anoo anse

Jeff Hyslop Designer Denis Joffre Brings Fashion Sense to the Dance Stage Graham Jackson in Europe Strate on Dance Education ARNOLD SPOHR

THE ARTISTIC VISION and unsurpassed dedication of Arnold Tuesday, October 18 Centennial Concert Hall 8:30 p.m. Spohr has enabled the Royal Winnipeg to reach outstanding Featuring the and Sadler's Wells heights in dance excellence. Royal Ballet. He has applied his phenomenal energy and drive to building Gala evening tickets are $125.00 The net proceeds will go towards the RWB for a quarter century. establishing a permanent scholarship fund in Arnold Spohr's name for the RWB School Professional Division. For reservations call Arnold Spohr's Silver Anniversary is cause for celebration. the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (204) 956-0183 . I ille ~ umber 37 Fall 1983 Automne

. 1ichael Crabb Ediwr/Redacteur FEATURES Holly Small "I Can Do That!" 2 ,;.ssistant Editor/ Redactrice adjointe Jeff Hyslop's Formula For Success GUY SHULMAN ack Cunningham dvertising Representative/ Publicite Photo-Gallery: 6 Charters Litho Inc. Chris Randle Production

The Thinking Foot 9

-::: _ohshed quarterly by Dance in Canada Association (a non- Teaching Dance Literacy In School - ; fil organization, regist ration 11 00221 -22-23) 38 Charles S:-ect Ea st. , M4 Y I Tl , , (4 16) 92 1-5169. Peggy GRANT STRATE .a..:Leod Executi ve D irector. T he views ex pressed in th is -: - icatio n are not necessa rily those or Dance in Canada \ssoeiation. All rights reserved. Copyright~ 1983 by the Dance Caaada Association. Su bsc riptions: S I0/year; $18/two years; Dressing the Dance 11 ~ ~ insti tutions. Outsid e Canada add $3.00. Back issues are _. a1lab le in micro film from Micromed ia Ltd., 144 F ront St Toronto Dance Theatre's Denis Joffre • est. To ronto, O nt. MSJ 2L7. Li mited copi es of back issues are _ ailab le at SJ.SO each from the edi tori al offi ce. Send change of PAT KAISER ...,_adress , subscription o rders, back iss ue orders and ... ndeliverable copies to Dance in Canada, 38 Charles Street Easl. Toronto M4Y !Tl , O ntario. Printed in Bra mpto n. Ontario by Cha rt ers Litho Inc., Second class mail registrat ion "Jennifer Penney Is Indisposed" 12 ::- 03 74. Return postage guaranteed. ISSN 03 17--9737. t:nsolicited ma nuscripts cannot be return ed unless A Canadian Dance Critic's Notes From Abroad ~ccompanied by a stamped, self-addressed enve lo pe. D ance in GRAHAM JACKSON Canada pub lishes in offic ial language of o rigin.

Special thanks to T he Canada Council and T he Onta ri o Ministry of Cit izenship and Culture. DEPARTMENTS1

Publication trimestrielle de !'Association Danse au Canada o rganisati on a but non lucratif, numt':ro d'enregist rement : In Review 21 Noticeboard 37 0022 1-22-23). 38 Charles Street East, Toronto M4Y ITI, O ntario (41 6) 921 -- 5169. Di rectrice executive: Peggy Macl eod. Book Beat Letters to the Editor 43 Les opinions exprlmCes da ns cette revue ne sont pas 35 necessairement ce lles de !'Association Danse au Canada . Tous droi1s reserves. Copyright© 1983, Association Danse au Canada. Abo nnements: un an: $ 10. deux a ns:$ 18, institutions:$ 15. Etranger: ajouter $3. Pour obtenir d'anciens nu mt':ros sur COVER: microfilm, s'adresser 3. : Micro media Ltd ., 144 F ront St. Wes1, Toronto, Ont. M 5J 2L7. Un nombre limitt': d'anciens numeros Jeff Hyslop, photographed by Scrivano. sont disponibles au bureau de la redaction a$3.5 0 le numero. Adresser vos change ment d'adresse. demande d'abonnemcnt , cornmande ct ·anciens num€ros et tous numt':ros no n livres a Danse au Canada, 38 Charles Street East. Toronto M4Y I Tl , CREDITS O mario. Impri mt': a Brampton, On1a rio par Charters Li tho Inc. , N° d'enregis1rement de courrier de seconde classe: 03874 Scrivano, page 2, 5 Anthony Crickmay, page 29 Frais de retour garantis. ISSN 0317--9737. Robert Etcheverry, page 13 Yoram Rubin, page 31 Les manuscrits ne seront pas retournCs sauf s'i\s ont t':tC Andrew Oxe nham, page 14, 24, 25 Para mont Pictures, page 33 commandCs ou s'ils sont accompagnt':s d'une enveloppe adressee et aff ranchie. Danse au Canada publielesarticles dans leurlangue Les lie E. Spatt, page 15 Photo Features Limited, page 38 d 'origine. Michael Crabb. page_ l. 22. 3 Continuing Education. Remerciements au Co nseil des Arts du Canada etau \11 mstf'r des Kimmy Chan. page _3 Gniversity ofOnawa. page 40 AITa ires ci, iqucs et culture ~ ~ ·o ur R • ald . Diamond. a e : Paul Pascal, page 41 ohn Con oa i. age : Harbourfront, page 42 2 DANCE IN CANADA ''I Can Do That!'' Jeff Hyslop's Formula For Success

GUY SHULMAN

Canada is not an easy place to be a dancer. Jeff Hyslop est /'un des artis1es canadiens /es plus comp/els. Son energie infa1igab/e Just being able to eke out a living as a e1 son go{// du risque Jui on/ perm is de mener avec succes une carriere de danseur el dancer here is a sizeable achievement. To d' ac1eur independanl, une combinaison rare de ta/en1s sur la scene artis1ique go beyond that and to become a successful canadienne. Hyslop es! un virluose de la danse el ii a demon/re ses 1alen1s de dancer - without becoming a member of chan/eur el d' ac/eur dans la /Ournee internaliona/e de "Chorus Line" el dans '.-'A nne a dance - is close to of Green Gables" au Feslival de Char/011e1own. II a egalemenl 1ravaille pour la miraculous! 1elevision el son spec1ac/e special "Dancin' Man" a ele par1iculieremen1 remarque. As a child, dancer Jeff Hyslop always Jeff Hyslop possede une vi1a/i1e inlense el ii exprime son goul de /'aveniure dans sa saw himself becoming part of a large, carriere d' anisle independan1. supportive company in order to earn a living. In Canada dancers are not encour-

Jeff Hyslop with Karen Kain and Frank Augustyn in L'Histoire du Soldat, April 1983 . DANCE IN CANADA 3

