Dance instructor Philip Edgecombe has been a faculty member at Southeast Missouri State University since 2007. He teaches ballet, jazz and theater classes and has performed in Chicago's Hedwig Dances, Phoenix's Desert Dance Theatre and toured Scotland as a dancer. Along with being a part of the faculty, Edgecombe is also the artistic coordinator of Fall for Dance which will take place Thursday through Saturday.

Q:What is Fall for Dance, and how did it get to where it is now?

A: It is a dance concert that showcases students' talents. We started off with no support from the River Campus and no lighting or costumes. Three years ago we started having two dance concerts, one in the fall and one in the spring, and we have a lot of support now.

Q:What is it like being the artistic coordinator for this event?

A: It is a lot of fun. Being able to bring something like this together and to work with different people is amazing. I work with three choreographers and more than 40 students. I just try to make sure everyone's creativity is put in the right place.

Q:What kind of preparation goes into this?

A: We start auditions the first week of school, and then student auditions are the second week of school. After auditions were over, we started rehearsal right away.

Q:What is it that you enjoy about dance the most?

A: I started dancing after seeing a performance when I was younger. I enjoyed the physicality of it all, and I think that is what I enjoy the most -- the physicality, and being able to throw yourself through space. I like how things don't need to be said for a story to be told. You just watch and you understand.

Q:How do you pick which students get to perform?

A: They have their auditions. We have students audition in everything including jazz, contemporary, ballet and tap. Then we have students who do combinations. After that, the faculty chose which students to put in the performance.

Q:Why do you teach dance?

A: Dance is not something that can be written down or talked about. It has to be shown, and teaching it is how dancing gets passed down to other generations. I also enjoy teaching something that I am passionate about, and it is neat to see others who share my passion.

Q:What do you do on your off time when not teaching or directing?

A: I am always outside as much as possible. I really enjoy kayaking ewhen I can.

Q:What are you looking forward to with Fall for Dance?

A: I am really looking forward to it all coming together and seeing the ending result. The faculty and I have these ideas in our head, which then get told to the dancers, and we work together on it up to opening night. Seeing it at the end on the stage with the costumes and lights is very exciting.

Q:What is your biggest accomplishment so far with this event?

A: Seeing the audience grow every year is a pretty big accomplishment. Then the dancers are getting better and better every year, and the audience I think will be impressed with what they see in this year's dance concert.

Q:For people who may not really understand dancing, what can they expect?

A: I think everyone has an idea of what they think dance is until they actually see a performance, and they are surprised and amazed. They can expect to see a lot of variety and to see the stories behind the dancing come alive.