NIU’s Theatre and Dance department is presenting its last show of the semester, and for the first time a live orchestra is accompanying the performance.

Histoire du Soldat, “A Soldier’s Tale,” is a dance performance that is being performed in the O’Connell Theater in the Stevens Building at 7:30 p.m. today and Friday, and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, said Paula Frasz, professor of dance and the director and choreographer for the performance.

“A Soldier’s Tale” is a Russian folk tale about a solider who is coming home after the Russian Revolution when he encounters the devil along the way. The solider sells his violin to the devil, but he then realizes that he made a mistake and tries to get it back. He tries not to fall into the temptation of material items.

Frasz said the live orchestra consists of seven people who come from the school of music. She added the music is challenging as it comes from the composer Igor Stravinsky.

Frasz chose this performance specifically for the dance.

“Instead of doing a ballet, I decided to do a modern dance,” she said.

Demetrius McClendon, sophomore dance major who plays the devil in “A Soldier’s Tale,” said he auditioned for the role for many reasons.

“I love performing, and ‘A Soldier’s Tale’ is a lovely opportunity for me to learn and dance in a professional environment and prepare myself for the competitive world of dance,” McClendon said.

Frasz said the performers rehearsed the entire semester.

McClendon said he had a lot to learn in a short amount of time, which caused it to be confusing.

“We often went through the choreography pretty quickly, and we sometimes would not review a certain portion of the play until weeks later,” he said. “The cast was very committed to the play and willing to work with some of the crazy things that Paula threw at us.”

Graduate student in public administration Shawn Maxwell is interested in seeing the performance because of the accompanying orchestra.

“It’s always nice to see a live performance,” Maxwell said.

Tickets for students cost $7 and general admission is $14.