American ballet dancer Dana Goodin went to Italy to write stories about dance. There she met a motocross racer named Luigi Vanoni, married and opened a fitness center and dance school near Milan.

Thirteen years later, Vanoni comes home to Southeast Missouri periodically to visit her parents, James and Carolyn Goodin, and her sister, Robyn Gross. She occasionally teaches a class in one of the elementary schools on her visits. During this visit she's dancing herself and has choreographed a dance for the Academy of DanceArts to the Carl Orff classic, "Carmina Burana." This will be the work's U.S. premiere.

The show titled "A Tribute to All Mothers" will be presented at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Rose Theatre in the Grauel Building at Southeast Missouri State University.

Proceeds will benefit the Safe House for Women.

Forty girls, Southeast English professor Dr. Dave Reinheimer and Vanoni will participate in the program. Reinheimer will partner girls on some of the numbers.

The program will begin with "Verdi Requiem," Vanoni's homage and tribute to Isadore Duncan. Vanoni will dance the piece's U.S. premiere.

Kara Hammes choreographed the second number on the program, "Liszt." Eleven dancers will be featured.

Following "Carmina Burana," Vanoni will dance to her own choreography of the Whitney Houston/Mariah Carey pop hit "When You Believe."

"Spring Escapade," with music by Chopin, was choreographed by Kindal Blattner. She also will be one of the dancers.

In the finale, Vanoni will partner with Reinheimer in "Time to Say Goodbye," with music by Andres Bocelli and Sarah Brightman.

Vanoni began working with the students on "Carmina Burana" during her most recent visit in December. Earlier this week, the dancers were polishing Vanoni's take on the work Orff wrote to medieval poetry. Vanoni's choreography begins with Orff's famously dramatic opening and expands into the joyous celebration of an Old World village festival.

The costumes will evolve as well, from a Balanchine-esque black leotards to bright colors. "It's a constant surprise," she says of the piece, which her troupe already has performed in Italy. "The public loved it," she said.

Vanoni's school has about 10 dancers between the ages of 16 and 35. The level of performance is professional, she says, though all the dancers have other work.

"In Italy, the biggest art form is music," she says. "Romans called their theaters auditoriums after the word `to hear.' Dance has always taken a back seat."

Joann Ruess, director of the Academy of DanceArts, said she made the performance a benefit for the Safe House for Women both because it will expand the school's audience and will teach her students something else valuable.

"It is our hope that by donating our time, money and facilities for this important event, we will be teaching our students the importance of volunteerism and giving back to the community," she said.

Cheryl Robb-Welch, executive director of the Safe House for Women, said the house currently is at capacity with 13 women and children. But renovations are under way on an apartment building the organization recently bought to expand its services.