Dance Kaleidoscope is journeying back to the days of groovy Beatles’ music and psychedelic costumes in its first show of the season.

The opening production, “Magical Mystery Tour,” will kick off the season on Oct. 11.

Dance Kaleidoscope is a local dance company that combines contemporary dance styles with ballet.

Company offices are on campus in Lilly Hall, and the dancers practice in the Jordan College of the Arts Annex on occasion.

The season opener  focuses on a man’s journey through the 1960s and 1970s. The music consists of some of the Beatles’ best-known songs,  including, “Here Comes the Sun,” “All You Need is Love” and “Let It Be.”

“I love it, by far my favorite,” Paul Hansen, the marketing director for Dance Kaleidoscope, said. “It blew me away, and the costumes are simply breathtaking,”

The show is full of contemporary dance, and it doesn’t shy away from tackling tough social issues, Hansen said.

“It’s moving, not cute,” Hansen said. “There are tough issues in this show, especially since it is based in the 60s and 70s.”

Michelle Jarvis, a former member of Dance Kaleidoscope and current Butler dance professor, saw the “Magical Mystery Tour” when it was first performed.

“How can you lose with The Beatles?” Jarvis said. “Their music is so exciting, so whimsical. It’s timeless.

Many people relate to the music, so it gives you another level of appreciation as you observe Dance Kaleidoscope performing.”

There are two acts in the show. “Innocence,” focuses on the 60s, and “Decadence” switches to the 70s, according to Dance Kaleidoscope’s website.

Dance Kaleidoscope has brought contemporary dance to Indianapolis for more than 40 years. It presents four major performances at the Indiana Repertory Theatre downtown each year.

Freshman Micaela Strycker said she encourages other students to take advantage of this opportunity.

Strycker has seen previous performances by the company and said she was impressed with the cohesion in the group.

“Dance Kaleidoscope truly makes dance an art form, instead of making it performance-based,” she said.

“‘Magical Mystery Tour’ is perfect for college-aged students,” Hansen said. “The show has a lot of edge and is about a time when kids were stepping out from under their parents’ thumbs.”

It covers a time when people were opening their eyes to other ways of thinking, exactly what college students are doing now.

“There is something in their performances for everyone, regardless of your area of study,” Jarvis said. “If you’ve never been to a Dance Kaleidoscope performance before, you have to go.”

Tickets are still available for “Magical Mystery Tour.” Butler students can take advantage of the student rate of $22.

Tickets can be purchased on Dance Kaleidoscope’s website. The performances run from Oct. 11 through Oct. 14.