The room seems to soak up the color of the dancers' costumes, spandex shirts tie-died a navy hue. The black curtains that surround them become a deep shade of blue, the lights in room 133 of the White Building dim, the sound of a warped jazz beat emanates from a hidden source.

Fall Semester recital Time and Date: 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m. tomorrow and 2:30 p.m. Sunday Place: 133 White Building Student tickets are $4.99. General admission tickets are $6.

Their colleagues -- about 30 young women, most of whom have been dancing all of their lives -- line the floor. Together, they comprise Orchesis Dance Company. The oldest of the few dance companies in State College, Orchesis is a student-run organization with a humble beginning -- originally it was a course offered in exchange for Penn State credits. But last year, after the retirement of a longtime faculty adviser, the group was forced to apply for status as a Penn State club.

Translated, the Greek word "orchesis" means dance. But dance could never be just a word for the members of Orchesis -- it is their way of life, their therapy, and their voice.

This weekend, in room 133 of the White Building, the group will perform its annual Fall Semester recital and outsiders can witness art in the form of ballet, jazz, and modern dance.

The show is entirely the creation of its members. Individual members of Orchesis choreographed each of the eight pieces that will be performed. And each piece is as unique as its creator.

As she stood and watched her creation, "The Space Between," being performed by members of Orchesis, a tense look swept across the face of choreographer Wendi Kornberg. Her piece delved into philosophical questions, exploring the terror that comes along with pursuing a dream. Her dances, she said, always tell a story. Currently, Kornberg is applying to dance schools, hoping to make a career out of her passion.

"Achieving your dreams is about trying. And it's the act of trying that is actually success. If I fail, I can live with that," Kornberg said.

The music Kornberg's piece is set to, "Ghetto Love" by DJ Cam, is a departure from the traditional slow and simple beats that most associate with dance recitals. It defies description, but somehow it is perfect for the feeling Kornberg hopes to portray in her piece.

"I searched and searched for music and just couldn't find the right song," Kornberg said, recalling being surrounded by stacks and stacks of compact discs.

She separated the discs into two different piles -- one for rejects and one for possibilities -- and "Ghetto Love" was originally a member of the reject pile. It took a while for the song to grow on her, but two weeks into rehearsal, she decided to use the track.

"It has different beats and rhythms. And I had the idea in my head of different groups of dancers performing to different rhythms," Kornberg said.

"When people dance, everyone has their own style. How someone else dances will never be the same as how I dance," Kornberg said. She quickly changed clothes for her performance in the next piece, company dance "Reaching for the Rhythm," signifying her transformation from director to dancer.

But somehow, Kornberg said, everything she choreographs always seems to come together.

Michelle Toscano (senior-psychology), another member of Orchesis, lost a friend to meningitis last summer. The unexpected death of her close friend, Michelle Bahn, made headlines of newspapers across the nation.

The piece Toscano choreographed for this semester's show, "You Will Always Be With Me," is a tribute to the friendship she and five others shared with Bahn.

She remembered the meeting that sparked her friendship with Bahn, a visit to the dormitory where Bahn had once lived. She remembered the last time she talked to Bahn, at a gym. And when she last saw her, she remembered Bahn being happy.

Toscano was in her hometown in New York when she heard the news of Bahn's untimely death. "I couldn't be there and I felt so helpless. I was in complete shock. I just collapsed on the floor," Toscano said.

She went on to describe how she wasn't able to attend Bahn's funeral, but through this performance, which she both created and will dance in, she said has finally obtained closure.

Each movement executed by the dancer represents a period of Toscano's friendship with Bahn.

"It represents all of us saying goodbye to her individually," Toscano said.

In the carpeted hallway of White Building, Orchesis member and choreographer of "Girls Night Out" Julie Chrzan danced, a set of headphones over her ears. As she paused to describe her piece, Chrzan was hesitant in describing how Sept. 11 affected her piece.

"I wanted to concentrate on something positive. I wanted to get away from everything that had happened on Sept. 11. When I let the movements take over my body, my brain is not engaged in the process at all," Chrzan said. "It's very therapeutic."