Los Angeles Times - February 23, 2009
Ramie Becker, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

This weekend, well over 2,000 students at UCLA and USC pulled all-nighters -- not studying, but dancing in two dance marathons that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Elizabeth Glaser Foundation/Project Kindle/One Heartland (UCLA) and the Children's Miracle Network (USC).

The largest student-organized philanthropic event on the West Coast, UCLA's eighth annual Dance Marathon had 726 sponsored dancers (along with 1,250 "moralers") busting moves for a solid and sometimes grueling 26 hours. South of downtown, USC got into the game as well, staging its second annual all-night dance party, which kept 200 dancers upright for 14 hours.

Once a symbol of Depression-era despair (see "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"), it's clear that the idea of endurance dancing has found new purpose in the form of philanthropy. College and university students from all over the nation have picked up the boogie baton, raising millions of dollars for a broad spectrum of pediatric hospitals and HIV/AIDS and cancer foundations. Penn State, for example, has raised close to $60 million in 35 years, and about 80 colleges have followed suit, challenging students to get donations in exchange for fancy footwork.

Since 2002, UCLA's marathon has grown from 180 sponsored dancers to last year's all-time high of 782, swiftly becoming one of the most anticipated events on campus. Though still in its nascence, USC's participation grew from last year, as well as its fundraising, which totaled over $13,000.

What makes these kids so eager to stay on their feet (and sober) for so long? Three words: entertainment, activities and food. Dancers at UCLA were inundated with constant stimuli that included music and dance performances, guest speakers, group activities, regular meals and celebrity appearances. ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba showed her support over at USC, and despite a disappointing celebrity no-show (ahem, Lance Bass), many shiny people graced UCLA's red carpet, including Stacy Keibler ("Dancing With the Stars"), Kate Flannery ("The Office"), Jonathan Bennett ("Mean Girls") and Kimberly Caldwell ("American Idol"). Alternative hip-hop artist Talib Kweli and "American Idol's" Kimberly Locke gave high-energy performances, and "America's Best Dance Crew" champs, "Super Crew," threw down an explosive routine.

In addition, different shifts of moralers flooded the dance floor at regular intervals, keeping up the energy with costumed antics and candy handouts. Complimentary Red Bull and Vitamin Water flowed freely, and by 4 a.m. the dance floor was a hot, sticky and spirited mess. Every half-hour, dancers and moralers rallied to execute the "moraler" dance en masse, set to the classic club hit "What Is Love" by Haddaway (made infamous by the movie "Night at the Roxbury"), which had all participants side-twitching their heads, thrusting their pelvises and pogo-ing in rhythm.

At about 11 a.m., delirium had clearly set in, and the enthusiasm only increased as dancers saw the finish line approaching. Stretching out her tired quads, dancer Neha Bazaj explained, "3 a.m. to 6 a.m. is the hardest time, but once you're over that hump, it's all good."

Smiling with glazed eyes, UCLA sophomore Aditi Srinivasan spoke sage advice: "You just gotta keep moving, it's the only way to not feel the pain."

Emotions rose as the kids from Project Kindle and One Heartland (sleep-away camps for HIV-positive children) bravely got up on stage and told their stories. Things reached a fever pitch as the dancers slid into the "hour of power" -- the last 60 minutes, when all feet were on deck -- singing along to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and rocking out to Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer," pumping out every last bit of energy. Some were crying, some laughing, but all moving until the clock struck 1 p.m.

When it was all over, the sweaty, 2,000-plus collective sat down together and the dance marathon steering committee held up signs to reveal the total amount raised -- $362,742. Dance, dance revolution, indeed.

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