· in k otherwise, but when the For anyone wanting a career as a other major US cities. It was in this nny to join dance companies dancer, joining the Bolshoi was like blockbuster hit musical that Jeff Hyslop - _ Hyslop found he didn't want it. starting at the to p of the dream heap. But burst into the national and international .i> afraid a company would want to even then Jeff H ys lo p couldn't visualize limeli ght. ~e o its standards rather than let himself as a company dancer, although he "I Can Do T hat" was one of Jeffs . e op my own. From as far back as I accepted the Bolsho i's invitation eagerly. front-flipping, show-stopping solos. His ay wa nted to do more than any Learning has to be a selfi sh act - Hyslop jubilant voice easily reached the back of c mpany's repertoire a ll owed." wanted to learn as much as there was to the theatre as he sang the story of a little p· a pproach to dance now is know about dance - a nd the Bolshoi' boy who knew he had to be a dancer. : ~h\ ays was, instinctive and Even at age 11 his career was his first His earl iest stage engagements were in - . He embraced dancing indiscrimi- priority. the chorus of Rigoletto and Aida for the - all forms of dance: ballet, jazz, Jeff H ys lop is le an and boyishly Vanco uver Opera. Then Jesus in Godspe/1, - · made no difference. handsome with curly reddish brown hair Dick in Dames al Sea, the lead dancer in .1 hild I'd go from my lates t faintly reminiscent ofa young Garfunkel. Gypsy, Carousel and many more - all in _,re dance style to my newest He pulls a wayward curl unconsciously as Vancouver. _ te dance style. Now I do what the he remembers preparing to move to J eff wanted to do more and be more. for." Russia as a little boy. His parents were . H yslo p never set out to be a ready to let him go but only if Jeffs "I'd still like to meet the people who • .,_ncer. H e only set out 'to do what he mother could accompany him. think they know what Canadian • to do. He explains this calmly. H e "The most amazing thing for me about audiences want - especially at the that whole Bolshoi experi ence is not the CBC" it's because he's nursing a cold - Bolshoi itself or that schola rship. It was - Hyslop hates being sick because he that my mother, at her own expense, was " I Ca n Do That" - it's an apt motto , low down. He's always working. totally prepared to redirect the course of one that any free-lance performer has to to work. her life - leave husband and daughter be able to say a nd believe. Dancers behind and move to Russia with me 1 But especially must be able to do it all. It's an ada, it seems, is reluctant to the Russians wouldn't go for it. I guess they'd heard about Mom!" attitude for Jeff Hyslop that teeters ourage stars betwee n confidence and bravado. Any The free-lancer's blessi ng is also his artist who doesn't believe in his own self­ curse. Independence can be as much a · ,huns such labels as " prodigy" or burden as a boon. For dancers, in Canada worth will never convince an audience he _ child" but he fits the definitio n is worthy of their time and money. Jeff, especiall y, it is a fight, often to the e··'. .. He grew up in Vancouver o n professional bitter end, not to be typed to who is known for his high kicks and . .1ppears to be British Columbia's one style. smooth m oves on stage, both as a dancer er o Walton's Mountain. it was and as a choreographer, never appea rs to -. Dad, Sis and Jeff - a happy, close be in a hurry off stage. Sometimes you . wit h no drunks, drugs or divo rces. "Sometimes faking it is an art in itself. wonder if this o uter calm reflects total _mily, of which he speaks lovingly, I'm often confident but terrified" inner control or its o pposite, a pportive without being pushy. precariously repressed panic. e: had no particular vested interest in "Sometimes faking it is an art in itself. mg in show business. If I had And if you wa nt to and can do more I'm often confident but terrified. -:ed to be a fireman I'm sure my than simply dance, the fight is yet more Whenever I've been scared to do ·ent would have enroll ed me in a pole­ complicated. Too often a double or triple something I've a lways known that's . g class". talent is a double or triple curse. A famous exactly the right thing for me to do. it's 3· 1 i1 was da nce class instead - a Canadian critic o nce said wi th all like an internal dare. Cowardice is • -bination of ballet, jazz a nd tap - sincerity: "If you can dance - don't sing . something I've always hated the m0st in • . day after school for 11 years. His And if you must dance and sing- don't my life." __ er was the gifted Grace Macdonald act!" Canada, it seems, is reluctant to Being a free-lance dancer means living ancouver. He remembers her with encourage stars - as if to succeed in show an unglamorous gypsy existence - ho tels, ;m nostalgia. She was his mentor. business were somehow a gaudy airplanes, buses, trains, bad food, 1 s Grace", as she was respectfully achievement. And to be able to do more loneliness a nd fatigue. It soon stops being t: re sect by all her pupils, (including her than one thing well is considered exciting. It's taken its toll on Jeff in ~ Jeff), ran her classes rigidly - "the "showy". different ways. He had an earlier bout - - oe in the velvet shoe". Jeff Hyslop, like so ma ny others, had to with pneumonia and now has a Grace Macdonald recognized Hyslop's leave Canada to be "recognized". frustratingly low tolerance to illness. Jeff ral d ance ability right away. After "I Can Do T hat" - even before the is often feeling less than in tip to p shape e· been taking classes for two years, the song became o ne of Jeffs signature pieces but has never missed o r diminished a · hoi Ballet vis ited Vancouver and from it became his personal perfo rmance because of it. G·a e Macdonald arranged for Jeff to philosophy. Jeff still suffers from one "Fortunately I love to travel. I would _ui ion fo r them. He was chosen a mong weakness. He hates to turn down work. like to do it with 14 trunks and three zens of ho pefuls to perfo rm with the The only criteria Jeff uses in accepting servants. But o ne smart suitcase is more

1 '. hoi across Ca nada. When the tour jobs is that they be d ifferent from what my style - for now " · o,·er Jeff wa offered a cholar hip to he· done before. \\'hen Jeff toured with A From 196 , at age I .to 1971, Jeffgave nd CiorusLine rom 19·-_·9_hepla~ed hre up the free-lance life and joined the d n. England. Charlottetown Fe tival. It all owed him the greatest scope in performing - and to 4 DANCE IN CANADA

fresh audiences. He played Gilbert in the Man to be something I had seen very little Festival production of Anne of Green of on CBC - pure entertainment! I'm Announcing Gables at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan and at very proud of Dancin' Man." New York City Center. The show was produced in 1980 with THE 1984 Jeff Hyslop grew up in television's guest stars Karen Kain, Frank Augustyn, LEE CHOREOGRAPHY golden age and was an avid fan - but not Ann Reinking and recent Tony award AWARD of the usual kids' shows such as Lassie or winner, Honi Coles. It was also nominated Flipper. Jeff loved the entertainment for two Actra Awards, for best writing The Clifford E Lee Foundation, in coopera­ tion with TheBanff Centre School of Fine Art.s shows, Ed Sullivan, American Bandstand, and (Jeff) for best performance. will again be 0ffering the annual award estab­ the amateur talent shows. Ironically, Dancin' Man was an instan\;e lished in 1978 to encourage the development "I knew I could do what they were of when the show almost didn't go on. The of Canadian choreography. doing on these shows. Thank God other Ann Ditchburn The award includes $3,000 cash, plus travel and in-residence expenses to enable the suc­ people thought so too!" choreographed for Hyslop and Karen cessful candidate to spend approximately six Jeff was the lead dancer in a number of Kain was a steamy duet of writhing weeks at The Banff Centre during July/ Au­ TV variety shows - The Tommy Hunter bodies. One week before the show was to gust 1984. Working with advanced students and professional dancers, and using the pro­ Comedy Hour, Miss Teen Canada. He was be aired the censors pulled it. Only fine duction and staging facilities of The School, a regular on The Raes series. negotiations saved it. the award winner wi ll prepare a new work for "Some of the TV shows I was on were presentation as part of the annual Ban ff Festi­ "We nearly lost the Prairies on that one. va l of the Arts. real turkey meat - but I don't like to It was a very hot issue over a very hot pas Submissions to be made not later than think my contribution to those shows de deux. There should have been a camera December 15, 1983. Final selection to be was." at rehearsals - we would have lost the announced March 31 , 1984. Maritimes too. But the audiences loved it. Submissions will be adjudicated on the basis I'd still like to meet the people who think of existing works, supporting references, "If I told him to dance on his fingers together with proposals for a new work to be they know what Canadian audiences want premiered as part ofThe Ban ff Festival Dance and sing with his toes he'd be able to - especially at the CBC." Presentation. do it . .. and beautifully" Dancin' Man has since been sold to over 18 countries, from Ireland to South Africa For Application forms and further details and including the United states and write: Hyslop has appeared as guest star on England. many TV specials in Canada, the US and Ken Madsen, Lee Choreography Award Not many performers can cross media Committee, The Ban ff Centre, P .0. Box 1020, England. He has worked with Anne Banff, Alberta T0L 0C0. the way Jeff Hyslop does. Whether with Murray, Andre Gagnon, Rene Simard - the National Tap Dance Company as the and Karen Kain. lead in The Tin Soldier or as the star of his " I really admire Jeff and the scope of own Ritz Cracker commercials - Jeff can his talent", says Canada's favourite do that! ballerina. "I enjoy working with him a lo't. Currently he is capturing the hearts and The He accomplishes what all dancers, all minds of pre-schoolers everywhere as the performers, aspire to do - make it look star of his own successful television series George easy, whether it's ballet or jazz. He Today's Special, produced by TV Ontario, basica ll y just likes to have a good time. Brown and recently sold to the United States. When we first worked together on the The "performance bug" is different College Genie A wards some five years ago we from the "dance bug". Some dancers hate were Fred and Ginger. We started to to perform; some performers hate to laugh the first day we worked together. dance. Some hate the stage; others hate We just finished working together (in The TV. School Soldier's Tale at Roy Thompson Hall) ­ "I love to do 'it all. Television allows me Lois Smith we're still laughing." to move far more people and do more of of Dance Artistic Director Jeffs dancing has been inf!uenced by everything I like." carefully designed and graded many people - Astaire, Kelly and two programs for the other gentlemen he had the pleasure of professional, pre-professional working with - Ray Bolger and Donald "Cowardice is something I've always and non-professional student O'Connor. And by a contemporary hero hated the most in my life" of Jeff's who worked with him in the Burt curriculum includes: Bacharach Special in - Bette Today's Special is set in a department Ballet M idler. store after closing. Jeff plays Jeff, a Pointe Modern Jeff was finally given his own C BC Super­ department store mannequin who comes Pas de Deux Repertoire special in 1980 - the internationally to life when he is wearing a magic hat. It's Character acclaimed Dancin' Man. sort of a cross between Frosty the jazz "I had always dreamt of performing on Snowman and Sesame Street - teaching

