When there’s no “Dancing with the Stars” to be seen, there is still dancing with students.

The Ballroom Performance Group will be hosting its 16th annual Ballroom Magic, which is the student organization’s major fundraiser of the year.

This year’s theme is “The Best of Broadway,” and will feature musical numbers from many of Broadway’s most beloved shows.

The members of the Ballroom Performance Group are organizing another performance-fundraiser — one of its major ones of the year — which will incorporate favorite show tunes alongside new choreography. ROBYN JOHNSON/Staff

“We want to present the theater aspect of Broadway through ballroom dance,” said Natalie Cox, one of BPG’s co-directors.

In performances past, Ballroom Magic has not had a theme. It was Cox’s idea to make this year different, said Mike Fulford, the group’s other co-director.

Songs determined to be danced to include “Masquerade” from “Phantom of the Opera” and “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast.”

“I think [the audience] is going to love it,” Fulford said. “People love Broadway.”

Choreographing dances has largely been a collaboration between the group’s directors.

“I like taking a song and telling a story with that song,” Fulford said. “It can be kind of a magical experience — no pun intended on the name.”

In addition, Mark Wheeler, a University professor of dance, has added a number of numbers to the performance.

Other dance groups on and off campus will make an appearance in the show as well. Ballroom Dance Club, Tango, Swung and Contact — a group that operates out of Dancefx at Five Points — have all choreographed dances to make Ballroom Magic.

The reason for this collaboration is simple.

“The ballroom community itself is pretty close,” Cox said.

Thirty-eight dancers and a tech crew of about 10 have worked hard and long to bring together this week’s performance.

“We’ve got a really good group of dancers this year,” Fulford said. “I probably say that every year, but this group has really been cohesive as a team. They’re very unselfish, always looking out for the interests of the group as a whole. I think the audience will feed off of their energy.”

In anticipation of show time, the dancers began practicing last fall for about four hours a week. Since the start of this month, practice time has increased. Dancers are encouraged to dance socially as well, Cox said.

She doesn’t seem to be too upset about it though.

“It’s how we choose to spend our free time — even when we don’t have much free time,” Cox said.

Nathan Palardy, BPG’s president, also agrees that though planning for the event has been “year-round” and practices can be time-consuming, there is no other way he’d rather have his time consumed.

Prospective spectators looking to fill their schedules with salsa and samba are not encouraged to drag their feet to the ticket window, as the event generally sells out quickly.

“People line up an hour in advance, and these are people who have tickets,” Cox said. “They line up just to make sure they have a good seat.”

Both Cox and Palardy agreed that expectations for this performance’s crowd-pleasing qualities are high.

“We hope they love it,” Cox said. “Their first will probably not be their last Ballroom Magic.”

BALLROOM MAGIC

Where: New Dance Theatre, Dance Building

When: Jan. 26-28 at 8 p.m., Jan. 28 at 2 p.m.

Cost: $10 (student), $15, $4 discount for groups of 8+ Thursday and Saturday at 2