With flexing limbs and twisting bodies, the students of the School of Music and Dance conveyed volumes on issues of love, life, class struggles and politics at a rehearsal last week, giving a glimpse of the New Moves Dance Showcase coming this weekend at McKenna Theatre.

Featuring choreography from 13 students and a full cast of 50 dancers in group and solo performances, this semester’s showcase is creating a fusion of multi-cultural movements with contemporary dance and hip hop influences.

“Most of the pieces fuse different styles into something original and cross-cultural,” said Susan Whipp, director of New Moves, and SF professor, in a press release.

Not only are student choreographers creating new fusion dance movements, but they are also expressing their politics as well.

Alexis Johnson, 22, a business major who is performing in “The People’s Struggle,” said she feels she is not only involved in the piece as a skilled dancer, but also as a student with a political opinion.

“It has a purpose and message,” said Johnson. “I’m not just dancing, but relaying a message about what really goes on in our economy. As a business major, it is important to me to express that."

Though most featured dancers are SF State students, “the People’s Struggle” features a rarity in New Moves’ 25 years, a high school student.

15-year-old Tiffany Burnoski, a Lowell High School student and after school dancer, feels privileged to be involved in a college showcase.

“It’s exciting because not a lot of high-schoolers get to do college productions,” said Burnoski. “I’m juiced, I had to do it.”

Jasmine Donaldson, 24, a dance major, seeks out a different inspiration to empower young women.

Choreographing her dance piece to famed Afrobeat musician and human rights activist Fela Kuti’s song, “Lady,” about the difference between liberated Western women to African women, Donaldson created a mixture of Haitian dance, modern jazz movements and break dance poses.

“It is a piece about a muse,” said Donaldson of the all female dance.

Besides Kuti’s music, Donaldson was also creatively inspired by another black politico, U.S. Senator Barack Obama.

“I’m a fan of an Obama speech on change [where he said] you can’t change the world without changing yourself,” said Donaldson.

The dance showcase also displays a talented mixture of pieces that express the fun and joy found in our daily lives.

In “As You Are,” a dance piece between two dancers about the playfulness of flirtation, attraction and love between two people, choreographer and dance major Sarah Pembridge, 25, wanted to create a modern dance that people would enjoy.

The dance is similar to a cat and mouse game of love, but shown through hip hop movements, said Pembridge.

Like something out of a cleared-out club dance floor, with only two dancers left, “As You Are” merges Dirty Dancing-style acrobatic lifts with contemporary hip hop movements to the club hit “The Way I Are” from hip hop beatmaker Timbaland.

When asked about mimicking sexual attraction with a fellow dancer, Yoshie Mimura, 24, a dance and holistic health major, feels that though she and dancer Andre Panini, 22, a international relations and American studies major, have dealt with their sexy moves in a professional way.

“It was weird at first, but I’m comfortable with my partner,” said Mimura. “I’m a lot more worried about the technical stuff.”

While wearing identical gold baby doll dresses against a rich, earthy lighting of sea greens and royal blues, 27-year-old dance major Kasey McEldowney’s dancers used fluid modern movements to express the catch and release of changing relationships between friends.

“When I make movement, it is a natural, sustained movement,” said McEldowney. “It has a flowiness.”

McEldowney also feels that this semester’s New Moves Showcase brings a lush and wider variety for people to watch.

“Everyone has their own unique artwork,” said McEldowney of the show. “This year there is more difference in each of the pieces.”

With a true sense of camaraderie, where dancers are supportively applauding each other with words of encouragement, the dancers of New Moves are taking close notes of every mistake to truly invoke each story and idea behind the choreographed pieces.

Johnson feels that the challenge of being in New Moves gives her an opportunity to show her skill and love for dance.

“I’ve never been in a dance production and it pushes me because I’m not a professional,” said Johnson. “It can be intimidating, but we are a great team.”

SF State's annual New Moves Showcase will open for preview on Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. for $6 admission and will officially open on Dec. 7 through Dec. 8, which will begin at 8 p.m. Admission for the Dec. 7 and 8 performances is $14 general and $8 for students and seniors.