SHADES Step-Squad incorporated some traditional favorites from under the big top at their annual spring performance last weekend. The show was appropriately titled: “Shades Sircus.”

Acrobats and giant jack-in-the-box dancers were among many performances at the show in Cullen Auditorium Friday and Saturday.

“For the SHADES Sircus, we wanted to give a feel for how outside of the box our step-squad really is,” said SHADES head captain Brandon Bolden, senior counseling and psychology major from St. Louis.  “We wanted to show our diversity while maintaining a circus theme- so we made sure our show had performances like acrobats in full suits, guys on stilts who are controlling puppets and lion and lion tamer dancers.”

Approximately 500 people attended the performance, with all proceeds from ticket sales benefiting Alliance for Women and Children, the organization that typically receives proceeds raised at SHADE’s performances.

Bolden said the step-squad has done various projects with the organization but wanted to do more by giving them the proceeds to all performances.

“We’ve partnered with Women’s for Alliance in the past – teaching children step performances, helping revitalize their playground, and also helping with a few other small projects. Through these different projects we have developed a good relationship with the organization,” he said.

Bolden said SHADES shows are not performances by individuals, but rather performances from a unified group driven by a common goal.

“SHADES has a family feel to it. We have our trials and tribulations but at the same time, we stick together and fight for that common purpose in choosing to glorify God with our talents.  That is one of the main reasons I have been a member for as long as I have,” said Bolden, who has been a member of SHADES for four years and has served as captain for two.

As the group’s final show of the season, the performance also served as the last SHADES performance for the seniors in the group.

“Everybody can dance. Everybody has his or her own style.  We have so many different races and personalities in SHADES that everybody shines in the performance.  You get to see the individual as well as the group perform as one,” said SHADES women’s captain, Destiny Hagood, senior photojournalism major. “As of now, we’re wrapping it up and preparing for new captains to come in to place.  This group has a lot of freshman so it will be a great mixture for next year.”