Funtastic Dance Follies returns to BSU Gymnasium April 23-25

A night at Bemidji State University’s Funtastic Dance Follies will cost less than a movie for many families, with youth admission set at $5, adults at $10, BSU students admitted free, and alumni and senior citizens getting in for $5.

The annual spring production will return to the BSU Gymnasium for four shows, with performances at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 23, 7 p.m. Friday, April 24, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Children 2 and under will be admitted free, keeping the event within reach for families looking for an affordable indoor outing in Bemidji.

That accessibility has long been part of the appeal. Bemidji State says Funtastic Dance Follies has been entertaining audiences for more than 70 years, and the university has described it as one of its most enduring traditions, trailing only Homecoming in earlier coverage. After the pandemic, BSU also referred to it as the third-longest tradition on campus, a reminder that the show has remained a fixture even as the university’s own framing of its legacy has shifted over time.

The program has also drawn on a deep campus dance culture. BSU says the first dance club on campus dates back to 1945, and recent Follies productions have featured the BSU Dance Team, the BSU Ballroom Dance Club and the BSU Swing Dance Club. University coverage has also included community spotlights for local dancers, alumni and dance studios, giving the show a reach beyond the campus boundary and helping it function as a shared event for Bemidji and BSU.

That mix is part of why the Follies matters locally. It brings residents into the BSU Gymnasium, gives students a public stage, and offers alumni a simple reason to return to campus without much cost or planning. With its long run, low prices and familiar names from the university’s dance scene, the show remains one of the clearest ways for Bemidji to see BSU up close.