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The Unlimited Dance Team (UDT) is looking for the dancer in all of us.

The team is putting together a fund-raising dance competition made up entirely of faculty and staff members. The event, titled Dancing with the Faculty/Staff Stars, is slated to take place in February.

“This is a great opportunity for students to connect with the faculty and staff,” said junior Bianca Gerardi, president of UDT.

UDT will hold an interest meeting Monday, Sept. 26, from 8 to 8:30 p.m. in the Activity Room of the Bowling and Billiards Center. Those who are interested, but cannot attend, can contact Gerardi at brgerar@ilstu.edu.

Volunteers for the fundraiser will be placed into small groups, which will work with two members of the UDT. Team members will collaborate with faculty and staff volunteers to choreograph and practice a short dance routine along a theme of “dancing through the decades.”

“Each team will represent a decade,” said Gerardi, who noted the number of people per group will depend upon the number of volunteers who show interest. “We’d love to get as far back as the 1950s, if we have enough dancers.”

According to Gerardi, no dance experience is necessary, and accommodations will be made for anyone with a disability who wishes to take part in the event.

Audience members at the February competition will be asked to bring in items for The Baby Fold in Normal. The board chose the organization after exploring not-for-profit organizations in the area. “The mission of assisting children hits home for all three of us on the executive board,” said Emilie Gill, the UDT secretary and a junior minoring in non-profit leadership along with the UDT treasurer, junior Alyssa Mueller.

At the competition, audience members will be able to vote via text for their favorite groups. All dancers will then join in a short, “freestyle” finale.

“The event is meant to be a fun way to raise needed items for a great cause,” said Gerardi. “We’re hoping to give everyone who participates a ribbon that says, ‘I danced my decade off.’”