Works by master choreographers Gerald Arpino, Daniel Ezralow, David Parsons and Doug Varone will take center stage when Point Park University's Conservatory Dance Company performs four shows Thursday through Saturday at the Byham Theater, Downtown.

The selected pieces range in style from contemporary ballet to jazz and are considered to be some of the classics of the 20th-century dance canon.

"We go to great lengths to select works that will benefit [students'] education or give them a lot of opportunity for growth," said Susan Stowe, an associate professor and chair of Point Park's dance department. "These are all works that are performed by dance companies, and we're training dancers to be professionals, so we have a very high standard for them."

This high standard of professionalism is reflected throughout the production process, beginning with the students' auditions. Roughly 225 company members showed off their talents for choreographers and artists associated with the selected pieces.

"Auditioning well is an important skill for a dancer," Ms. Stowe said. "It's a skill that they develop through multiple auditions so we make them do it over and over and over again."

"In those auditions, that's where I learn the most actually because I'm required to be spur of the moment," said senior dance major Angela Dice, 22, of Somerset. "I'm also in competition with my friends, so that's really where you test how far you can go personally."

About 70 dancers were cast in four pieces: Mr. Arpino's "Light Rain," Mr. Ezralow's "SUPER STRAIGHT is coming down," Mr. Parsons' "Nascimento" and Mr. Varone's "The Constant Shift of Pulse."

As in the professional dance world, the students learned the choreography in just a couple weeks from repetiteurs who traveled to Pittsburgh from their respective dance companies.

"It gives [students] a taste of what they're looking forward to," Ms. Stowe said. "They aspire to become professionals, and this is a way of getting a preview into that world."

Learning so many steps in so little time teaches students how to pace themselves and how to accept and apply critiques, she added.

Working closely with professionals from some of the top dance companies in the industry also gives students the chance to build their Rolodexes.

"We've had students who've gotten jobs based on working with a guest that was at Point Park," Ms. Stowe said.

Point Park alumna Cheryl Mann's 101/2-year career with Chicago-based dance company Hubbard Street stemmed from contacts she made while in college.

"The people who came in while I was [at Point Park] really shaped my next move," she said.

Ms. Mann returned to her alma mater to set "SUPER STRAIGHT," a contemporary jazz piece inspired by the series of prints "Men in the Cities" by New York artist Robert Longo.

Ms. Mann "gives me hope really," said senior dance major Ahmad Simmons, 21, of Fort Worth, Texas. "She knows where we are ... she set a goal, she reached it and she stayed there [and now can] come back and say, 'Hey, you guys can do this, too.' "

For now, dancers are focusing on the Byham concert and performing the range of challenging choreography.

"SUPER STRAIGHT" is a "really physical" piece that requires its small cast to pay close attention to the music to execute the steps at just the right time, Ms. Mann said.

"There's no constant meter ... and it can be really challenging for dancers to find musicality so they can stay together," she said. "So they have to focus to not only know what they're doing musically but also what other dancers are doing."

"Light Rain," a piece created in 1981 for The Joffrey Ballet's 25th anniversary, has its own demands. The choreography is "high-energy, and it can be very sensuous," said Arpino Foundation repetiteur Maia Wilkins, who set the piece for the Point Park production.

Another stamina-testing work is "The Constant Shift of Pulse," a modern piece for a large cast set to American composer John Adams' "Hallelujah Junction."

"Nascimento" will add a touch of Latin flair to the lineup with its score by Brazilian composer Milton Nascimento.

The program is very diverse, athletic and exciting, Ms. Stowe said.

"It's definitely a feast for the eyes."

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.