A new organization is dancing, singing and praying its way into the NIU community.

New Dimension Christian Dance Ministry, founded by senior music and mechanical engineering double major Joshua Rayburn, junior biology major Regina Sampson and senior journalism major Virgiann Fayne, is in its first semester as an organization at NIU.

The dance group is based around God and prayer. Its members must audition and show they really believe what they are taking part in.

“If we say that we are Christians, then we want everyone involved to live up to it and believe in what they’re doing,” Rayburn said.

The group spawned from an idea the founders came up with in August 2004.

“Me, Josh and Vivi were all thinking that we like to praise, dance and give glory to God, and there is no other group like it on campus,” Sampson said. “We thought it would be good for NIU to have a group like this.”

Group performs in many states

This is the group’s first semester as an NIU organization, yet it has already conducted shows in Illinois and Ohio and has received requests from as far as Tennessee.

It will have both spring and fall shows and is willing to perform for anyone who asks, Rayburn said. The fall show is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19 in the Holmes Student Center’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium.

The Dance Ministry never asks for money unless it is performing for a charitable cause. The group was willing to travel to Ohio to perform for free, but requested it be paid for the travel expenses, Rayburn said.

The group, which has a strong focus based around prayer and religion, consists of 12 NIU students, two of whom are men. The group is predominantly black, but Rayburn said the group aims to have a diverse membership.

The group practices three times a week on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 11 p.m. in either Anderson Hall or the Campus Recreation Center. The group begins every practice with a prayer and may return to prayer several times each night, Rayburn said.

He said the group strives to set themselves apart from other dance groups.

Anyone who wants to audition for the group is more than welcome to, Rayburn said. The group holds auditions once at the beginning of each fall and spring semester.