for further information and television, and when I did that I dreamt of basic concepts and definitions in an audition dates performing on a national special with big entertaining way. contact the School of Dance George Brown Co.!lege name stars and when I did tha.t I wanted it In 1982 Today's Special won the Gold P.O. Box 1015, Station B all tci happen o n my own special! It's Plaque for Best Educational Children's Toronto, Ontario CANADA M5T ,2T9, important to have that challe11ge, the Program a t the Chicago F ilm Festival. Telephone (416) 36:l-9945 stimulation of the next hurdle.'But I had Having done approximately 70 of these to push and push for it. I wanted Dancin' shows, Jeff shows no sign of slowing . -- It's one sure way my daughter gets dancers I have ever worked with. If I told They have moved six times in the last two him to dance on his fingers and sing with and a half years. Just as they were settled e free-lance life has taken its toll on his toes he'd be able to do it.... and in Vancouver Jeff accepted Robin Phillips' · Hyslop, husband and father. Jeff is beautifully. And more than that, the invitation to join Theatre London as ';Jed to Vancouver-born singer and camera loves him". actor, choreographer and dancer. Ruth Ruth Nichol. They have one Jeffs second film is the soon-to-be­ knew she unpacked too soon. ~ghter. Gemma, aged 7. It has not been released The Wars directed by Robin Dancers know their performing careers sy road for the Hyslops keeping two Phillips - formerly director of the are more finite than most. The mortality ..,, business careers and a fam il y Stratford Festival and now the director of of every dancer looms just behind them =ether. Theatre London in London, Ontario. The like a shadow you can always see out of ··Ruth and I have a very difficult Wars was another new challenge for J eff. the corner of an eye. _ ::mma resolved in the easiest way for There was no dancing or singing - just Jeff Hyslop has now embarked on a ~e. Ruth has always sacrificed her career straight acting. whole new dimension in his career, as a ~ mi ne, for our family and for the kind "Of course I was very scared so I knew stage actor in a repertory company, a 1 ewe want for us with Gemma." it was the right thing for me to do. I knew company which, at last, may enable him to _ e s earliest heroes were Fred Astaire I'd turn in a performance I would be have the freedom to do it all. - :: Gene Kelly. It's no surprise that Jeff proud of with Robin directing or I'd sti ll "As long as I'm honest with myself and ays wanted to be in the movies. He has be out in that mud field with Robin yelling with the people in my li fe, it will reflect in _en in two films so far. The first was as a ' Do it again ple ase, J effrey!"'. my work. It's all just a matter of ancer in Jesus Chris! Supers1ar, The curse and the blessing of the responsibility and not being afraid, is n't - .. ed in Israel and choreographed by free-lance life. A oon as Jeff and family it?" ert Iscove. were settled in their beautiful Rosedale. ··Jeff Hy lop··. ay- he Ca a ia - rn Toron o apanment they had to mow to .:..oreographer. · or.eo :he mo_t -a · e \"an om·er - to go where the wor is. 6 DANCE IN CANADA

Photo-Gallery: Chris Randle

Chris Randle was born in Vancouver and raised both in the West Coast city and, for a period, in Montreal. He first became interested in photography while working on a cruise ship to Alaska: "It was too beautiful not to take pictures". Randle then studied photography at the Van­ couver Community College and now works for one of the city's large commer­ cial studios. In the late seventies, Randle began photographing the contact improvisation

Originaire de Vancouver, Chris Ran­ dall a vecu dans cette vdte et egalement pendant uncertain temps aMontreal. II a commence as 'inieresser ala photographie a/ors qu'i/ travail/ail sur un bateau de croisiere a destination de /'Alaska. Le paysage etait tellement impressionant qu'i/ a voulu le capturer en photo. Et meme maintenant, son desir serait de passer son temps a vovager et prendre des photos. Randall a suivi un cours de photogra­ phie au Vancouver Community College et travail!e apresent pour unimportant studio commercial a Vancouver. II s'interesse aux divers aspects de la photographie et s'est rapproche de la danse alajin des annees 70 grace ades amis, le groupe Fulcrum, quifaisaient de la contact-improvisation. Plus recemment, Randall a travaille avec !es danseurs du Terminal City Dance Research et avec le groupe experimen­ tal EDAM. Photographier des danseurs ojfre a Chris Randall un changement et une occasion de s'exprimer artistiquement. II envisage la photographie de la danse dans une optique differente de cel!e des danseurs qui, eux, se concentrent sur la position de /eur corps dan s /'image. Le photographe, lui, recherche /'effet d' ensemble. Randall per9oit la danse comme une serie de tableau x animes plutot qu'une seriejluide de mouve­ ments. Pour lui, la danse apporte !'element humain essentie/ qu'il recherche dans son travail. Jennifer Mascall DANCE IN CANADA 7

group Fulcrum. More recently he began to work with the dancers of Terminal City Dance Research and with the experimen­ tal group, EDAM. Although Randle enjoys many different kinds of photogra­ phic work and would love to spend his time travelling and taking pictures he looks on dance as, "an interesting way to be creatively uncommercial". Dance is a very difficult medium to work within. Too frequently images are gone before I'm even aware of them. During a rehearsal or performance its impossible to control anything - totally different from the studio. The challenge makes a really good dance shot very rewarding."

Karen Rimmer

Randle, like most dance photographers, has discovered that what he looks for in a photograph is not necessarily the same as what the dancers want. 'Tm concerned with lighting, lines, emotion and back­ grounds whereas they are generally inter­ ested in what their bodies are doing. I function in images and dance to me seems to be a series of animations rather than a fluid continuum." Randle uses a Hasselblad and strobe lighting for studio work and a Pentax LX 35mm camera for performance and rehearsal work. He does all his own darkroom work and, unusually, prefers to use color negative film all the time from which he can make black and white prints on Panalure paper if des ired. 8 DANCE IN CANADA

Lola McLaughlin and Barbara Bourget.

Helen Clarke Poster for Terminal City Dance Research. DANCE IN CANADA 9 e Thinking Foot aching Dance Literacy In School

i\..'IT STRATE

--~rvers would agree that school ,

DANCE IN CANADA DANSE AU CANADA CANADA DANCE AWARD PRIX DANSE CANADA Dance in Canada Association is pleased to L' Association Danse au Canada a le plaisir announce a call for nominations for the first d'annoncer qu'elle lance un appel aux nominations annual CANADA DANCE A WARD to be pour le premier PRIX annuel DANSE CANADA qui presented at the 1984 DANCE IN CANADA sera presente a !'occasion du Colloque Danse au CONFERENCE, Toronto, June 26-July 1, 1984. Canada 1984 a Toronto, du 26 juin au !er juillet 1984. Ce Prix a ete institue pour honorer un ou plusieurs This Award has been established to recognize individus dont la contribution au developpement de "significant contribution to the development of la danse au Canada a ete particulierement notoire. Le dance in Canada" by one or more individuals. prix pourra etre presente a titre posthume. The Award may be presented posthumously. L'ADAC nommera a chaque annee unjury de Dance in Canada will appoint a Jury each year professionnels representant largement la diversite comprised of professionals representing a broad des disciplines et des lieux geographiques de la cross-section of disciplines and geographic communaute de la danse. Le jury examinera Jes location in the dance community. The Jury will candidatures et, le cas echeant, recommandera un review the nominees and, if appropriate, laureat au conseil d'administration pour recommend to the Board of Directors a recipient approbation. Date limite de soumission des candidatures: le 30 novembre 1983. Pour obtenir for approval. des formulaires de candidature, s'adresser a Deadline for nominations is November 30, 1983. l'ADAC, 38 Charles St. East, Toronto, Ont. M4Y Copies of nomination form are available from: !Tl. Dance in Canada Association, 38 Charles St. East, Toronto M4Y lTl. DANCE IN CANADA 11 essing the Dance ronto Dance Theatre's Denis Joffre

~ :!:Jis Joffre of the Toronto Dance Montreal, a writer found him a brand new only ones of any importance in a dance probably the most imaginative Christian name. In New York, a reviewer collaboration are the choreographers, the _ ·e igner creating for the Cana­ restored his proper first name to him and dancers, and stretching it a bit, perhaps tage. Yet in the wake of this then thoughtfully anglicized it, as if the composer. The costume designer, like _..,.nad ian and American debuts of correcting a spelling error. the set and lighting designers, is a • u el ka's In Paradisum for Les The irony is that despite the high calibre neglected species. of his work, he was probably fortunate to Joffre relays only slight disappointment _ · e ostumes, Joffre opened two find the press mentioning him at all in and utterly no surprise over the slipshod -ll'lc'.~""':,-):!_rs to discover two highly sym- more than a typical uncredited one-word mistreatment of his name. "Right or - _; predictable - inaccuracies. In reference to costume colour. It's as if the wrong, I get great inspiration from being recognized. It spurs on the creative adrenalin", he explains with a grin. "However, it would have been really nice if they had gotten the name right." Low-keyed amusement may be the only recourse to a traditional injustice, but J offre is no artistic featherweight. He occupies a highly exclusive category, that of both costume and fashion designer, with his own couturier label and clientele. And certainly he is no visual wallflower; the eccentric sophistication, fine detailing and depth of high fashion are never far

Denis Joffre est considere comme l'un des createurs de costumes /es plus originaux dans le monde de la danse au Canada. Le recent succes de ses costumes pour /es Grands Canadiens pour "In Paradisum", chor­ egraphie par James Kudelka, n' a rien de surprenant pour ceux qui ant vu /es creations qu'il a realisees pour le Toronto Dance Theatre. Denis a etudie la danse a Ottawa, mais ii s'est dirige vers la couture et la creation de mode/es /orsqu'il s'est rendu compte que ses debuts tardifs dans la danse, a I' age de 18 ans, auraient limite sa progression artis­ tique et professionnel/e. Ses creations de mode ant attire !'attention de David Earle du Toronto Dance Theatre qui lui a demande decreer /es costumes de "Frost Watch" en 1980. Joffre deve­ nait par la suite createur de costumes en residence et costumier principal au TDT C'est son experience de la mode qui donne aux costumes de Denis Joffre leur style distinct1f 12 D A CE IN CANADA

