Monica Bill Barnes and USC Kaufman student dancers in rehearsal for The Running Show | Photo by Gus Ruelas

Renowned choreographer and dancer Monica Bill Barnes and writer Robbie Saenz de Viteri are bringing their latest high-energy performance to Los Angeles with the help of students at the USC Kaufman School of Dance.

Read on to learn about how, with just four days between auditions and the final show to learn the choreography and the creators’ vision, USC Kaufman students — most of whom are freshmen — worked tirelessly to bring the vision of Barnes and de Viteri’s New York City-based dance company vision to life.