It takes two to tango, line dance

The second time's the charm for veteran Dance Marathon dancer Marc Lieberman. The first time he danced in the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon was in 1994 with a student service organization, Circle K. Now he's going it alone.

Lieberman, 24, (junior-liberal arts), and his fiancee, Jen Falcao, 20, (junior-electrical engineering), will be dancing as independents in this year's marathon.

The thought of dancing independently was frightening to the couple at first because, without the support of a student organization like Circle K, Lieberman said he feared no one would come to offer support.

"It's a little scary dancing as an independent because you're wondering if people are going to come out to visit you," he said.

But as long as Falcao is with him, he said he will be just fine.

"I wouldn't be dancing if I wasn't dancing with Jen," Lieberman said. "I figured I could do it again especially with someone to support me . . . and someone for me to support," he said while looking up at Falcao, who was sitting on a desk above him.

"Sure," Falcao answered, smiling.

This is the first time she will be dancing in dance marathon. When she was attending the Altoona Campus, she said there was a smaller version of the University Park marathon, but she was working on weekends and couldn't participate. Now, she is dancing because she has someone to support her, and others to support -- Lieberman and children with cancer.

"I think he's doing it for a different reason than I am," she said. "Cancer runs in my family and anything that helps kids with cancer I'm willing to help."

Lieberman looks relieved at this point because he said he thought she was just participating in dance marathon because he wanted to.

"I kind of thought I forced you into it," he said.

Falcao shook her head.

"It was important to me to share this experience with somebody," Lieberman said.

Lieberman is dancing this year because he wanted to stay involved, and to recapture the incredible feeling he got the first time he danced.

"I got really attached to the people and families," he said. "I wanted to find some way to stay involved again. It's such an emotional high that I can't really describe it."

Falcao said she hopes she can come away from this experience with the satisfaction of knowing she helped someone.

"What do I want to get out of this experience?," she asked herself aloud. "The satisfaction of doing it. The good feeling of actually helping someone."

That "good feeling of helping someone" was shared by the couple's sponsors. The independent couple did not have a hard time raising the $530 required to participate in dance marathon -- $50 for registration and $480 to dance.

"I worked at an engineering firm over break and within a half an hour I had almost all the pledges," Falcao said.

She explained most of those who pledged were University alumni who were more than willing to pledge money for dance marathon.

"Rich engineers!," Lieberman laughed.

The balance of the funding came from family, friends and co-workers, he said.

Lieberman placed an advertisement in the personals on the website. Falcao responded and the two met face to face when Falcao came to State College to get a Billy Joel tape Lieberman had -- the only one Falcao didn't own. When Falcao went back to the Altoona Campus, the pair E-mailed until she came to State College last semester.

"It was a match made in cyberspace heaven," Lieberman joked as Falcao laughed with him.

Lieberman and Falcao, both part time students who work 25 to 30 hours a week in the computer labs on campus, wanted to take time out of their hectic schedules to endure some of the pain the dance marathon families feel every day.

"When you think about the pain these families go through everyday of their lives, it's amazing to put yourself thorough that pain for 48 hours," Lieberman said. "So for 48 hours they don't have to worry about anything."

The couple decided to participate this year while visiting the 1996 Dance Marathon. Lieberman was no longer a student at the time, having graduated in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in integrative arts.

"I wasn't a student at the time and I knew you had to be at least a part-time student to dance," he said. But he added that the marathon did not factor into his decision to continue his college career. He stayed for Falcao.

"It was Jen's turn to come to State College and I didn't want to leave," he said.

Lieberman and Falcao, who have been engaged for six months, will almost be celebrating their second anniversary on the first night of dance marathon -- Valentine's Day.

Their love won't be the only thing keeping this couple standing through 48 hours of no sleep and no escape. The appreciation of the families is enough for these two people who just want to help others even if it means enduring some pain for two days.

"You know, last year, I overheard one of the parents say they thought the dancers were real heroes. I don't feel that way," Lieberman said. "I think (the parents) are the real heroes."