Staff and Faculty Get Their Swerve On to Benefit Xavier University

Ready to see Diana Cruz and George Grattan dance the cha-cha and salsa?

The College of the Holy Cross will sponsor a dance benefit titled "Dance, Dance" on May 4 at 3 p.m. in Fenwick Theatre with funds going to Xavier University in New Orleans, the nation’s only college that is historically black and Catholic. Admittance to the event, open only to the Holy Cross community, is $5. Tickets will only be sold at the door. Refreshments will be offered following the benefit at 4 p.m. outside the Cantor Art Gallery.

Xavier is one of the schools that Holy Cross students reached out to after it was hard hit by Hurricane Katrina. Since the fall semester, Grattan, visiting instructor in the English department, has been the chief member of the faculty who has coordinated with the students in their Xavier fundraising efforts.

"The idea is to provide an hour’s study break for students, give us all a much-needed opportunity to laugh and have fun at this point in the semester, and raise money for a super-worthy cause," says Cruz, assistant professor of English, who is helping organize the event.

In addition to Cruz and Grattan, three other members of the staff and faculty will be performing self-designed "routines": Abdi Lidonde, supervisor in the Physical Plant; Teresa Martin del Otero, foreign language assistant in the modern languages and literatures department; and Jacqueline Peterson, vice president for student affairs and dean of students.

Routines will run from five to 10 minutes in length and will be set to any song or combination of songs the performers choose.

"Judges" — also from the staff and faculty — will evaluate dancers in three categories: creativity, poise, and adventurousness.