[See post to watch Flash video]

This video contains footage of dancing from throughout the block.

Before they announced the total, the executive committee told the crowd that the two girls who collapsed earlier were “completely fine.”

“You guys, you know we had some unfortunate things happen tonight, but we’re going to keep on going because you worked too hard, and the two girls, that’s what they’d want us to do,” the crowd was told.

Delta Gamma and Zeta Beta Tau won first place in the large group tier by raising $120,002.78. They were followed by Sigma Phi Epsilon and Kappa Alpha Theta, which raised more than $34,000.

The top fundraising couple was Wade Askew and Meredith Cluess, both sophomores. By raising $2,700, they won a free STA trip for two to Europe.

The tent fell silent as word spread, and an area was cleared to give the collapsed dancers and emergency personnel space.

The Evanston Fire Department and Northwestern police responded at about 12:20 a.m. to Norris, and brought two stretchers to the tent. One dancer was put in a stretcher and taken to an ambulance. Another was walked out of the tent by fire personnel.

NU police said they were unavailable to discuss the incident until Monday. The Evanston Fire Department was unavailable for comment.

DM committee members rushed cases of water to the remaining dancers.

Some participants left the tent to gather belongings or sit near the Norris Starbucks. The tent remained largely full, with many students still energized and vocal, and emcees Todd Johnson and Adam Welton pumping up the crowd.

DM released a statement early Sunday morning that said, in part, “After tonight’s situation at the very end of Dance Marathon, the Dance Marathon Executive Board as well as the Norris University Center staff followed the standard procedures that are in place in case of such situations.”

1. Dancers have boatloads of fun
2. Dancers do lots of good for the world
3. Celebrity video
4. Various announcements
5. Balloons!

So yeah, indulge my flowery writing and strange music explorations, please.

But I did hear a hot little rumor on the dancefloor regarding the A&O Ball band for 2008. According to my sources, which really shouldn’t be trusted since I said this is a rumor and that means exactly what you think it means Medill tools of the world, A&O aired a video during block 8 featuring various clues as to who would be performing at NU this spring. Apparently they were a bunch of…wait for it…COUNTING CROWS….song titles. So, current rumor (RUMOR!) is that Counting Crows will be coming to NU this spring. If my sources are true (insert joke about Dean Lavine here).

Back to Club DM, where I hope I’ll find another weird story for you folks.

Phase one: Sadness - The day started rough for DM dancers. As the sun rose (or, didn’t rise since a snowstorm decided to just make the whole affair a little more depressing), the realization they still needed to go through double digit hours combined with the slow deterioration of their physical form. I bet most dancers would have loved to do what they did during the sad piano-driven opening to Queen’s most ridic tune - form circles, throw their arms around fellow dancers and sway together in the desolate world around them. Assuming they could feel their appendages.

Phase two: Hope - What’s that giddy noise I hear? Why, the giddiness of hope, good sir! Yes, the morning sucked, and some people would probably have preferred another Queen song (”and another one bites the dust….”), but as the day grew and dancers reached the halfway point, something inside them pressed them to go on, to not give up. If what dancers did at Club DM is any indicator, that something is the urge to type a paper on a typewriter glued to the ceiling.

Phase three: ROCK! - You know, forget our problems! We came this far, and we are here to jump around and play air guitar, an action slightly more embarrassing than doing the Electric Slide but less embarrassing than playing Guitar Hero. At some point Saturday, dancers discovered the best way to deal with your problems is to ignore them and just rock out.

Phase four: Psychedelic dude - Queen decided to step a little back from the hard-rockin’ they were doing in favor of a little mellower psych-rock. Dancers experience a similar feeling once they actually make it to the final block…the feeling of despair and athlete’s foot is replaced by a drug-like euphoria and a nice toasty sensation on the toes. After surviving (and I do mean surviving), they get lost inside themselves, experiencing a joy only possible through ectasy or some other, better designer drug. Also, Freddy Mercury was on some drugs, let me tell you.

Phase five: Melancholy - Queen couldn’t end on a super positive note, and neither can DM. This year, four-year hosts Todd Johnson and Adam Welton will emcee their last DM, as they graduate this year. TnA, as they are dubbed, are beloved by anyone who has participated in Dance Marathon these past four years, and will be missed. So, a little bit of sadness must be acknowledged.

Then, play Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie.”

First, the negatives. Obviously, the single opening really slowed down the final block’s start, leading to many dancers sitting down and even propping feet up against one of several poles in the middle of the dancefloor as if this was a 10-minute intermission. The final block of DM rules because of the constant, surging energy running through it and no part, especially the beginning, should spill out any of that momentum. The only other major complaint against Club DM is how unattractive the inside looks. I’m not a fan of corporate advertising, but at least the Louis Room, even while being plastered in Apple and Wholefoods ads, doesn’t look like the livestock arena at a county fair. A few more decorations need to go up besides the final money board, even if they are lame ads for Petsmart or something. Not to mention the slightly dirty back of the tent, where stray trashcans and other refuse dwell unattractively.

But Club DM nails all the elements the Louis Room housed so well. The lights look and move great, the speakers sound excellent and, especially impressive, the temperature is very nice. My biggest pleasant surprise is how spacious the place actually is. During the regular blocks, Club DM felt big, but only because not as many people were dancing in it. Take down the rest areas in the back, though, and the place expands to biggie-sizes that could probably fit a few more dancers in. Like, a lot more actually. This leads to a lot of empty space in the back, but that is pointless to bring up, since everyone is bunched together in the middle of the dancefloor.

I’ve loved seeing the final block of DM held in Louis Room, but I’m now ready to admit Club DM isn’t too shabby, and actually holds up well against the traditional locale. I just feel a little bad for anyone trying to study within a tri-county radius right now - it is LOUD.

Update: DM staff has since told me that the dancers sitting on the floor at the start of the block weren’t sitting because of things not starting, but rather becasue this was their official break before the final block. I wasn’t aware of this at the time, or else I wouldn’t have harped on it as much. But, this does raise the good point of space, and how having dancers in Club DM rest inside the club isn’t necesarrily the most convenient idea. Why not use one of the rooms on the first floor of Norris?

While all DM dancers focused on busting a move, members of the Food Committee hurried in containers of water and Gatorade into the unnoticed corners of Club DM. A lot of liquid is required to hydrate the historic-number of dancers crammed into the tent, so box-after-box of Fiji brand bottled water appears on tables, soon joined by multi-colored packs of energy drink. One minor error plus last-minute liquid rushing shows even the final, best block in DM isn’t perfect. But the dancer’s don’t mind one bit, focusing only on the sound.

But neither compared to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” which saw the crowd reach new levels of excitement. The scene seemed tame up until the chorus, where Clarkson’s shouts of “Since you been gone!” made dancers resemble human pogo-sticks, leaping into mid-air with arms clenched into thrusting fists. As the song progressed, the energy only elevated, more frantic sing-a-longing and fist pumping, while some dancers were lifted up by the crowd and passed along, like at a concert.

The final block just began, but the dancers have been energized excellently, and don’t look like they’ll be letting up anytime soon.