The benefit reception surrounding En I Me, a dance choreographed by UNT dance professor Shelley Cushman, will help raise money to send the dancers and their professor to the National College Dance Festival in June.

Cushman premiered the 30-minute work last year. The piece is a product of its time. Cushman studied cinematic stories of war in researching the dance.

“En I Me is part of a larger work that brings mankind to a place of peace,” Cushman said in an artist’s statement. “Part I introduces war as senseless killing, while echoing all past lives lost in wars throughout time. The dance projects, to all future lost lives, the infinite unfolding of torn flesh that multiplies like nuclear fission.”

The music in the piece was composed through sampling and remixing works by Jesse Coulter and Brian Eno, as well as the sounds of the “Daisy Girl” advertisement. The ad became famous when it aired during Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidential campaign. Guns, explosions, water, planes and sirens are sampled into the music. Cushman said she studied war films Saving Private Ryan and Pearl Harbor while creating the piece. She also studied World War II documentaries. Twelve dancers will travel to New York next month to perform at the festival.

The benefit performance is a chance for people to see the work before the students and professor leave town. The concert also includes works choreographed by students. Dance alumni will present another work by Cushman during the reception after the performance.

—Lucinda Breeding

What: a performance and reception for a dance by Shelley Cushman

When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: the University of North Texas Radio, TV, Film and Per­form­ing Arts Building, located at the corner of Welch and Chestnut streets

Details: Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for students. To make reservations, call 940-565-2428.