The Black Dance Repertoire (BDR) will perform in “Exposé,” their annual spring showcase on April 26.

Founded in 1985, BDR is a multi-racial and ethnic dance group that performs at various campus events. Each year, the organization showcases a wide range of dance genres including African, Modern, Latin, Hip Hop, Reggae and Jazz. This year’s show, held in the Mandela Room at 7 p.m., will be inspired by animation and the new Netflix live-action series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

Rachelle Bird, the president of BDR and a junior majoring in social work explained that the series’ storyline seemed like a perfect way to highlight their own stories through dance.

“This is BDR’s very own production where we showcase each of our genres to our beloved audience and supporters in the [Binghamton University] community,” Bird wrote in an email. “In between our own performances, we will have special performances by other performance groups and other crowd-interactive activities to keep our audience thoroughly entertained.”

Each of the dance genres will explore a different one of the four nations that exist in the show — the Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation and Air Nomads. The performance will also explore the various subsets of other elements, including the incorporation of non-benders like the Kyoshi Warriors.

This year, the group will also perform a Kompa dance in the Latin genre, a “very intimate and modern méringue genre of dance,” originating in Haiti.

Crystal Mintah, the fundraising chair for BDR and a sophomore majoring in biology, emphasized that their two-hour a day rehearsals never feel that long because they are so “family oriented.”

“Each member of the team is influential when it comes to creating choreography,” Mintah wrote in an email. “This way works best for us because everyone has unique and different ideas on how to bring the story to life through dance. Each member can make dances for whichever genres they feel comfortable in and teach them to the rest of the team.”

Exposé is a production showcasing each of the group’s genres to an audience and the BU community. The additional performances by other performance groups and activities will keep the audience engaged and entertained throughout.

Last year, BDR centered their showcase around spring break, where different vacation destinations were explored through movement and dance genres. The year prior, the performance was jungle-themed, with each dance style representing a different animal found in the wild.

“While my academic stressors exist on my shoulders, being able to have a group of genuine people to gather with at the end of every day to do what we love is a true blessing and a relief,” Bird wrote. “Having dance as an outlet is something that I’ll always be grateful for as a student because sometimes you just need that one thing you love doing to keep you motivated and enjoying your college experience.”

Bird explained that many may assume BDR is exclusive only to Black people. While their organization does perform styles primarily originated by Black people and people of color, they do encourage everybody to try out. They also emphasize that students of all levels of experience are welcome, providing them with a space to grow throughout their time on the team.

Jadesola Teriba, the vice president of BDR and a junior double-majoring in psychology and philosophy, politics and law, explained that dance allows her to clear her head and find peace. She has also been able to try dance styles she never had experimented with before.

“Being a part of the team has allowed me to acquire a sense of belonging and happiness during my college experience,” Teriba wrote in an email. “It’s an art form because we are conveying our inner thoughts and emotions through our song choice and body movements we put into our pieces.”