Bodiography, a contemporary ballet company dedicated to eating disorder awareness, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 in Carroll Arts Center thanks to McDaniel Student Suzanne Gilbert.

Tickets are free for McDaniel College students and faculty, $5 for general admission. Call 410-848-7272 for ticket information.

This unique professional troupe will dance to the music from the Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, and Smashing Pumpkins, and will preview some never-before seen pieces.

The performance is the finale in a week-long series of community outreach events Gilbert organized as her senior project. A Social Work and Political Science double major, she aims to raise awareness and understanding of anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorders.

Gilbert first thought of centering her senior project on the devastating illness as she watched – and tried to help – a friend who was struggling with anorexia.

“Eating disorders can control your entire life,” Gilbert says. “It was amazing when I started to understand what my friend was going through. But it’s not just my friend. It’s men and women and even children who deal with it.”

The result of Gilbert’s efforts is a week, coinciding with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, packed with hard facts, sound information, and a bit of fun.

All of the following events, except where noted, are free and open to the public:

7:30 p.m. Feb. 20 in Hill Hall 108
A representative from Sheppard Pratt’s Eating Disorder Unit will give a lecture on how eating disorders affect relationships, families, and communities. She will also describe the recovery process in general clinical terms.

9:00 p.m. Feb. 20-24 in Hill Hall 104
Movies “Bridget Jones” and “Center Stage” will be shown to illustrate insidious unhealthy messages in the media. An informal discussion will follow.

11-1 p.m. Feb. 21 in Englar Dining Hall
The Carroll County Health Department’s Nutrition department will hold an informational session in front of Englar Dining Hall to help students learn about nutrition and portion size.

7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in Decker Auditorium
Nutritionist Maria DeMarco will present a lecture to help students redefine how they conceptualize hunger (nutritional vs. emotional) and dieting (nurturing vs. destructive). She will discuss the role of proper nutrition in healthy functioning, and how electrolyte imbalance, vitamin and mineral deficiency, and malnutrition exacerbate and complicate the patient’s chances for recovery.

9:00 p.m. Feb. 22 on WMCRadio
The Women’s Issues Group will host a talk-show discussing body image as it pertains to femininity in our weight-focused culture. Listeners may call in and participate in the discussion.

6:30 p.m. Feb. 23 in Ensor Lounge
An on-campus coffee house will allow for students and members of the community to express themselves, share artwork and poetry surrounding the theme of beauty, body image, and eating disorders and related themes (control, sexual assault, etc.).

2-6 p.m. Feb. 24 in Gill Dance Studio
Bodiography,  the contemporary ballet company, will offer free workshops in Pilates, Improvisation, Modern Dance, Body-Boot Camp, and Hip Hop. This is a part of their mission to promote positive, healthy body image through the creative medium of movement and music to appeal to middle, high school, and college audiences—all are populations affected by eating disorders and concerns surrounding body image.

7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 in Carroll Arts Center
Bodiography performs as part of Eating Disorder Awareness Week. This event is free for the McDaniel College Community. $5 for general admission. Call 410-751-8259 for ticket information.