On Monday night, more than a dozen student organizations, including a handful of individual performers, sang, danced, and showed off their talents at the fifth annual THON Showcase.

The annual event, held at Schwab Auditorium, invited 16 acts to strut their stuff for the ultimate prize: a hefty fundraising donation and performance slot during THON Weekend. The Penn State Dance Alliance ultimately took first place to cap off an exciting night chock-full of student performances.

The showcase judges included THON 2022 Executive Director Kate Colgan, Homecoming Executive Director Tim Nevil, Penn State Alumni Association CEO Paul Clifford, and freshman TikTok star Katie Feeney, among others. During intermissions and pauses for judge deliberations, the showcase’s hosts even had a trivia contest and gave away crediting funds to attendees.

Following the night’s first performances, the judges chose four finalists to receive donations toward their THON organizations’ fundraising totals for this year.

Dance group Orchesis took fourth place, plus a $1,000 credit to its fundraising total. Urban Dance Troupe clinched third place and secured a picture on stage during THON Weekend and a $1,500 credit to its fundraising total.

Vocalist and guitar player Grace Kave, representing Penn State CrossFit, secured second place, adding $2,000 to her organization’s annual total. The group will also take a picture on stage during THON Weekend, too.

Following an energetic dance routine to a music mashup, the Penn State Dance Alliance (PSDA) learned it had won this year’s THON Showcase. As a result, the group took home the coveted $3,000 prize, plus an on-stage gig during THON Weekend.

Isabella Capecci, PSDA’s THON Chair, made it clear that the win was special to everybody on the team, plus the three families the organization is paired with.

Last year, the PSDA lost team member Ashley Pauls, whose last performance with the group was the 2021 THON Showcase. That gave this year’s performance (and subsequent win) a bigger meaning for the PSDA.

“Getting to speak about [Ashley] on stage and getting everyone to hear her legacy was so meaningful,” said Capecci. “She was really passionate about THON, so winning [the showcase] really means everything to us.”

Congratulations to all organizations that participated in this year’s THON Showcase. We dance in just 24 days!