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Show culture 03.29.2010 A mere plaything Al MITTON/ UVU Review ANDREA L1NDGREN Asst. Culture editor It wasn't too long ago that social norms stifled a woman's spirit and opportunity to experience the world without being under the heavy thumb of her husband. "A Doll House" by Henrik Ibsen, which is being performed each night at 7:30 p.m. from March 25-April 10 at the Noorda Theater, was written long before these issues were being addressed. This Norwegian play, written in the 1800s,-was not well received in its time or for many years after, but today is regarded as a landmark piece of feminist literature. Though most of us may not remember a time when women were forced into subservience to men by familial and societal expectations, many of our parents probably do because it wasn't long ago that this was the norm. This was a time when women spent their days bustling around the house, performing the household chores and caring for their perfectly-dressed and well-mannered children, all while wearing high heels and looking flawless in their clean dress without a hair out of place. Though the play's protagonist, Nora, is a mother and homemaker, her primary role is to be a mindless songbird for her husband. Or worse still, he considers her a sweet little doll, a plaything, passed on from Nora's father to her husband. Throughout the course of the story, Nora transforms from feather-brained housewife to a woman seeking more from life. The story begins when she had spent the last eight years of her life fulfilling her sacred duties as wife and mother, but she realizes that she had been forced to ignore another duty equally sacred, that to herself. Perhaps Nora's seemingly meticulous and perfect life would have been enough for her, if her husband had truly cared for her as an equal human being. But she begins to realize that she deserves more from him than belittling and degrading treatment. "There's my little lark, talking as if it were a person," he quips to her in one such instance. In a time period where everyone was required to seem perfect, Ibsen demonstrated in what ways a conversation between husband and wife communicated little but condescension and disdain. A man's role was to order his wife about, and her role was to offer him whatever he desired, not merely without complaint but with a smile. "I lived to do tricks for you, and that's how you liked it," Nora tells her husband sadly, after the reality of her unmet needs sets in. In a constructed reality wherein women are passively obedient to their dictatorial husbands, they are robbed of the human right to self-fulfillment. Come and witness Nora's transformation from bondswoman to autonomous individual; her experience creates social commentary still extremely'relevant today. Al MITTON/ UVU Review Ballroom dancing at its best ANDREA LWDGREN-! Asst. Culture editor When the now-presigious dance festivals began in Blackpool, England in 1920, there were only three dance sequences in which the competitors were able to participate: the Waltz, Foxtrot and Two Step. Though it began small, this world-renowned competition has evolved throughout the years to become globally prominenent. This festival now draws the most talented ballroom dancers from around the world to compete. And if UVU is- known for one thing, it is our incredible ballroom dance program with its exceptionally talented ballroom dancers. "We go to Blackpool about every other year. And we go to the national championships every year in Irvine, Cal.BYU and UVU are number one and two respectively," said UVU Ballroom Dance Director Scott Asbell. "When we go to Blackpool they know who we are. We've won four times before, so we've developed a good reputation." The UVU Ballroom Dance Company's pretour Spring Concert began March 24, and it is one you won't want to miss. There is still one more photo courtesy of Scott Asbell performance you can see; the doors open at 6:30 p.m. tonight, March 29, at the Ragan Theatre, The UVU ballroom dance team will going to Blackpool, England this summer and will be competing for the Open British Ballroom Dance Formation Team Championship. And while most of us won't have the opportunity to travel to Blackpool to support the team as they compete with the best in England, we will have the opportunity to see their performance before they take it to Blackpool and even help fund their trip by attending the Spring Concert. The ballroom dancers, many of whom have been dancing since they were 8 or 9, spend the semester in rigorous training, beginning each day at 6:30 a.m. This performance is an opportunity for the team to show off all their hard work. The ballroom company is made up of four groups; those involved in the top group are those who are selected to tour. They travel throughout Europe mostly during the summer, which offers the students professional dance experience. However, they agree that Blackpool remains the most valuable experience.; "Blackpool is the most prestigious competition in the ballroom world. Just competing in this