By Tom Ackerman
@Tom_AckermanDI
Iowa City is ready to wake for the day, and to celebrate, Dance Marathon DJs blasted “Livin’ on a Prayer” in the ballroom of the Iowa Memorial Union.
The crowds of Dance Marathon are experiencing a resurgence in the second half of the event, and with hopes to continue the momentum until the ending tonight, University of Iowa students are back to dancing.
Paige Shockey, a backstage coordinator, said it has been easier to stay awake as a leader than her last year in attendance as a dancer. “You think you can’t do it, but you really can,” she said.
“Right now everyone is really amped up,” she added. She said the day may slowly wind down until the “power hour” at 5:00 pm, where participants look to end the 24 hours on a strong note.
“You give it your all,” she said. “You realize it’s almost over, and a lot of families come back.”
Recently on the dance floor, an energy emerged that hasn’t been present since the dancers hit the floor at the previous night. The DJ raised his thumb to cue the music louder, and morale captains flooded into the packed ballroom to begin their hourly dance with the audience.
“It’s gotten a lot more exciting,” said student dancer Taylor Bernitt. “It’s been a definite boost. Everyone has been getting more energized with the event halfway done.”
He added that the day hours go by more quickly as the end of the event comes into sight. “The night hours are the hardest,” he said.
More symbolic songs were played to start the second half, like “I just came to say hello” and other upbeat songs like “Timber” played louder to get the crowd moving.
More events are lined up for the day as many families come back from a night’s sleep, Shockey said.
