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Show Dancers, Choreographers Come Together in lBallet Ensemble' by wi iiiib uHiiiwiwiniWLHH lnu..i.iiiiwiijlmwwwiJ"iiiwiL"!i"i'jiwpjMi ous first movement. Marissa Wan dancers had excellent group work. They were in unison when they needed to be and they sensed each other as they incorporated elements of acting into their story. I liked the white, flowing costumes, which captured the purity and innocence of the victims. The contemporary choreography reflected the powerful music, which was taken from the film "Schindler's List." As the piece progressed, and the music became darker and more somber, you could see fear unfolding in the dancers as they suddenly became victims. At the end, they held hands again, echoing the beginning as they supported each other in love and hope. Tong Wang, a principal dancer with Ballet West, choreographed "Folk Dances." Dressed in different colored unitards, the fives dancers leaped and twirled through various sounds such as talking, water splashing and babies crying. The syncopated moves were extremely fun to watch and it was clear that the dancers were feeling the rhythm of the bodies. They danced with style and hit some striking poses. Effective use of a spotlight added a nice touch. This piece was thoroughly enjoyable, and I could have watched it over and over again. Several dancers in leotards and black tights showed off their abstract movement capabilities in Maureen Laird's "Strings." The dancers' long lines and intertwining patterns created quite an impact and was an amazing sight to see. Heather Tyner-Bryaand Breton Bailey produced beautiful images as wiijwwwi ii'niiin niii M inpiniiniipiii wl wiin niinilir' n -- i'in r - T" " r" "' I Trie Last University Ut jh's production of "(.''. Ensemble" gave audi-er.c- e .nembers an inside look at what professional ballet is all about. The program featured six a'.! of which demonstrated the d.versity, talent and creativity of the dancers and choreographers. "Defune," choreographed by department chairwoman Carol Iwasaki, was a beautiful interpre- tation of Japanese heritage Dressed in red and pink kimonos, the four girls danced unique, intricate steps using fans as props. Representing the United States, William Loufik danced a lovely pas de deux with Andrea Emerson. Strong technique and fabulous lifts enhanced their duet. Einerson's delicate quality was a perfect match for the gorgeous music by Sugiyama. Jazz instructor Bonnie Story, choreographed "de trop." Radiohead music accompanied the nine dancers, who were proficient in the jazz technique. the Sporting jeans and The it. feel to a piece had casual performers all moved with ease, especially Noah Lillie, whose remarkable musicality and brisk way of moving was riveting. Sharee Lane, an associate professor, choreographed the sorrowful "Remembrance." Emotional and moving, this piece depicted the events of the Holocaust. It had an effective opening, with the 11 dancers spread out across the stage holding hands. A sense of togetherness was conveyed as they continued to dance the joy Demi-solois- ts n Megan Matthes n spite of all the high-tecgadgets and fancy toys that kl kids have access to these days, every time I've observed a child deeply immersed in play, that child was games out of his or her own imagination, aided only by the simplest of props a cardboard box, a hat h busy-inventin- made out of newspaper or a pair of bent antennae made from brightly colored pipe cleaners. Kids have the amazing ability to entertain themselves without flashing lights, loud music or even the benefit of instruction, but this ability seems to diminish with exposure to distractions, purchased for them by store-boug- adults. There is a troupe of performers, however, who have not only managed to retain or well-meanin- g recapture their wild childhood imaginations, they have multiplied this creativity and spontaneity a thousand times over to create "Mummenschanz" a masquerade performed without words or music that is meant to help us all achieve a childlike state of mind: free of limits, rules or norms. The name ("moo-men-schauntz- !), R$ I march 13, 2003 RED I "Mummenschanz'' comes from a term used to describe medieval Swiss soldiers who wore masks to hide their facial reactions from their opponents. The company Mummenschanz formed in 1972 and adopted the name to describe their unique blend of mime, puppetry and visual theater. The creative costumes in "Mummenschanz are the raw materials that the members of the troupe employ in the show as props and scenery, as well as aiding in pantomime. The wardrobe Includes costumes made from plastic, foam rubber, cardboard and styrofoam basically all the packaging materials that kids would rather play with on Christmas morning than the expensive toys their families bought for them. "Mummenschanz" maintains its innocence, purity and pure joy in its silence. The only soundtrack required is the murmured admiration of the adults and the delicious giggles of children. To demonstrate the potential of this silent art form, "Mummenschanz" will host an outreach program the morning of March 26 at Kingsbury Hall. Fourteen-hundre- d children of varying ages, many of them hearing- - Magazine - :AV ; y h' "ri 'I? : li )f FAX h 1 lit"' V,;. ,; .P '" Y'' v 'FT rvT tA : , I J ' Si' k ; - l life, lA '. " A ' ': ' "' k ' f' Sharee