~~tt~IVERSITY \tlY OF SURREY M.A. DANCE STUDIES One year full time or two years part time. PRACTICAL CHOREOGRAPHY DANCE ANALYSIS & CRITICISM U.K. C20 DANCE HISTORY DANCE EDUCATION DANCE RESOURCES & ARCHIVES B.A.(HONS.) DANCE IN SOCIETY 3/4 year degree course with one year on professional attachment. Theoretical and practical studies in dance with training for careers in DANCE ADMINISTRATION/ARCHIVES/ RESOURCES/DANCE TEACHING/THERAPY/ COMMUNITY WORK/ DANCE NOTATION/RECONSTRUCTION/ DANCE CRITICISM/HISTORY LINDA RABIN

For further information please contact DANSE The Secretary, Dance Studies, University of Surrey, MODERNE Guildford, Surrey GU2 5XH

,I THE NEW FALL LOOKSl ~- .. byCAPEZIO® / fall session in new luxury weight September 12 - December 16 nylon/Lycra® Classes offered in con­ tempory dance technique, floor barre, body release, baHet and s·inging.

mornings: professional, advanced, and advanced/ intermediate

afternoons and evenings: intermediate, elementary, beginners (an introduction to modern dance) and teenage classes (14 years and up).

registration: September 6-7-8-9 between 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m . information: (514) 866-9814

372 St-Catherine St. West, Room 324, 1922 Avenue Road, Tor,;onto, Ontario Montreal, Quebec, H3B 1A2 M5M 4A1 • (416) 782-2292 DANCE IN CANADA 13

ither from the dance stage, the -Y - or his own attire. He sports a .· personal image; he wears his ;ache waxed, his pants mottled and =;: . his neck scarves tied and arranged re ways than you would think le, and a ·sweatshirt whose designer _ . not being his own, are fastidiously ·;:rated by safety pins. - his three years as TDT's designer and -drobe master, Joffre's flare and origi- '.: have been fundamental in forging . ~efinitive " look" of the company. ·re remains true to a choreographer's ;-_ a nd aim while filtering that aim - ugh his own unique style. He can take _ asic unitard and transform it, with a • · di pped a little lower, a geometric .:::ng or smocky twist in front, a little _ ing at the ankle. He has handled . ;hing his choreographers have thrown -:1m, from the rich black velour _ gewear of Fleer, Christopher House's ~y in time and texture, to Patricia _ny's green halter gown with its gold nmail insert for her obscurely dra- :ic Rire for Future Time, to Charles :1ders' bizarrely elegant half-man half­ James Kudelka's In Paradisum - Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. an evening attire for his Androgyny Am our. instruction did not begin until he was 18, maintains it was the best thing he ever did. ~he Joffre-David Earle combination is at the Studio of Ottawa . An intended two months ballooned into . :-haps the most potent. Towards realiz- Three years later, Joffre found himself in nine. ~ Earle's vision of heaven and hell in Dayton, Ohio, as a full-time with a He returned to settle in Toronto, toting J, Sigh1fall, Joffre created a startling semi-professional company. It was a with him an inspired new direction that his - _ge: flesh-tone unitards, each embla- tenure that came to a self-imposed close designs would take both offstage and on, a -ed with a large inverted black triangle after only six months. taste for the unstructured drapey lines that :- e tip plunges down through the "I was very homesick, very disillusi­ look party to a bustling Moroccan .- ch. oned. I knew the most I could ever hope marketplace - a fondness most fully ··Erotic on a subconscious level", for was to be a soloist or a demi-soloist embodied in David Earle's Realm. -.:narks Joffre, " the triangle is also a with a better company - and then what? In 1980, his work came to the attention sic religious symbol of the trinity. And so I quit cold turkey." of the Toronto Dance Theatre not long _ .ath has both elements". In his high school days he had after he had opened a small studio and apprenticed with various Ottawa tailors introduced his private label. TOT com­ Flare and originality Jorge a definitive and in Dayton had made ends meet by missioned him for an evening of three ook"for TDT doing alterations in boutiques. With works. For Earle's Frost Watch, a searing performing behind him, he considered depiction of two people in mourning, ..\u diences and dancers alike find his doing stage costuming, but as a self­ Joffre dressed both in long skirts, putting .-eations compelling, and it is the haule confessed romantic, "I took the very the woman in a kimono top and leaving :irure side of Joffre's professional life classic, very corny attitude. If I couldn't be the man bare-chested. ·ai gives his stage work its distinctive­ on the stage, I didn't want to be anywhere The piece entered the repertoire; the - . There are very few designers doing near it". costumes figure crucially in the reason. :- 1h and those who most readily come to Returning to Ottawa, he married, took Two years later, the Globe and Mail's - nd occupy, in Joffre's words, "Mount a year of professional fashion training at Alina Gildiner, reviewing an evening of ::.;_·mpus". Richard Robinson's School of Haute Earle's work, said of Fr osr Wa rch: "Deni ··Of course, there's Halston for Martha Couture and Design, and with the annual Joffre's costumes - blocks of pure dee Graham - that's legend - and word has award for best student design under his colour cut in modified Japanese, . ,e • : rhat the Shaw Festival has nabbed Leo belt, he opened an alterations shop and the definition of oi rhevalier." soon developed a clientele for custom The reputations of these two are as designs. -hion designers first and foremost. The year was I 977, and Joffre got the · fre's dual identities run parallel, with bug to move again, this time a lit le ur:he· - stage designs keeping him close to a tha n D a ton. The Joffre ,ode• e:-:, :1;;. .-r t a nd earliest love, dance and theatre. they owned · • danced in and produced costumes for and ba pa - •. -_gh school productio ns, but fo rmal dance Nonh Afri . He SAVE $2 OFF THE NEWSTAND PRICE! 14 DANCE IN CANADA Please send me a full year's subscription ( 4 issues) to Dance in Canada. something. It's also one of the best cheque or money order for $10 ($2 off the newstand price) payable to Dan examples of my work; very simple, Canada is attached. plain, very precise". The year after Frost Watch, havi1 my name ______address ______resigned himself to a return to the, of the dance stage he had once vow city ______province _ _ ___ code _____ avoid, he was engaged as resicjent c designer and wardrobe master. He responsible for all costumes, desigr Please send a gift subscription to Dance in Canada to: pattern drafting, sewing and costur laundry and maintenance. my name ______address ______The TDT premises, a renovated, contains a small showroom that is 1 to Joffre's fashion designs. "My fa, city ______province code design is personal statement, as the designer has complete control. My , $,__ ___ Total amount enclosed. Outside Canada, please add $3 tume design is interpretation. It's c< subscription. All orders must be accompanied by payment. Please send your cheque collaboration, with someone else h, money order to Dance in Canada, 38 Charles Street East, Toronto, Ontario M4Y l the final say. I feel the designer's ba duty is to interpret the dance instead of just facilitating the image. If a choreo­ grapher tells me the exact shape he wants, the exact colour groupings arid fabrics and detailing and so on, of course I'll do it but I won't be happy with the restrictions."

The haute couture side of Joff re's professional life gives his stage work its distinctiveness.

Made-to-measure to Joffre's philosophy David Earle's Exit, Night Fall- Toronto Dance Theatre. was the complex challenge recently issued to him by James Kudelka for In Paradisum, a ballet with the theme of death as a transitory state. In the spring, his first fashion show, a evolve in both fields at once", says Joffre, "James came to me with a bit of prestigious private affair for 150 people, with satisfaction. "One isn't shooting rehearsal tape and very specific images in was followed fittingly by a show for ahead of the other." resource ma trials, but almost nothing as a Toronto's Japanese Cultural Centre, at Undoubtedly, these days the excuses for formed eventual image of the dance. The which he was the featured designer. getting Denis Joffre's name wrong in print piece was conveyed to me, at that point, in "One of the things I didn't expect was to are growing thin. verbal explanation. I was allowed to go away and think about it, to let it grow in my own way over several months." The roles in Kudelka's new work are not defined sexually but are interchangea­ ble between male and female dancers. In Paradisum is also rooted in an urban, familial context. Joffre therefore came up with circle skirts for both sexes - "a bit of the Frost Watch imagery", he comments, "but taken in an androgynous direction". He wanted a continuity in design but an individuality from costume to costume. "It occurred to me that we search for the personal image by focussing on the neckline. And so I gave each unitard an individualized neckline. I cut them from a cotton-Lycra blend - a fabric seen in the classroom but rarely on the stage. It has an ideally organic look, it's like a natural extension of the skin." The success of his designs for In Paradisum are making 1983 a banner year for both sides of J offre's p rofessional life. 14 DANCE IN CANADA

something. It's also one of the best examples of my work; very simple , very plain, very precise". The year after Frost Watch, having resigned himself to a return to the vicinity of the dance stage he had once vowed to avoid, he was engaged as resident costume designer and wardrobe master. He is responsible for all costumes, designing, pattern drafting, sewing and costume laundry and maintenance. The TDT premises, a renovated church, contains a small showroom that is home to Joffre's fashion designs. "My fashion design is personal statement, as the designer has complete control. My cos­ tume design is interpretation. It's constant collaboration, with someone else having the final say. I feel the designer's basic duty is to interpret the dance instead of just facilitating the image. If a choreo­ grapher tells me the exact shape he wants, the exact colour groupings arid fabrics and detailing and so on, of course I'll do it but I won't be happy with the restrictions."

