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Show There Might Not be love, There Might Not be Sex, But by God, There Will be Dancing! by Megan Matthes Prime Movement Taught by the youthful and highly enerof Alysia Woodruff, Meghan getic and Amanda Sowerby, Prime Cooley Movement is an eclectic movement class for everyone over the age of 40. I'm 21 going on 40, but I still got to try out this class at the open house, easing into a long, hard day of dancing with gentle stretches, simple balances and swinging, flowing dance combinations that gently elevated my heart rate. The Verdict: Attractive to the young at heart, this class will soon have you feeling upert Everett's character in "My Best Friend's Wedding" knows what really is U ji importantI in life, and he would agree with me when say, boy, did you all rniss out. I've been going to dance classes for 17 years now, and the Open House that Repertory Dance Theatre's Community School held last Saturday was the best experience I've ever had trying out a new dance school. KDT's Open House is an incredible deal: Twice a year, you can spend a Saturday morning at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center trying out any and all of their dance classes for only $5. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., I worked up a healthy sweat with dancers of all ages, shapes and abilities, trying to break out of my ballet bunhead mode by trying out classes in modern, African based, hip hop, jazz and flamenco styles. Most of the classes took, or observed, are perfectly acceptable for dance novices, while a few of the classes would better serve those with prior dance experience. The entire Community School staff is friendly, energetic, patient and eager to share their passion for dance with anyone who strolls into the studio Make an effort to try one or two of RUT's community classes by purchasing a class punch card, or plan ahead for the next open house in the fall. Here are some hearty endorsements of RDT's classes to tempt you downtown some evening or lazy Saturday. F"32? tag-tea- Ipzi And lfe All n Live Happily ( "ft' V 1- t 1 1 . - . Ever Aftes' Si of- i i i y.vi I 'Imagination Celebration' Brings 'Everyday Heroes' to Utah The i.n by Rachael Sawyer 7ie Prme Movement class over the age of 40. is for people young all over. Modern Dance (Intermediate) Pilates Too bad we only got to do Pilates for 15 min- utes at the open house because Pilates mat work is the best exercise I've found so far for strengthening and toning the abdominal muscles. Utilizing dynamic tension (oh yeah, dynamic tension), Pilates is a classical conditioning technique that has been used by the dance world since the 1950s and is currently experiencing a huge growth in mainstream popularity. Pilates is the perfect workout for anyone who is after long, lean musculature, improved breath control and stress reducRebecca Keene tion. The Forde teaches RDT's classes. The Verdict: Some of the best bodies in the worlds of ballet, modeling and Hollywood owe it all to Pilates. Need I say more? 1 Pilates-certifie- d RDT offers two levels of modern-danc- e technique, beginning and intermediateadvanced. The intermediate class I took on Saturday was manageable for me because of my experience with ballet, but an absolute dance beginner would probably be better off in the beginner, class where he or she could develop the necessary technical skills at a slower pace. All of RDT's modern-dancclasses feature live accompaniment and are taught by Keene Forde, Dionne Sparkman or Kim Strunk, who also teaches in the University of Utah's Modern Dance Department. What do I think? I'm not the world's biggest fan of modern-danc- e classes, but even I e enjoyed myself. African-Base- d gotta try this! Jeni Indresano and two Strunk, beautiful, earthy women, take turns leading exciting, sensual classes in West African and Congolese movement to live drumming. the rhythms of some bad-as- s I found myself shedding my inhibitions as fast as I shed my sweaty clothing. Siskel & Ebert Give It: Two enthusiastic thumbs up for the best damn danceaerobics You guys m - w imw jk".' class you will ever take. 1 A ' r - Jazz Ever wanted to learn how to dance like the boys from 'NSync? Ever wanted the boys from NSync to teach you how to dance? Well, you can almost realize both dreams with RDT's Jazz classes, taught by the adorable Andy Noble. Noble combines jazz, funk, street dance and whatever the hell else he feels like to create fun classes that bring out the Britney Spears or Justin Hip-Ho- 'V'''" t - p Hip-Ho- p V.:. Timberlake in all of us. t Dancers practice working in pairs at Repertory Dance Theatre's Community School. ... ': ' y?,, " Heave , ... BALLET by Megan 1 1 rT3 y i iV ' i ! , I L'H u - . Ballet West performs "An Evening