Lane's "Remembrance" follows the events of the Holocaust through a level of acting rarely seen in ballet. they danced side by side. Their bodies sang with the music, a classical concerto for cello and orchestra. Soloist Johanna Tomorsky wowed the audience with her flawless technique and unbelievable control. The exciting "Spirit of the Drums" by Annri Opitz closed the show. With the stage wings visible to the audience, this seemed to be sending a message saying "sit back and prepare yourselves for a wild ride." Performing live on the stage behind the dancers was the Raijun Taiko drum circle, which was incredible to watch. At times, it was almost as if the 1f 1 1 by ' fast-pace- Idaho's lu&J trast. Principal dancers Shayla and Mark Harootian performed a pas de deux with a pleasant, lyrical quality. finale feaThe tured the dancers at their best. Soloist Kalise Vandersteen was truly shining. She had such a strong stage presence and was inspiring to watch. The ballet department certainly managed to deliver a successful show with "Ballet Ensemble." Dancers and choreographers alike came together and showcased their talents in an unforgettable performance. Billings-Bot- t heart-poundin- g marissared-mag.co- Hand-Bou- nd Books Visit Salt Lake City impaired students from the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, will be treated to a lecture and demonstration performance. Sign language interpreters from the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, as well as University of Utah sign language majors, will be present to interpret the lecture portion of the event If you are searching for an activity that will get your kids away from the video games, or if you yourself have been spending a little too much time with your DVD player or Discman, satisfy your inner child's craving for imagination stimulation with tickets to "Mummenschanz Kingsbury Hall has been advertising this show since September by playing video footage in their lobby before shows. I never cease to be enchanted by the video clip, no matter how many times I see it. Imagine what a delight an entire evening put on by this troupe will be. "Mummenschanz" is at Kingsbury Hall for Wo nights only, March 25 and 26 at 7.50 p.m. Tickets are available at the Kingsbury Hall box office or through ArtTlx 30-seco- nd five-memb- er (581-710- (3S5-ARTS- ). meganred-mag.co- members of the drum circle were performing a dance of their own. Sharp movements by the dancers dressed in black and d holding fans matched the I of drums. the rhythm noticed that sometimes the drummers' movements would mimic the dancers'. For instance, they would raise their arms at the same time and at the same angle. On the same note, the dancers slapped their hands on the ground several times, imitating the sounds of the drummers. Slow, gentle harmonicas accompanied the second movement, which made for a nice con m by Jamie In Cadette panies of the '60s resulted in the 1976 publication of their first a technologically driven age by a society's pallet instant gratification, it's refreshing to see a group striving to slow things down. While the majority of books are being d and hawked from cookie-cutte- r Barnes and Nobles across the country, Limberlost Press is creating unique works of literary art. The Idaho-base- d printmaking company devotes meticulous attention to detail, an effort that results in placing form on par with content. That's not to say that the words inscribed inside each unique product are not the makings of work. On the contrary, Limberlost's authors and poets are some of the West's most highly acclaimed contemporary artists. Starting March 14, a sampling of those writers will come to Salt Lake City for a weekend-loncelebration of the spirit of independent press. The evening readings will take place on Friday and Saturday at Orbit Cafe and Ken Sander's Rare Books, respectively. Rick and Rosemary Ardinger are the heart and soul behind Limberlost. The couple wanted to create heirlooms that could sustain passage from one generation to the next. Their visions of sturdy, elegantly bound text combined with the ethos upheld by small press com mass-produce- high-calib- er g poetry magazine, The Limberlost Review. Since then, the independent project has gone on to specialize in letterpress chapbooks (single signature books of less than 40 pages). Every aspect of the process is books are The sewn together with painstaking precision. Such labor often results in heightened cost, but the Ardingers aim to make their products affordable and available to the average reader. So far, the couple has succeeded by keeping limited editions between $13 and $15. Limberlost has also built an impressive roster of prominent literary figures. Allen Ginsburg's Mind Writing Slogans, a collection of brief mottos inspired by years of professional and spiritual experiences, is one of the more recently produced books available through Limberlost. It complements The Street's Kiss by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the founder of San Francisco's City Lights Bookstore. However, Limberlost is not strictly devoted to material. Authors such as Sherman Alexie and Gary Snyder contribute existential and naturalistic imagery to the stock. Perhaps the most recent notable print-makin- g hand-controlle- d. lead-type- d time-consumi- beat-generate- d see limberlost, page R13 |