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Show Page 5 Friday, April 8,2005 Arts & Entertainment A & E Editor: Becky Palmer Phone: 626-7105 Orchesis show reflects mood, movement By BECKY PALMER a & e editor | The Signpost In the only public Orchesis Dance Theatre production this semester, modern dance students will use movement as the medium for artistic expression, with music ranging from the Baroque of Antonio Vivaldi to 20th-century jazz. On the heels of an opportunity to perform in the gala concert of the American College Dance Festival of America, Orchesis members will again present "Rooms" by Anna Sokolow, originally presented in Orchesis' fall semester production. They will also present works by faculty choreographers. "You never perfect anything, but you never get anywhere if you're just going to perform a piece three times," said ErikStern, director and choreographer, of "Rooms." "The students have grown into it and performed it better. It's kind a getting more bang for your buck." Sokolow was among the lower classes of immigrants in New York in the 1950s, and her piece is a political one about a turbulent time. "Everyone who sees it needs to put it into the context that it is a historic work," said Amanda Sowerby, choreographer, of "Rooms." "It seems slightly Orchesis Dance Theatre members Aki Sato and Christopher Vick rehearse for their Spring Concert. They will perform through Saturday night in the Allred Theater. dated - it's kind of harsh, like a wouldn't have to dance." simple sort of internal conflict." Barnes, who returned to Other performances in the WSU this year after a five-year concert are new. Some will be light absence, will dance in director and accessible to many, another Erik Stern's piece "Yonge Fresshe will be darker and more tense. Folkes, He or She" in a role of "Modern dance is just a vehicle abstraction. for putting feeling and thoughts The dance, which plays to life," said Nathan Barnes, WSU with the idea of how men and student. "It's like any art form women react to each other in - if you had the words for it you formal settings, is set to Vivaldi's "Concerto for 1\vo Oboes, Two Clarinets." "In his choreography we present a hand," Barnes explained. "But sometimes I am presented with a leg; at one point I get somebody's foot." Stern first heard the music for "Yonge Fresshe Folkes" last fall while perusing his father's collection of 33 vinyl records. The clarity and playfulness of the piece impressed him then and he danced to it. Since the original choreography, Stern's father passed away, giving the work even more meaning. Amanda Sowerby, choreographer of "Baby Swing," likewise choreographed emotions stemming from family life. After giving birth to a daughter last year-and experiencing the ups and downs that come with newborns, Sowerby created her work for this spring's show. "It's basically a giant cannon," Sowerby said. " 1 'm taking abstracted movement like turns and swings - it's not a literal translation of the music, but the movement is inspired by the mood of the swing." Behind the dancers during "Baby Swing" will be a video projection of baby faces from the 1930s, showing a wide range of emotion. Costuming for the production was designed and created by Catherine Zublin and Phillip Lowe. "They're wonderful, they're beautiful, they're all so diverse," Sowerby said of the costumes. "Catherine is just wonderful at costuming, and Phil has a really kind of whimsical, fresh side to him." Lighting was designed by See Orchesis page 6 'Hunger for Art' exhibit by senior student displayed by DAVID FAtRCHILD asst a & e editor | The Signpost Fred Hunger, Weber State University alumnus and senior art student, holds steel in his 68-year-old fingers and bends it, forms it, molds it, turns it into blocks and then welds the building blocks together. This year, his steelworks are on display at Universe City on Washington Boulevard in downtown Ogden. Last spring, he was fighting to stand on his own two feet and fighting to stay alive. "1 didn't think there was anything wrong with me," Hunger said. "I felt fine, I felt happy and I just went about my business." But his wife noticed something was wrong. "He was swollen up," said Bean-Ellen Hunger, Fred's wife. "And when 1 say swollen, I mean his feet were so swollen they were cracked and fluid was leaking through the skin." Hunger's wife told him that she was going to make him see a doctor. "He told me I was meddling," Bean-Ellen said. "Just said I was meddling in his work." Reluctantly, Hunger went vvfih his wife and visited his doctor to prove that he was all rigrit. What he found was that his heart was operating at only fl love to build things; that's just how it is with me. Even when I'm sitting at a table and eating, I like to build things out of my fork and spoon/' - Fred Hunger, artist 15 percent its capacity, to the point where body organs begin to shut down. "Basically, what was happening," Bean-Ellen said, "was his valves were all beating differently." Hunger spent a week in the hospital, arid returned home to recoup. For the next six months Hunger would suffer from dizzy spells and seizures, and doctors would struggle to help him find a proper balance of medication that would properly aid his heart. Through it all, Hunger continued to create. "I love to build things; that's just how it is with me," Hunger said. "Even when I'm sitting A sculpture of steel is part of the "Hunger for Art" exhibit by Fred Hunger displayed at Universe City on Washington Boulevard. at a table and eating, I like to build things out of my fork and spoon." For years Hunger was an aeronautical engineer and designed objects for other people to create, and he never got to build them himself. Then, toward the end of his engineering career, he finally got to design and create his work from start to finish. It drove Hunger to continue creating art after he retired, even when he was sick. Throughout his illness, Hunger said his work helped in keeping him going. "It was like a light at the end of the tunnel for me," Hunger said. "I could build something and it felt really good to be building it." However, there were days that Hunger said he didn't feel like he could work. Now, a year later, Hunger is healthy, his medication has returned his heart to full capacity, and his steel art is on display for the public. "It's been 10 years since I've had a show that was all devoted tome," Hunger said. The show opened last Friday and will run through the end of April. It features works made of steel, wood and bronze. Though these pieces are small enough to fit in a gallery, Hunger said he enjoys the idea of making art that is on a large scale. "Fred's a very energetic and prolific artist," said Jim Jacobs, WSU art professor. Jacobs compared some of Hunger's work to that of Joel Shapiro, an artist who makes art such as small houses with little figures of people around it to scale. "My small pieces cost about $5 to make," Hunger said. The large ones, according to See Hunger page 6 |