of Ballets " March 8-- 9 and 13-1- 6. R8 I march 7, 2002 uBime, OF WEST'S 'AN EVENING Matthes b comical to sensual, our spring program begs you to expect the unexpected." Under the direction of artistic director Jonas K5ge, who supplied the preceding quote, Ballet West has expanded its repertoire to include many works by today's leading choreographers. In the upcoming performances of "An Evening of Ballets II," Ballet West will present two contemporary pieces' Utah premiers, a gem from 19th century classical ballet, as well as a George Balanchine ballet "ZS RED Magazine R12 Yow lCih(Bs V, ; see dance, page The evening begins with Balanchine's "Stravinsky Violin Concerto," choreographed to composer Igor Stravinsky's "Violin Concerto." Originally choreographed as "Balustrade" in 1941 for the Ballet Russe, Balanchine later reworked this ballet minus the costumes and scenery designed by Pavel Tchehtchev, which were supposedly very beautiful. Balanchine believed in the of ballet that was free from "distractions" like a story line, elaborate costumes or sets. "Stravinsky Violin Concerto" will present dance in its purest form as bodies moving to music, com 11 ( BALLETS' plicated and made intriguing by Balanchine's intricate choreography and the sculpted, athletic bodies of the dancers of Ballet West. Balanchine is the epitome of ballet, but he took many of his choreographic cues from Marius Petipa, the king of 19th Century classical ballet. The most famous section of Petipa's 1869 ballet "Don Quixote" is the wedding pas de deux from the last act, and that excerpt is the second item on Ballet West's program. Although the music by Leon Minkus is typically clunky for neo-classic- see ballet, page sio ri t was great during the Olympics, trus actually reu uice a rear cny. No fewer than a dozen people have said this to me in the past week. It's as if we're all waiting for a wave of the Blue Fairy's magic wand. Well, brush yer teeth and patter off to bed, kids, because I've got a fairy tale for you: Once upon a time, a bunch of folks decided to have a carnival. They went way out into the desert and found a stagnant cesspool and decided that this was it, this was the perfect place, because who's going to get distracted from the clowns by a bunch of brine shrimp? They built a big top and several smaller circus rings and still their city wasn't quite convincing. They put together a really act and shipped really big it all over the world, and still they were laughed at. Their children and their children's children eventually wanted to forget about the whole dog and pony show, so when one magical day a handsome prince rode in on a white charger, they told him he could be their Mayor. Thanks in no small part to the princely Rocky Anderson, this lurpy little crosseyed child of the carnies we affectionately refer to as the Salty City may be hanging on to his lunch money past homeroom. The Kennedy Center designated Salt Lake City as one of a scant five U.S. cities (and that's only if Dallas counts for anything more than a pile of vomit-soake- d sawdust), to be "Imagination Celebration'' sites. Part of the Cultural Olympiad, the festivities (let us not mention the official name again) are not only professional performances, but also an ongoing program dedicated to nurturing the imaginations and creative impulses of Utah youth. Elaine Harding, the program's director, reminds us that "everybody has a creative side. Just like we can learn to read, we can learn to express ourselves through creative means." She believes Salt Lake was chosen as a site because of the city's great need to celebrate its diversity. This event creates a space for nationally recognized artists, dancers, composers, playwrights and directors to share their muse with students of all ages, as well as their educators and families. Exhibits, public art projects, workshops, plays, dance performances, a film festival and even an opera composed and performed in part by Mountain View Elementary studentswere the creations of this visionary project. Here at the University of Utah, theatr e students were given the opportunity to breathe life into "Everyday Heroes," the latest work from playwright Laurie Brooks. In workshopping the play with the author, actors and actresses directly took part in the formation and development, rather than the mere recreation, of their characters. And Brooks was included in the intimate theatrical process an experience rendered all the more personal by the piece's newness. Because this is a World Premiere, there was no precedent to fol- f song-and-dan- arts-educati- low. Director Margo Andrews called the experience "exhilarating like the birth process." The cast spoke of a vulnerability, a discovery, as well as a sense of ownership see heroes, page no |