The 44th annual On Stage dance performances for children presented by the dance department runs Tuesday-Saturday, Nov. 18-22, in the Community Arts Auditorium at Wayne State University.

Concerts are scheduled for school groups at 9:45 and 11 a.m. Tuesday-Friday. Teacher packets are provided in advance to prepare students for the dance event. Group admission is $2.

The public is invited to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. performances on Saturday. Admission is $4 for children, students and seniors, $5 for adults.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for children to experience and participate in the magic of dance, says Eva Powers, dance department chairwoman.

The program introduces dance to children in an entertaining, informative and stimulating manner. Concepts, music, choreography, costumes and visual images engage youngsters' interest and creative thought.

The dance selections for the program's theme, "Body Language! Reading, Writing and Dancing," are inspired by movement in literature - stories, poems, riddles and songs. WSU dancers with host Freda Frump and guest artist-in-residence Ronald Marshall use the language of the human body to spark the imagination.

Students from the following metropolitan Detroit area schools also are dancing in the concert: Abbott Middle, Cass Technical High, Denby High, Detroit Windsor Dance Academy, Kettering High, Martin Luther King Jr. High, Murray-Wright High, Redford High, Renaissance High, Spain Elementary, University Liggett and Winans Academy of Performing Arts.

For tickets and information, call the dance department at (313) 577-4273.