The haute couture side of Jo ff re's professional life gives his stage work its distinctiveness.

Made-to-measure to Joffre's philosophy David Ea rle's Exit, Night Fall - Toronto Dance Theatre. was the complex challenge recently issued to him by James Kudelka for In Paradisum, a ballet with the theme of death as a transitory state. In the spring, his first fashion show, a evolve in both fields at once", says Joffre. "James came to me with a bit of prestigious private affair for 150 people, with satisfaction. "One isn't shooting rehearsal tape and very specific im ages in was followed fittingly by a show for ahead of the other." resource ma trials, but almost nothing as a Toronto's J apanese Cultural Centre, at Undoubtedly, these days the excuses for formed eventual image of the dance. The which he was the featured designer. getting Denis Joffre's name wrong in print piece was conveyed to me, at that point, in "One of the things I didn't expect was to are growing thin. verbal explanation. I was allowed to go away and think about it, to let it grow in my own way over several months." The roles in Kudelka's new work are not defined sexuall y but are interchangea­ ble between male and female dancers. In Paradisum is also rooted in an urban, familial context. Joffre therefore came up with circle skirts for both sexes - "a bit of the Frost Watch imagery", he comments, "but taken in an androgynous direction". He wanted a continuity in design but an individuality from costume to costume. "It occurred to me that we search for the personal image by focussing on the neckline. And so I gave each unitard an individualized neckline. I cut them from a cotton-Lycra blend - a fabric seen in the classroom but rarely on the stage. It has an ideally organic look, it's like a natural extension of the skin." The success of his designs for In Paradisum are making 1983 a banner year for both sides of Joffre's professional life. iscover Canada's DANCE IN CANADA 15 Exciting World ;ed'' of Dance for ·om Abroad

Standard. In the midst of all this - and active indolence - nly $10 a Year!!* ' inconspicuous sits the Royal -louse. savings off the newstand price res the quarter quite easily with its :cially minded neighbours; it asks a r-,-_ "c'rry'vfe-vvPe nrr1rrni1igCJeeXixcr.ie~pIT;'.nuffi71mvtTlTI'"- --r.nnn"RT"-:--rTT\1''1T"7=f'"7=,,...,,7"1F'P¥--,.,-TTTI,.------,-,TJT-rrrn110re i m po rta n t role than just to be • pers ply their trade here; they are Larry Rivers exhibit at the little gallery in there. For about half an hour after the 1 hout customers. People throng upper Floral Street and/or read The curtain rises on the evening's opera or

~-- Page in Sir Kenneth MacMilla n's Valley of Shadows - . DANCE IN CANADA 15 Jennifer Penney Is Indisposed" Canadian Dance Critic's Notes From Abroad

28, London: There are no fruit and Inigo Jones' newly-renovated market and Evening Standard. In the midst of all this le shops in Covent Garden any- the neighbouring streets until the last activity - and active indolence - - - but there are boutiques and stalls minute. Most are shopping, but many are serenely inconspicuous sits the Royal :: _lis t about everything else, from blissfully content just to sit (or stand) and Opera House. ~~ china to recordings of rare watch, hail an acquaintance, quaff a pint It shares the quarter quite easily with its ay shows. From mid-morning to or two, toss a few pence into an itinerant commercially minded neighbours; it asks _ ry evening (except Sunday), the flautist's open case, take a peek at the for no more important role than just to be • pers ply their trade here; they are Larry Rivers exhibit at the little gallery in there. For about half an hour after the 1 bout customers. People throng upper F loral Street and/ or read The curtain rises on the evening's opera or

_ge in Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Valley of Shadows - The Royal Ba llet. 16 DANCE IN CANADA

ballet, the shopkeepers continue to hawk !he frisson of the theatre-goer who has hardness, its angularity is extremely their wares. They take little or no notice of been taught to keep art and life separate. I brittle, precious. It does, however, convey. their revered neighbour's schedule and yet have always felt during these pre­ more effectively perhaps than a better one can sense that they are deeply attuned performance vigils as though I were on the ballet might do, the determined escapism to its very heartbeat; even though many verge of entering an exotic, forbidden of an era dogged by financial and political have never been inside its great doors, they Never-Neverland. Perhaps, I think as I crises. As slams shut the door are among the reverent. Just so, the lobby look about me, !his explains why Canadi­ which throughout the ballet has yawned and staircase and chandeliered Crush Bar ans enjoy no continuously evolving cultu­ onto a twilight landscape, she sounds the and orchestra stalls and balconies - every ral life - we haven' t yet figured out that death knell of the 1930s and heralds part of the Opera House itself - have culture goes with hard-boiled eggs and perhaps the arrival of the first bombers. long ago absorbed the rhythms of the briefcases. The audience applauds with patriotic adjoining streets and arcades and squares. fervour: La Fin du lour is a piece of their March 29, after the show: I have been to Which is probably what makes the Royal history. London four times for extended periods Opera House the greatest theatre of its and during those sojourns I have seen kind in the world. April 2: Proms audiences are not as about 20 performances by the Royal Ballet reserved as regular Opera House audien­ March 29, before the show: It is the first in or its relative, the Sadler's Wells Royal ces. The £3 admission makes them almost a series of Proms Concerts tonight. The Ballet. But I've only ever seen Canadian­ giddy in their appreciation, but they are red plush seats of the orchestra stalls have born Jennifer Penney dance once - as the nowhere near as vociferous as Canadian been removed in order to admit about 300 heroine of MacMillan's opulent Manon. cheap-seat audiences. By comparison, ballet-lovers at £3 ($5.50) a piece. Even Most of the time I enter the Opera House they sit on their hands. now the queue to purchase the treasured knowing she's scheduled to perform only places on the carpet curves snake-like to be confronted with the notice board in I sit on my hands, too, for most of an through the rainy grey square fronting the the lobby apologizing, "The Management all-MacMillan evening. It has opened with his recent Orpheus, set to the same music old market building. At six o'clock, one regrets that Jennifer Penney is indisposed. and a half hours before curtain, people Her role in _____ will be danced by Balanchine used so remarkably in the just released from their nine-to-five shifts ______" The frequency of 1940s. MacMillan's impression of the excitedly join lovers, spouses, friends, who this apology has given it the status of a Orpheus-Eurydice legend is dominated by have been standing in the rain since two or landmark to which I can always count on a gold-runged tower designed by Nicholas three that afternoon. Under clusters of returning with each visit. Tonight I have Georgiadis (the designer of Nureyev's black umbrellas, the reunited share hard­ not been disappointed: Jennifer Penney Sleeping Beauty ) and the soft-core grap­ boiled eggs and bread, oranges and will not be dancing La Fin du lour. pling of an angel of Light (Ashley Page) chocolate from sparkling gold and blue There's something about the apology, and an Angel of Darkness (Phillip papers, and coffee, or more likely tea, the wording, I suppose, that seems to sum Broomhead). For the rest, Eagling agon­ from thermoses. up the style of English ballet - its good izes as Orpheus, Marguerite Porter wafts Inside the theatre, many who, unwilling manners, its diplomacy, its tastefulness. as Eurydice and a chorus of Furies in to face queues, inclement weather or The star of the evening, however, is not at flame-hued Folies Bergeres costumes, (c. carpet-squatting, have purchased regular all polite. It is a revival of George 1948), harrasses them both. It's a tatty, seats, come early to partake of similar Balanchine's Th e Prodigal Son with its trite vision and MacMillan's use of picnics - sandwiches, crudites, ices and foreboding Rouault decor and vehement Stravinsky's music feels like burglary. The coffee purchased from one of the theatre's score by Prokofiev. A young dancer audience is confused, but is willing to give food bars. Some of the picnickers are named Ashley Page (who will dance just the dance the benefit of the doubt. businessmen, others secretaries and office about everything I see this season) has the The latest MacMillan opus, Valley of boys, still others hairdressers, antique­ title role and glamorous Genesia Rosato Shadows, loosly based on Giorgio Bassa­ store clerks, university students, librar­ plays the Morticia-like Siren. The perfor­ ni's delicate novel, The Garden of the Finzi ians. None of them has gone home to mance as a whole is tough and angular Continis, and probably Vittorio de Sica's change. They have come with the faint without being remorselessly Art Deco and extraordinary film of the same, is worse - smell of the office, study or shop about Page demonstrates a viseral power I am maybe the worst ballet MacMillan has them. Many carry briefcases, some not used to seeing on the Covent Garden ever made. Garden scenes of flirtations, peruse sheafs of paper, library books or stage, at least from one of the Royal jealousies and domestic misunderstanding professional literature as they consume Ballet's own. After the limp, white alternate with impasto tableaux of suffer­ their supper. (The English go to great rose-petalled Bayadere that preceded it, ing in Mauthausen. (For the former, lengths not to appear to scrutinize others this Prodigal Son is a piece of dynamite. MacMillan has dug up Tchaikovsky's too closely.) The reading stops however The evening closes with a more charac­ Souvenirs de Florence; for the latter, for the beer or wine that celebrates teristically English entertainment, Ken­ Marti nu's Double Conceno, the same supper's end. I find no evidence of great neth MacMillan's Noel Cowardy toast to Tetley used for his ballet Sphinx. Does expectation among them; they seem, as the 1930s, La Fin du lour. In place of MacMillan now need to depend on other far as I can discern, to possess no notion Jennifer Penney is swan-necked Marguer­ choreographers' musical inspiration?) that what they are going to see is - as ite Porter. Merle Park is her saucy cohort The initial shock of the concentration the Italians would have it - un' in a strawberry-red marcelled wig and camp setting quickly turns into quiet spettacolo, or that they are participants and , by now shudders of disbelief at MacMillan's in a Grand Event. Going to the ballet the two "old men" of the Royal Ballet, shamelessness : dancers in ballet slippers simply what these people do. have thankless roles as their partners. and grey and white-striped fatigues drag­ At first, I put my own excitement down (Both men seem to be working too hard; ging one another about the stage in to the tourist in me. Then, I realize that Eagling sports a perpetual grimace.) The simulations of angst! The garden scenes much of the tingling I'm feeling is habit: dance is remorselessly Art Deco; its slide more reluctantly into absurdity DANCE IN CANADA 17

