By: Chiara Brewer, Lucas Hernandez, and Nate Gouker

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (April 3, 2025)

Beneath the bright stage lights of the IU Auditorium, a group of dancers join as one in a seamless blend of movements painting a story through their artistry and athleticism. The energy is electric and the passion undeniable. This is Fusion, the annual showcase for InMotion Dance Company (InMo), a student-run organization at Indiana University. For junior Megan Wright, InMo isn’t just a dance team, it’s home.

Wright, a social work major from northwest Indiana, has been dancing since she was three years old. Though she switched on and off with gymnastics in her early years, dance has remained a constant throughout her life. From pom to hip-hop to contemporary, she found joy in movement. But when she arrived at IU, she wasn’t sure if dance would still be part of her journey, until her close friend Bella Weisbrodt encouraged her to try out for InMo. “I heard about InMo from my friend Bella,” Wright recalls. “She told me to try out, and I started my sophomore year.”

Now in her second year with the company, Wright has found her place among the 100-member team. Unlike the high-pressure teams of her past, InMo offers a unique experience, one centered around enjoyment rather than perfection. “It’s really just to fall in love with dance,” she says.

Founded with the goal of giving students the opportunity for a creative outlet, InMo has become a safe place for dancers like Wright. The company welcomes a variety of skill levels and backgrounds. Students are choreographing and teaching their own pieces. For Wright, rehearsals are a regular part of her weekly schedule. “I have three hours on Sunday, one on Tuesday, an hour and a half on Wednesday, and an hour on Thursday,” she explains. However, the commitment level varies for each dancer. “It can look different for everyone. You only go to the rehearsals for the dances you’re in.” Wright notes that a great part of InMo is that each individual can put as little or as much into it as they choose. 

The highlight of the year is Fusion, set for April 5, 2025. The event is a culmination of months of practice, featuring a mix of contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, and even tap. “The production numbers for contemporary, hip-hop, and jazz are really big,” Wright says. “They’re all from different choreographers, so it’s just super fun. You get a different vibe from everyone.” For many members, the showcase is more than just a performance. It’s a moment to celebrate their hard work, creativity, and friendships. “I honestly can’t imagine my experience here at IU without InMo,” Wright says. “It’s brought me some of the greatest people and my closest friends. It’s so great to be surrounded by people you never get sick of being around.”

Bella Weisbrodt, an IU senior from northwest Indiana, is a close friend of Wright’s and played a major role in leading her to join InMo. Now serving as co-head director of contemporary, she’s been part of the team since her freshman year.

“Coming into college, I really didn’t think I would dance again, but I found InMo,” Weisbrodt shares. Weisbrodt has been dancing her whole life, so walking away from it would have been a difficult task. After looking up dance organizations on campus, she discovered InMo and decided to give it a shot. “Before my freshman year, InMo wasn’t that big because of COVID. But a lot of girls turned out, and a lot of people from my area also joined.”

For Weisbrodt, InMo became a way to keep dancing in her life without the same pressures of the competition dance world she came from. “InMo is dancing without stress,” she says. “It is a way we can actually express how we feel through dance, instead of having to make sure we’re doing the counts right, and everything like that.”

Her role as head director of contemporary has given her an even deeper appreciation for the art. “With choreographing, a lot more of my time is dedicated to InMo: making the dances, going over videos from practice, having the corrections down, making sure everything is done on time,” she says. “It definitely can be stressful at times, but watching your piece on stage is really what makes it worth it.”

Both Wright and Weisbrodt agree that Fusion is the defining moment of their InMo experience. “My favorite memory was my first showcase last year,” Wright shares. “We spent the whole weekend together, and it was so nice to see all of our hard work pay off.” For Weisbrodt, gearing up to see her choreography on stage has been an exciting process. “Being a co-head director of contemporary, it’s been a really awesome experience watching our piece come into place.”

As the countdown to Fusion 2025 continues, the dancers of InMo continue to rehearse, perfecting their movements and strengthening their bond. Whether they are seasoned choreographers or students rediscovering their love for dance one thing is clear, InMotion Dance Company is more than just a performance group. It’s a community, a creative escape, and, for many, the heart of their college experience.

“InMo really changed my college experience,” Weisbrodt says. “I found most of my friends here. If you’re going to dance with someone, you’re going to get close to them at some point.” Wright concludes, “It did really make me fall in love with dance again.”