"Perpetual Motion: An Evening of Dance" will open on the Loeb Mainstage on Friday, April 9, at 8 p.m. and will run through April 17.

The program is a groundbreaking one because for the first time in about two decades, dance will be spotlighted on the Loeb Mainstage. The Mainstage has generally been reserved for theatrical productions.

The performance will highlight several forms of dance. The first act will consist of Pas de Quatre, a traditional romantic ballet that will be set by Elaine Bauer, a former principal dancer with the Boston Ballet; Bolero, a Spanish-style piece set to the music of Maurice Ravel; West Side Story, a modern style of dance choreographed to a medley of songs from the popular musical by Leonard Bernstein; and Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin, choreographed by student-director Kiesha Minyard.

All of the selections performed in the first act will be accompanied by the Harvard Pops Orchestra, directed by Allen Feinstein.

The mood of the performance shifts in the second act when dancers perform a rock-ballet to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.

"Perpetual Motion: An Evening of Dance" will be performed April 9, 10, 15, 16, and 17 at 8 p.m.; April 11 at 7 p.m.; and April 17 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the Loeb Drama Center Box Office (547-8300).