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Show U's Dancers, Choreographers Showcased in 'Ballet Ensemble1 by Jeremy Mathews Like all arts, ballet requires a of training and experience, and there's one show in which University of Utah students learn about the work and dedication it takes to put a piece together. The U's "Ballet Ensemble" offers an opportunity for students and instructors in the ballet department to work together on a professional level, delving into the creative process in the same manner that they would outside an educational environment. The program, which debuts at the Marriott Center for Dance today, features six dances choreographed by U instructors and, in one instance, a graduate student, and it's danced by students who auditioned in a process similar to the professional level. Most of the pieces are premieres. a dancer in Breton Tyner-BryaLaird's Maureen "Strings" said that more time is spent polishing the pieces than in the usual student shows. "There's a really good rela-- . tionship between the choreographers and the dancers. There's n, i mutual respect and both sides are committed," she said. Sharee Lane, an associate professor in the department, also enjoyed the relationship with the dancers. The process was more than the classroom environment, she said, "it's a lot freer. I stressed contemporary aspects of ballet and acting." open-minde- d fp Lane's "Remembrance: You are my Witnesses" is an interpretation of the events of the Holocaust. The piece uses five selections from John Williams's score for the film "Schindler's List," although Lane made it a point not to use the film's theme because it would bring direct attention to the film. Lane selected n students from the ballet department "who know and work well together and have strong performing dynamics," she said in a letter hand-writte- n .i,,.-,....i.- , describing the process and her intentions. The idea had been brewing in her mind. "Ever since visiting the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., last year," she said, "I have been thinking of a project in which choreography on this subject matter would be This pas iir-- WAS-- rnr i an ilfr in T nil mfrftirrrrilnr " , niirrnTTwiiirrin inrnfiiriii 'niiiii niiflMriirrtT iniirr1 if rcprwiwf oinmmumn pnorrnnn' tinWiwwiiiTTiwii'iitrMnnfitfwmiT in mi mi de cinq is from Bonnie Story's "de trop."But if baby, I'm the bottom,you're the top. It has Radiohead music. the embodiment of innocence and hope of this dark period in human history. I wanted to capture the Holocaust's devastating scale and the human tragedy, but with innocence and hope." Lane encouraged her dancers to pay less attention to classical form in the interest of adding emotional resonance to her piece, she said. "My choreography has a fluent " Laird's premiere, "Strings," features several dancers in black, two in blue and one in white accompanied by a cello concerto. It's a study in abstract movement. contemporary style that consistently builds...into an emotional and sobering ending." Creepy Landscapes Made of Human Flesh rh see dance, page IP b SSTr Thatcher by Autumn liTfiinfiio ' athryn Williams's exhibit titled "Flesh Landscapes" is somewhat grotesque to look at, but too intriguing to walk away from. The exhibit features a number of oil paintings that reflect exactly what the title suggests msmm W '.v flesh. The various paintings that adorn the walls of the Art Barn range in size and color. While some 'V.: '.:;....-.- I i. li1 Sam Welter's " hiir IK; pieces maintain hues of smoky grey and blue, others possess shades of orange and pink. The pieces that contain the bluish-gracolors almost resemble the flesh of a rotting corpse. I am not sure if 4 y this is just my demented mind at work, or if dying flesh is what the artist wanted to capture in some of her pieces. The brighter images look like healthy flesh and some are wrinkled and dimpled, revealing that there is a lot of flesh to go around. The problem with the exhibit for me is the title. Because she uses the word "flesh" in regard to her paintings, I could not look at any U by Ah! Urn, this fleshy thing is a landscape. It's even gross in black and white. one of the pieces without trying to figure out whether or not the image was indeed human skin, and if so, what part of the body it was taken from. Nearly all of the images contain folds within the landscape, and I made the assumption that the folds were layers of fat just melting over one another. This self-inflicte- Salt Lake's Premiere full service bookstore since 1929 perspective distorted the entire exhibit for me. I could not look at a piece without feeling as if I was walking through a sci-f- i exhibit and a little alien was going to mutate its way out of the fleshy landscapes. I couldn't d see flesh, page n emember how strange it felt the first time you saw one of your teachers doing some such as picka of at the grobeer up ing out or store with his cr cery making her significant other while out on a romantic date? As students, it 15 sometimes difficult envisioning our teachers living fully developed lives outside of the classroom because we are used to seeing them only in that context. Lest teachers have families, friends and interests beyond our literary essays and ciass thing six-pac- , projects. Most, if not all, of our professors here at the University of Utah will be involved in research outside of their regular class load, continuing to challenge themselves as students even as they instruct current university students. Professor Kaye Richards has been on the faculty of the U's modern dance department since 1993, but she still maintains a vital performing career. This weekend she will present "Shifting Landscapes," an evening of modern dance with Richards as a performer and choreographer. Featuring premiere dance pieces by national and international choreographers, "Shafting Landscapes" is being presented as part of Repertory Dance Theatre's LINK Series, which encourages the the art of choreogra develcpmt phy while provid.ng performance opportunities to emerging as well as established artists. For "Shifting Landscapes," Richards will dance the premiere performances of solos choreographed by Soma Dawkms, Cornelius Carter and Anna Krzystek, as well as present three of her own works. Dawkins has crafted a sensual and passionate solo for Richards that was inspired by the life of artist Frida Kahlo. In the piece, Carter uses the music of the legendary jazz smgpr Nina Simone to cr,eate a dance that depicts the struggles and 'yH V r IT1 jf Over - 4 M n "7 w U.!l; U S-M- :i!f'--' .'' J ; ij.'A: k' rV4 :; -- i '.i million volumes Lin I t- 1 on 4 floors, books on all subjects! ,w1 rii despair of lost love and the courage, resolution and inner strength needed to persevere. Live Native American flute music will accompany Richards' new solo work, with movement expressing punctuated strength and tender simplicity. Richards will also present "Tribal Fires," which she choreographed for the modern dance department's Performing Dance Company in Fall 2001. And artists from Dance Wyoming willperform "Adagio Spiral," which Richards choreographed for the company in 2000. See "Shifting Landscapes" to expand your dance horizons, even as Richards expands her choreographic and performance horizons in the creation of her new show. "Shifting Landscapes" is at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 13S W300 S, March at 8.00 p.m.. Tickets are $14 or $12 for students and seniors, they can be purchased through ArtTix (3 7-- 4 J HT11 Professor Shifts Dance Landscapes Megan Matthes Books Kmk M twy If Ah n- 254 s,M"h iX,:,in St,t' A( Hie ;al!iv:m l'l;i.a TRAX slop 6 Phone: (801) www.sannveiiers.com 328-258- meganred-mag.co- RED Magazine march 6, 2003 Rg |