ORONO – Dancers in the University of Maine’s School of Performing Arts have been hard at work this fall, investing time, talent and creative energy to produce original dance numbers. Their efforts will culminate in a dance showcase, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, in Minsky Recital Hall.

The recital will feature 10 numbers, including performances of ballet, modern dance, hip-hop and jazz ballet. About 30 students will take part.

Ann Ross, artistic director of the School of Performing Arts and the director of the dance showcase, called the event a unique opportunity for students to perform in an informal setting and to have a dialogue with others about their work.

“For the dance showcase, we try to create an atmosphere that is open and informal. We encourage dialogue and feedback from the audience,” Ross said.

Many of the students’ performances have been generated from classroom projects,” she explained. She will be dancing along with students from her intermediate dance class in a piece that features music by a live band. This is the fourth year for the dance showcase.

Ross said the event also serves as a warm-up for some of the students who will be participating in the School of Performing Arts’ Spring Dance Concert. “This is really a showcase for works-in-progress,” Ross said. “We will have a lot of really nice dancers and performing styles. It’s going to be fun.”

Ross is currently a touring artist with the Maine Arts Commission and has helped to develop a curriculum for integrating dance in K-12 education and certification requirements for teaching dance in public schools.

She has also taught at the Foothills Camp in Farmington; choreographed and danced in “Possessed,” a musical held at the Chocolate Church in Bath; and taught an Arts Institute at UMaine.