

Along with company pieces, there are a substantial number of dances choreographed and performed by solo artists. Shana J. Cloud ’06 (see profile on page 4) will present her independent study piece in which the dancers will be blindfolded, while Jessica M. Marglin ’06 will perform a traditional dance from Orissa, India.

However, the Dance Festival won’t solely feature dancers with formal training—CityStep will also be a welcome part of the celebration. The volunteer program, focused on Cambridge fifth, sixth, and seventh graders, will showcase dance as well as other forms of creative self-expression. The inclusion of CityStep should transform the Dance Festival from a simple slew of choreography to a real cross-cultural, dynamically-creative mesh of movement, soul, and music.

—Staff writer Erin A. May can be reached at emay@fas.harvard.edu.