Dance Marathon tests students’ endurance

Hundreds of dancers crowded the floor of Pauley Pavilion at 11 a.m. Saturday to kick off the 14th Annual Dance Marathon, put on by the Pediatric AIDS Coalition to raise money to fight pediatric AIDS. But how many of the roughly 700 dancers would complete the herculean task of dancing for 26 hours straight? How many would officially bust their last move before 1 p.m. Sunday? Daily Bruin Radio checked in every 5 hours to find out just how long Bruins could boogie.

TRANSCRIPT:

Campbell: An a cappella rendition of the Star Spangled Banner kicked off the 14th Annual Dance Marathon 11 a.m. Saturday. The marathon, put on by the Pediatric AIDS Coalition to raise money to fight pediatric AIDS, challenged students to dance for 26-straight hours on the floor of Pauley Pavilion. But how many of the roughly 700 dancers would actually complete this herculean task? How long would they last before they officially became “boogied-out”?

Saturday, 11am. Pauley is filled with energy as hundreds of students eagerly move their bodies to the first song of the day, the aptly named “Let’s Get it Started” by the Black Eyed Peas. Morale is high as students feel “pumped.”

“This is my first time doing it, and I’m so excited.”

“I am 100 percent pumped! 200 percent!”

“I’m so excited, I did this my freshman year, and I’m senior and I’m ready to do it again.”

Campbell: Saturday, 4 p.m. The marathon is now in its fifth hour. To help dancers keep their momentum, staff members called “Moralers” encourage students and reinvigorate them by dancing alongside them. Energy remains high as students crowd the dance floor, jumping up and down and pumping their fists to the beat of the music. Among them is first-year business economics student Megan Hoffman.

Hoffman: Feet are starting to hurt a little bit, but we have over 20 hours left. But I think the energy’s pretty good, with the costume changes, and every three hours with the Moralers  coming in. It keeps us going.

Campbell: Although she may have had some extra help.

Hoffman: And we get lots of good food!

Campbell: Saturday, 9 p.m. The sun has set, but the Dance Marathon is still going strong. A few students begin to trickle out of Pauley Pavilion, having danced their last step. A few more, like first-year political science student Patrick Chesnut, are simply taking a break after nearly 10 hours of dancing. However, Chesnut is determined not to leave early.

Chesnut: If my legs catch on fire, then maybe, but that won’t happen, so I’m gonna be here the whole time.

Campbell: Sunday, 2 a.m. The Dance Marathon has officially passed the halfway point, and after 15 hours of dancing, students are beginning to show signs of fatigue. Inside the dimly lit pavilion, illuminated only by colored strobe lights, a long line of students has formed on the dance floor so they can rub each others’ shoulders. A few others, like first-year business economics student Lindsey Anderson, rest near the top row of seats, massaging their feet with tennis balls provided by the marathon organizers.

Anderson: I’m actually not too tired right now, I think I’m a little delirious, but I’m doing good so far. My feet are really sore, I’m currently rolling them out on a tennis ball and it’s making them feel a little better, but it’s definitely getting to the sore points.

Campbell: Sunday, 7 a.m. As the sun rises on a new day, the dancers inside Pauley Pavilion are beginning to become “t’wired,” a mashup of “tired” and “wired,” trying to keep up their energy after 20 hours of music and dancing. Nevertheless, students remain on the dance floor, determined to stay the full 26 hours. Second-year psychobiology student Carolyn Rojo, also one of the marathon’s organizers, keeps the marathon’s purpose in mind.

Rojo: HIV and AIDS is something these kids have to deal with their entire life, so the least I can do is spend at least one day fighting for them, so that’s what keeps me going when it gets really hard.

Campbell: Sunday, 11 a.m. The marathon has reached its 24-hour mark, as the drowsy and breathless students cheer on a performance by the UCLA Bruin Marching Band. Third-year psychobiology student Kelly Tran is still full of energy after nearly a day’s worth of dancing.

Tran: I probably have been dancing the entire time actually, I don’t think I’ve really take breaks. I don’t really pull all-nighters or anything like that. To stay on your feet for 26 hours is an incredible feat, and I really didn’t feel alone at all, ever, which is great.

Campbell: Sunday, 1 p.m. After nearly 26 hours of nonstop dancing, the marathon’s end is drawing near. Although the crowd is considerably smaller than it had been 26 hours earlier, the music is still pumping as the organizers encourage everyone through a final “Power Hour”. The dancers can barely able to move to the beat of “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. However, as the countdown clock enters its final minute, there isn’t a single student standing still. Everyone musters the strength to perform one final Morale Dance to “Relight my Fire” by Dan Hartman.

And finally, it’ all over! After 26 hours danced and about $446,150 raised, the 14th Annual Dance Marathon has drawn to a close. A sea of exhausted, breathless Bruins floods out of Pauley Pavilion, ready to take on their next challenge at UCLA. For Daily Bruin Radio, this is Chris Campbell, with contributions from Priyanka Nanayakkara and Connie Zhou.