every aspect of their lives. How, I wonder, will I ever go to dance again in Canada? April 7, Milano: In Milan, the fa<;ades of the city's 19th-century apartment houses are salmon, rose, canary, peach, avocado and mustard colours. Sophisticated shades. The fa<;ades of the inhabitants, too, are sophisticated. Whether strolling in the Galleria, lounging in chrome and glass pastry shops, shopping at Peck - Milan's equivalent to Harrod's Food Halls, only dearer - or sipping wine in theatre lobbies, the Milanese are an amazingly well turned-out people. Some of them probably haven't got a lira in the bank, but the fa<;ade must be served. You have only to saunter down the Via Montenapoleone to see what will be hot in Vogue and GQ three or four issues hence. At a performance of Friedrich Schiller's Romantic tragedy, Mary Stuart, directed by the flamboyant Franco Zeferelli and starring those two tigresses of the Italian theatre, Rosella Falk (Elisabetta) and Valentina Cortese (Maria), the Milanese bourgeoisie are most impressed by Sig­ nora Falk's floor-length fox fur hunting cape. Dance seems to bring out their passion for surfaces. It provides them with the perfect excuse for physical vanity. Unlike the English, the Milanese see going to the ballet as pre-eminently a social event, one that requires adequate time for prepara­ tion. Performances begin at 8:45 or 9 o'clock (officially, that is; the Milanese_are always at least half an hour late for everything) so that the rites of toilette can be fully observed. For Louis Falco's Lo Spazio di Leo­ nardo at the Teatro Carcano, the crowd is young (in its 20s) and breathtaking. It's na Savignano and Louis Perrella in rehearsal for Louis Falco's Lo Spazio di Leonardo. more than their "avant-garde" attire - the girls in rainbow skirts layered like -elodrama with generous helpings of dancers even though the lovely and Swiss tortes and the boys in shirts -amel) thanks largely to the intelligence versatile heads the cast. outfitted with epaulettes and zippers and Page in the role of the heroine's On my way out of the theatre, I sense cords that suggest instant transforma­ ,.:.ucer. As the curtain descends most of elation in the air. The audience streaming tions, into parachutes, sails, wings per­ e audience is ecstatic, but I hear - for forth towards car parks or taxi stands or haps. It's the seductive angle of the head e !irst time ever in the Opera House - the nearby Covent Garden tube station on the neck, the assured way the chest is s amid the cheers and wh istles. In the brandish their programs like prizes and presented, the flirtation of hips, the -:erval I spot Martin Sherman in the talk volubly about what they've seen. eloquence of the hands that clinch their - sh Bar. He is the author of Bent, an With mounting enthusiasm the conversa­ impact on spectators. No wonder dance .- rmously successful play about the fate tion quickly turns to Tandoori cooking draws them. omosexuals under the Nazis, which and rents in Camden Town and borrowing They especially like Falco's work, it __ ures a brilliant, affecting final scene set a car for next weekend's jaunt and Regine flatters their self image. Commissioned by - he quarry at Mauthausen. I wonder if Crespin's impending appearance as the the City fathers to celebrate the 500th va s one of the outraged who booed. Mother Superior in Poulenc's Dialogues of anniversary of Leonardo's stay in Mi lan, The evening comes to an end peaceably the Carmelites at the ROH , but returns to Leonardo's Room stars one of the two :h Faure's Requiem. I keep wishing the the ballet frequently for a fix . It's not that great prime asso/u1e of Italian ball et, ::·:io usly entranced audience could catch the ballet has lifted these people out of Luciana Savignano, cavorting through a - rnnto Dance Theatre's version. Mac- humdrum lives - a trivializing work such series of scenes on a da Vinci theme in •. :J an 's is no discredit to the choreo­ as Valley of Shadows could effect no such company wi th 26 male dancers. The ;-apher but the modernisms it clearly miracle anyway - but it has made clearer choreography is pretty much what we • kes from him are not well served by the the (latent) possibilities for creativity in have come to expect from Falco - a lot of 18 DANCE IN CANADA hanging loose, a lot of baring it - only it's superstar named Gheorghe Iancu and painters have always come to Paris to been amplified a hundred times. The actress Giulia Lazzarini. work. The skies alone provide ample scenario concerns a modern boy (a real The performance is delayed 45 minutes. challenge to the painter's palette; even on little boy; children are a favourite past­ When no explanation is tendered, the rainy days, Paris skies can come up with a time among the Milanese) on a bizarre audience, grown tired of cruising one veritable rainbow range of greys - from journey through Leonardo-land which another, becomes edgy - there is not slate to pearl - to delight and inspire. The includes several references - oblique and much ventilation in the Teatro Nuovo, Parisians tend to behave as if this were no otherwise - to Leonardo's drawings and programs have become fans and eyes are natural coincidence but some divine to that city landmark, the Cenacolo (The flashing but not out of coquettishness. favour granted a chosen people. They Last Supper, housed in the church of Santa When the curtain finally does go up, often seem to live in the sky, in fact, Maria delle Grazie). After 10 minutes or nothing is right: sets refuse to fly, perhaps because they project such an so, however, the audience has discarded Lazzarini forgets her lines (a rather facile aloofness, from the vantage point of the the scenario like the cone of a gelato and is dance history lesson) and must rely heavens, they can best play their favourite consuming the dancers with great relish. throughout on her notes; not only that, role - supreme arbiter of taste. Falco holds a mirror up to them and they the sound system distorts her voice so that I'm not sure when but recently the prove as vulnerable as Narcissus to the it sounds as if it were coming through a Parisians decided that dance from New images contained there : Luciana Savig­ grater; and the piano, stationed in front of York is the best there is, so any dancer or nano in black evening dress and veil, the the stage on a level with the audience, company hailing from the Big Apple, eternal mystery woman, dark, beautiful, blocks the view of people in the dress regardless of hometown reputation, is irresistibly tragic; young men in loin cloths circle left. Still, there is , the given extravagant welcomes in Paris. In - eternal Christs; young men in horses other great prim a assoluta of the Italian just a few years New York dance has masks - eternal studs; young men in ballet, and the audience, vociferous in its carved out a sizeable niche for itself in birds wings - eternal Ganymedes - and displeasure with everything else, adores Paris' rather chilly heart and the devotees eternally half-naked. At the end of it all, her as it might the Holy Virgin - she is come in droves to salute it - as well as feeling a bit embarrassed, as adults caught infallibie. She is, in fact, extraordinary. their own sensitivity and insightfulness. indulging childish desires, the spectators The Taglioni mantle suits her especially The Ballet, which can boasc demand a bit of significance to relieve well. Her partners are good, too, the such fine dancers as Noella Pantois, their guilt. Always accommodating, Falco Roumanian a real spitfire, but the Michel Denard, Wilfride Piollet and the gives them a beware-the-holocaust mes­ iridescent light she casts on the proceed­ current rage of New York ballet circles, sage and a plea for brotherhood - on ings nearly defeats their machismo. When Patric Du pond, has turned the entire behalf of Leonardo naturally and accom­ the performance finally draws to a close, month over to a triple bill of American panied by a disco beat - and the audience makes a suprise appearance on choreographies: Glen Tetley's grounded leaves the theatre with a graceful swagger. stage to pay tribute to Fracci and to tribute to , Voluntaries, remind the audience, as no overblown text April 8: The Teatro Nuovo is a jewel of an which the audience receives as a nice could do, that dance indeed has an Art Deco theatre under the Piazza San apertif; Alvin Ailey's Au Bord du Precipice, honourable history. Babila. Its walls are panelled in a glowing a kind of paint-by-numbers portrait of a It is 12: 30 when I finally get out of the dark wood and the wonderfully comforta­ rock star done-in by drugs and sex (who theatre and the subways have closed for ble seats - the Italians call them poltrone, else but Jim Morrison? - he's buried in the night. I have to walk back to my hotel or armchairs - are upholstered in a Pere Lachaise cemetery), which the and by the time I arrive, the front door is velvety material the colour of old gold. audience cannot thank enough; and Andy locked. I ring and while I wait I curse the The light fixtures which seem both de Groat's Nouvelle Lune (C'est a dire), a concert for its length, the municipal avant-garde and old-fashioned at the same gorgeous duet for Wilfride Piollet and her government for its train service, the hotel time resemble clusters of glass petals. It is brooding husband, Jean Guizerix, which for its lack of trust and finally the here that has decided to mount a many of the audience loathe to the point Milanese as a race for their self-indulgence memorial to a 100 years of ballet, "from of jeers and catcalls. A Parisian friend and irresponsibility. Once inside, I am Taglioni to Diaghilev". The director is quickly assures me that the Paris Opera able again to accept that inconvience is a Ballet crowd doesn't know anything about Beppe Menegatti and the star is his wife, way of being here and, like a Milanese Carla Fracci. She will perform 16 excerpts dance, is no barometer for the dance­ myself, offer a prayer to the ineffable from the Romantic and Neo-Romantic going public. In other circumstances he beauty of Carla Fracci. ballet repertoire, assisted by Roland feels sure that the deGroat would be Petit's Denys Ganio, a young Roumanian April 14, Paris: It is not surprising that loudly praised.