competition will allow them to see their profession at its best. It will give them an international scope of their profession. It also gives them the chance to see choreography from around the world, and see training from different cultures," Asbell said. "There is nothing better they could do to enhance their career in ballroom dance than Blackpool." These four-time world champions are definitely worth coming out to see. Support them at their pretour spring concert and see what the rest of the dance world will have the chance to see in Blackpool. Devendra Banhart brings an obscure form of musical brilliance to Utah CALENDAR OF ARTS AND CULTURE muslcology.com Last.fm.com i*Devendra Banhart defies labels as his music continues to ignore generic influence, {giving birth to something truly unconventional. COB EMERSON DAY ; Culture writer ; Can you remember the iast time you "heard something unlike anything you 3iad ever heard before? For "me it was in an amazing •little record store in down•;fown Chicago. I walked in ;and heard what I thought :was an amalgam of Beck (think Sea Change) and ~The Flaming Lips (think •acid). I had to know who this was, so I walked over : tb the counter and looked ;at the album cover. ; - I picked up the CD case land saw an organic, earth 'tone, modem day version -of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely ^Hearts Club Band" with ^birds and trees replacing Marilyn Monroe and ;Fred Astaire. Who was 'this amazing person that "seemed to encapsulate ^everything I loved about ;music? The artist was ^Devendra Banhart and the >lbum, "Cripple Crow". : Devendra Obi (yes, that *is a "Star Wars" reference) Banhart was born in Texas ^in 1981, but was raised in ^Venezuela by his mother. ;After returning to the tOnited States as a teenager, Banhart quickly began flaying music in San Fran*qisco and Los Angeles. In 1998 Devendra began attending the San Francisco Art Institute on a full ride scholarship. But, Devendra began to skip class and focus more on personal projects. By 2000 Banhart had dropped out of school and began playing music full time. After a summer of playing coffee houses in Paris, Devendra returned to California where he was discovered by an indie label called Young God Records. Devendra has lived a very unique life, living in at least four different countries before the age of 20 including a brief stint in San Francisco's The Castro. Banhart's myriad of cultural experiences have shaped his musical style into something completely distinctive. In fact, Devendra's music is so unique that critics have had to make up new words . and genres in attempts to describe his sound (examples range from: Freak Folk or Acid Folk to New Weird America). Interestingly enough, however, the most endearing thing about Banhart's music for me is that, despite his experimentation and genre bending mental- ity, Devendra's music is so beautiful and genuine that almost anyone can find something they like on almost any of his albums. Since 2002 Banhart has released seven full-length records and 10 EPs and/ or singles. Banhart's most recent release, "What Will Be," is his first on a major record label—Warner Bros. Consequently, "What Will Be" is proving to be Banhart's most palatable release to date. Furthermore, the most recent leg of Banhart's tour kicked off on March 21 and will be stopping in Salt Lake on Monday March 29 at The Depot. The Depot is one of my favorite venues because it is so intimate and personal, only holding about 1,200 people. Unfortunately, you must be 21 to get in, but tickets are still available at around $20. The combination of Devendra's spontaneous stage presence and The Depot's intimate setting will surely prove to make an unforgettable evening. Make sure you don't miss this amazing opportunity before Banhart outgrows such personal venues~I know I won't. MONDAY, MARCH 2 9 THURSDAY, APRIL 1 UVU Ballroom Dance Company Pre-Tour Spring, Concert: Ragan Theater, 7:309:30 p.ml $10 admission American Regional at Greg's Restaurant: Event Center, 6-7:30 p.m. Earthlings Documentary with Director Shaun Monson: LI 120, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. TUESDAY, MARCH 30 Health Behavior Innovations Info Session: LC 409,12 p.m.— 1 p.m. Bernard Rollin to Speak: LI 120,1-2:15 p.m. Religion and Animals: Lakeview Room, UVU Library, 7-8:30 p.m. Sundance Institute Film Series-Animation Spotlight: Tower Theater (SLC), 7 p.m., free admission FRIDAY, APRIL 2 Awards of Excellence Award Recipients: Centre Stage, 2-3:30 p.m. Animals in Art Presentation: LI 120,10 a.m.-10:50 p.m:£ Senior Dance Concert "Vox!": Ragan Theater, 7:30 p.m., $7/$5 admission (through April 3) , Documentary "Skin Trade" with Director Shannon Keith: Gallery Stroll: Participating Provo Locations, 6-9 p.nv WED., MARCH 31 LI 120,1-3 pirn. Ken Sanders on Edward Abbey: LI 120, 7-8:30 p.m. jUVU , review.com • ; \ ; i are you interested in writing or designing for the UVU Review? Come to roo SATURDAY, APRIL 3 India Night Celbration: Libby Gardener Hall (U of U), 6-11 p.m., $13/$15 admissions (through April 4) •••1 |