By CANDACE MIERS

Contributing Editor

Tech and Grambling State University joined forces for the sake of "Ice Cold Fire."

"Ice Cold Fire" is the theme for the 2004-05 season of Dallas Black Dance Theatre, the oldest professional dance company in Dallas, which performed at Grambling's annual Black College Dance Festival April 8-10 at T.H. Harris Auditorium on GSU campus.

"It is interesting to be a part of the blending of cultures through theater," Susan Leming, a senior accounting major, said.

Leming is not the only student who was thrilled to be a part of the mixture of theaters. Robyn Barrows, a graduate student in theatre, said she too feels privileged.

"I am glad to be a part of the whole thing," Barrows said. "Tech has been here all week preparing for the festival."

Barrows said it takes hard work to make the festival run as planned.

The festival took Tech to make it run successfully.

Tech and Grambling have a collaboration of mission statements which states they will help each other's theatre departments out as need be, Leming said.

The Tech theatre department assisted with things such as lighting, sound and loading.

The dancers, the main event of the evening, included Darrell Cleveland, Edmond Giles, Ivorie Jenkins, Nycole Ray and Allyne D. Gartrell.

William Gill, Garfield Lemonius, Angelica Salazar-Turner, Annielille Gavino, Kevin E. Jackson, Alicia Pegues and Melissa M. Young, were also dance company members.

The members are all part of the 28th season of Dallas Black Dance Theatre. They perform a mix of modern, jazz, ethnic and spiritual works on stage.

On GSU's stage, they performed "Verses," a theme inspired by the sculpture and architecture of the Nasher Sculpture Center. The scene consisted of an orange, red and gold backdrop with matching clothing. The dancers moved on the stage in slow rhythm then quick movements while slapping themselves.

"Evidence of Souls Not Seen" was the next performance. This time the stage was decorated with a blue backdrop and sprinkled with men in nothing but flesh-colored loin clothes.

"My Inspiration," "Smoke 'A Tribute to Ray Charles'," "Center of Your Will" and "Night Run" were the following themed performances.

The performances could not have been done without the help of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Cherri Sciro, the director of Tech theatre, said. The AKA's helped usher the festival all three days.

Levicy Crawford, the president of the Grambling Chapter of AKAs and a junior criminal justice major at GSU, said she is excited to be a part of the dance theatre.

Crawford said, "I think it's really great for all these people to come together to show their talents."