2205, 700 - 9th Street S.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 2B5 :~ SUN·ERGOS ~l a company ol lhealre and dance

M J. Robert Greenwood and Dana Luebke (403) 264-4621 DANCE IN CANADA 19 - not sure and my uncertainty is tant, one of the highest points (and best describe as "catness" - impertinent · !:i wh en the next evening I attend lookouts) in Paris, and then home, the backsides, flicking wrists, silken - ..:. eries of supper hour concerts at sunset, so generous in its spread of colour shoulders, scorching eyes. --::atre de la Ville presented by the after such a dismal day, reminds me of the The original dance heavy of Cats, ,,.,..,._-""'de Recherche choreographique de glorious de Groat duet again. I can see the Wayne Sleep, has bequeathed his part of Hllln:Dll""~ de Paris (the Opera Ballet's Opera stage stripped of all its accoutre­ Mr. Mistofelees to Kim Reeder, a nimble, c--•-::T1ental wing, in other words), now ments, the back wall lifted to reveal the likeable former soloist of the SWRB. Also .:. by ex-Ailey dancer, Ulysses Dove. great expanse of foyer beyond - Degas' from the SWRB, Kenn Wells imperson­ • ,obby before the show, cliques of foyer - only the ceiling decorated, hung ates the officious Railway Cat, Skimble­ ung intellectuals and artists in with white plastic cloud shapes. I can see shanks. In the role of the Rumposcat is _ of austere (no salmon or rose or the two dancers, together, alone, moving Canadian born Roland Alexander who 10 :-: . here) hover warily. simply - no pretend austerity, but real years ago was a curious fixture at TDT's ·-;: oncert begins with the ludicrously simplicity - to the strains of Chopin studios. The real star for me, however, is _. Ja d Rush (I do not suspect the Etudes played live on stage. I remember Angela Richards, Elaine Page's replace­ • .Dgrapher of irony) by Lucinda with a shiver that at one point the clouds ment as the tattered old Glamour Cat, =: it is similar to every other Lucinda are lowered to the stage and Piollet, Grizabella. It is Richards' role to sing the haunting Memory and she does, in a ~ group piece I have ever seen: anally strolling among them as through a field of -;t ·e, ashen-faced, spiritually lilies, discovers and releases a pair of throaty, plaintive voice that vividly con­ - ' en and endless. I cannot help doves. I remember I nearly cried - I jures up Eliot's "windy city". Her - g Childs deeply mistrusts the ex pres- could cry again. rhapsody lingers about the set for minutes ::- ential of the human body- and My friend was wrong. The audience this after she has done, much like the · ~e French as a race support her afternoon would have booed de Groat, moonlight the song evokes. Afterwards, as - .:st. Paradoxically, the audience too. The choreographer, like Piollet with I make my way to the Covent Garden tube _··and carries on ecstatically at its her doves, has too easily, too forthrightly for the last time, I hear it still, floating ion; some leap to their feet like discovered and released his dance; it through the lamplight like autumn leaves. - ~ overflowing with testimony at a requires no analysis, no justification, no certification. Under Paris skies, everything - ;: evening's second work, Fin de must be certified. . rs (Version fugitive) by one, April 22, back in London: The Joyce Trisler - .ois Verret, is not as wildly Danscompany has been to Sadler's Wells _ ded though approval is definitely in in my absence with its charming Deni­ . Its images are doubtless consi- shawn suite. There is no ballet at the ROH _ .:i just a trifle too obvious, i.e. literary: until the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet turns . oung men rushing at one aother and up in May for a triple bill. Only Regine g horns in a ritualistically aggressive Crespin in The Dialogues of the Carmelites. another young man conversing with Fortunately I manage to get a ticket to see : amese twin, a dummy, on a trapeze Cats, the celebrated Andrew Lloyd e the combatants (he later dances a Webber musical that boasts a class libretto ,, with his wooden companion); a fat by T.S. Eliot (selections from Old Pos­ - rinking at a small spotlit table sum's Book of Practical Cats) and bright re changing his shirt; a girl in aviator's choreography by Gilliam Lynne the sheer - 3.nd goggles rushing on for a quick inventiveness of which makes it rather ·-and-tell. The audience wants "to unique on the London stage. Most musical - about it" before giving it full marks. and revue dances are sub-standard, even ~ my money, it holds enough interest to for a show containing as much dance ·e up for the sterility of Mad Rush and talent as Wayne Sleep's Dash at the eces of Dreams, the firial work and an neo-Gothic Apollo Victoria Theatre. Cats' ·omfortable mixture of Ailey razzma­ dances nearly overflow with wit and :::z. and minimalist non-involvement by character. The "Jellicle Ball" sequence -e tor Dove. and the "McCavity Fight" are particularly ater as the bus climbs to Menilmon- atmospheric, ripe with a quality I can only

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Registration dates: August 29th to September 2nd and September 6th to 9th from 11 :00 a.m . to 7:00 p.m.

Duration of the session: September 12th to December 17th (14 weeks)

Courses offered: classical - pointes - jazz - modern (Limon & Graham) - workshops

551 Mount Royal East, Montreal, Quebec H2J 1W6. Tel.: (514) 527-7770 permit of self improvement education no. 749709 Mount-Royal metro DANCE. IN CANADA 21 In Review

ce in Canada audience at a conference of this we re arranged in a national/re­ Bowman in The 12% Solution, nature to endure. Unfinished gional/national sequence, and Susan Cash's joyful a nd 'atoon choreography, dancers with no accentuating the disparities often ex quisite moments of _ e8-ll, 1983. se nse of their energy centre, between dance on the national madness all added to the mi staking static stares for dra­ level and that of a more variety of this first evening, but •. ormances at the Saskatoon matic intensity; all were in provincial focus. The first it was left to Sun •Er gos to _nee in Canada Conference ev idence, and served, ironi­ evening, "Canadian Kaleido­ provide the most compelling _re definitely of the " mixed­ cally , to cast brighter light on scope", held on an airless ni ght and theatrically-crafted work. g" variety. The three noon the performances of quality. in an a ncient sauna of a theatre Dana Luebke's recital of Blood certs and three evening Charles-Mathieu Brunelle's on the University of Saskatche­ Wedding in hi s Luna was the - :igrams, containing over 60 Sans Histoire was a brief, wan campus, contained some most consumate blending of _1v idual dances, guaranteed pointed solo notable for its of the best work of the entire tex t and technique I have ye t _t the distribution of quality clarity and the appealing, conference. seen, a flawless rendering of Id follow a typical bell- dagger-like attack of its dancer, Silvy Panet-Raymond'sDog works that resonated through . ·e , a nd it did. The best Manon Jacob. Barbara Eat Dog, a saucy and cl eanly the accompanying se ries of rk was concise, polished and Bonner, of the Brian Webb gymnastic dance, full of good­ movements ex ecuted with · ll igent. T he worst was eye­ Dance Company, presented an natured violence, was a tighter knife-like precisio n. In Stroke, - zing, mind-numbing intriguing array of move ment piece than when it was shown choreographer Ro bert Green­ - ock. And, as might be in S talactites, while Marian in Vancouver in the spring. Iro wood stood stark still in the cted, most of the best work Sarach injected a few minutes Tembeck's earthy, brooding space and was slowly wrapped - g.in ated in the major Cana­ of hilarity into an otherwise mobility came to th e fore in her in a shroud of gauze by n centres. The creative ten­ morose program with he r Amazonic, although her o nl y Luebke, while Greenwood's ' of an urban context has a (apparently) tongue-in-cheek prop, a knotted rope ladder, taped voice recounted the mute · iceable effect on the dance Dances ofIsadora. Her second hung onstage solely as a point agony of voicelessness suffered uced within it. Happily, dance, Followers, is best des­ of departure and begged to be by an aged stroke victim as he generalization collapsed on cribed as se nsual, post-modern, more fully integrated with the expresses his inner desire to te ll . era ! occasions . ethnic chic, concerned some­ dance . her he loves her. Simple and . luch of the noon perfor­ how, I believe, with the puls­ The lush syncopations of direct, Sun •Ergos presented nce material was of student ings of history . Rina Singha's Two Talas, an th e gems of the evening. ... ial q uality, and unfit fo r the T he three evening concerts increasingly inebriated Elaine T he Friday evening offering,

eremos h Ukrani an Dance Ensemble closed the fi nal performance of the 19 3 Sa katoon Dance in Canada Conference y. i ha Ho ak. 22 DANCE IN CANADA

beautifully-timed pl ayground Banff Festival Dance antics. Eric Harvie Theatre Paul Gaulin and company's Banff Centre Spaceworms with its charac­ 28-30 July, 1983. ter's great ce rvical extensions had an Aesop-li ke fe el. This Although pleasing an audien was followed by Clifford E. is partly an aim of the annual Lee award winner Martine summer Banff Festival of the Epoque's Point Virgule, a som­ Arts, the primary objective, bre, almost funereal and lar­ quite correctly, is to provide a gely obscure dance. enriching educatio nal expe­ Terry Hunter's starkly rience for the performers. The understated exerpt from Drum Banff Ce ntre is , after all, a House left out the dynamism school. Students in a variety o - that is one of the features of the arts disciplines have been work, but Eddy Toussaint's A flocking there now for half a Simple Moment gained its century. The faculty includes strength by its precise ly matter­ many noted international of-fact but quartz-li ke duet artists. Some of the students manoeuvres, performed by are pretty hot too. Anik Bissonnette and Louis These circumstances help Robitaille. explain why the Banff Festi­ The most ambitious of dan­ val's da nce presentation is Two members of the Canadian Children's Dance Theatre in Srreel Songs. ces came from Toronto's almost always a marathon T.I.D.E. a nd the fe rtile mind of event combining a range of All an Risdill. Images from "Saskatchewan Dances", was nous Centennial Auditorium styles you would not ordinaril~ Billersuite, transcended essentially a series of children stage. expect to find lumped together obvious technical difficulties to and yo uths (en masse) dancing on one program. "Canada Dances" Satur­ evoke an almost painterly tab­ in numbers that ranged from This year, for example, there day's long final program, leau of sails , sunsets, oceans, jazz a nd ballet to Highland, were two classical pas de deux brought this low-key confer­ flowin g rainbows and a trio of C hinese and Ukrainian folk - August Bourno nville's for ence to a low-key close. Jo dancers seemingly plucked styles. This work, of co urse, is the Rossini opera William Tell Lechay, in a silent solo entitled from Breugel. no different from simil ar mani­ and Lev Ivanov's famous love­ Edge, successfully sustained the It's a n impossible task to festations in any of the other match from Act II of Swan actual tension of body and watch six programs of dance at provinces, except that it see ms Lake - and a contemporary implied tension of mind for the a nati onal conference, then to be the only dance that can classic, Sir 's duration of her dance, a note­ attempt statements that won't hold students a nd audiences in Les Pa tineurs. Visiting guest worthy accomplishment. offend, ignore or sho rtchange Saskatchewan. master-class teacher Laura Renald Rabu's On a Cold at least some of the partici­ Friday's work was the type Alonso ( daughter of famed Winter's Eve expl ored the emo­ pants. Yet assessments must be that a writer is often at a loss to Alicia), staged the pas de deux ti o nal basis of a relationship made if these gatherings are to speak about without fee ling in what one ass umes is the and what promised to be benefit the growth a nd appreci­ more like an adjudicator. The Cuban style - fl amboyant and merely a puerile statement ation of dance. Expectations kids were fun to watch and two showy - while ex-National turned out to be a well-crafted are difficult to mee t at the best pieces did stand out and bear Ballet director Alexander dance ably performed by of times. Coming up squarely comment. Bill Brittain 's Indian Grant produced Les Patineurs Charie Evans and Gaetan against them, one must evalu­ Hoop Dance seemed more indi­ once Canadian notator Robyn Masse. ate both the expectati ons and genous to Saskatchewan than Hughes had taught the steps the reality. did the transplanted work from Dancemakers' Carol Ander­ from a Benesh score. Ashton's This conference was a case in distant cultures. His perfor­ son bravely created a dance to 1931 sugary masterpiece is a point. Assessed as the national mance consisted of a number Satie's Trois Gymnopedies, and potential minefield for dancers forum for performance of of intricate ma nipulati ons of managed, against the odds, a unused to the great British dance, the questions naturally over a dozen hoops into com­ delicate, layered a nd personal choreographer's quirky steps ari se: Should all types of dance plex patterns, made all the study that took advantage of and complex port de bras. Yet, have their hour o n stage? more difficult by the constant the spacious punctuations pro­ the Banff ensemble - a combi­ Should just anyone be all owed step-hop rhythm he maintained vided by the music. The Cana­ nation of the 13-member to perform? Who assesses qua l­ throughout his dance. Maureen dian Children's Dance Theatre Alberta , audi­ ity and balance in assembling McKellar (Saskatchewa n-born demonstrated convincingly the tioned students and invited the concerts? The performan­ o ne assumes) contributed One excellence and professionalism guests - acquitted itself ces at a Dance in Canada Sailing Wait, based o n her that children can attain. Their admirably, with the young New Conference should be impor­ experiences waiting for a Brit­ S treet Songs, danced to the Zealander, Allan Barry, mak­ tant events. If they are not, we ish Columbia ferry. Performed ex uberant choral music of Carl ing a particularly strong have onl y ourselves to blame. with ten dancers to the music Orff, capitalized on the toys, impression in the le ading Blue of Steve Reich, Wait was a games a nd pastimes of children Boy role. PETER RYAN looping work of patterns, to prese nt the appreciative Every Banff dance show now admi rably suited to the caver- audience with a carnival of includes a new work by the DANCE IN CANADA 23

dancers atop them strike ele­ confidence in the enduring gant and exotic poses. It's hard value of human reason - to tell who the dancers are restrained, tranquil and supposed to represent. They measured. don't have big green heads or Although much of the webbed feet but in their trendy work's impact derives from the jumpsuits look remarkably like choreography, Macdonald has chic party-goers at some extra­ been particularly well served by terrestrial disco. his collaborators. Diaghilev The pace quickens just as would have applauded the one is getting used to its harmonious integration of sluggishness. Dancers flood to music, decors and movement. and fro in mildly frenzied Claude Girard's set is stun­ waves. Something is amiss with ning in its elegant geometric them. We never know what. simplicity. A large circle The dan.ce ends, as it began, in encases a maze-like pattern and gloom. forms the back drop. Horizon­ The centrepiece and crown­ tal and vertical bars (they later ing achievement of the Banff disappear) radiate from it. In program turned out to be Brian front of all this is a large Macdonald's Findings. It's a monkey-gym whose sole inhab­ masterful, tautly constructed itant - admirably danced by work which draws heavily on a Daniel McLaren - forms the number of his earlier ballets, human link between the both thematically and choreo­ ballet's three sections. graphically, but which distills The music sandwiches a aiel McLaren in Brian Macdonald's Findings. them into a memorable state­ cacophonous modern composi­ ment of Macdonald's views on tion by Serge Garant between contemporary society and the :mer of the Clifford E. Lee Tribe in dazzling colours, two serene selections from J.S. art of dance. ,ard for Choreography - could do little to compensate Bach. Garant's disturbing Findings has three clearly year it was Montrealer for such a deadening drone. score is the perfect accompani­ defined but linked sections. ' .. nine Epoque - and, since Most of the choreography was ment to the jagged, fragmented The first presents a youthful - 3 is Banffs 50th Anniver­ of a nonedescript jazz-ballet­ choreography of Findings' cen­ world of hope and joy. The ~·- the program also offered Broadway variety and, for a tral section. second is an ugly tangled jungle o commissioned works, Eva program-opener, the whole Findings uses dance to say of human strife and violence. n Gencsy's Lancez Votre thing, flashy lighting and soar­ the things dance can say best. It The final section, devoid of ·re and Banff dance depart­ ing kite included, fell decidedly is a richly evocative and affect­ mimic gestures or obvious ing work which will, no doubt, nt head Brian Macdonald's flat. representations of human emo­ find a welcome home in the dings. The pace was hardly quick­ tion, is a pure neo-classical In all, it made for close to a ened by Martine Epoque's repertory of Macdonald's ballet. Alone it would look like ~,ee-hour show but the variety Constellation I, described in a home company, Les Grands Macdonald's personal state­ a enough to sustain one's note by the choreographer as Ballets Canadiens. ment about the art of choreo­ - erest even when the choreo­ " a sort of encounter of the graphy. In the context of MICHAEL CRABB ,:aphy was unimpressive. third kind". Findings, it is an an assertion of J azz dance exponent and Epoque admits to liking ·~rmer ballerina Eva von Sci-Fi - no discredit there - ,... encsy probably made a fatal but that does not warrant her -istake when she chose a obscure effort to translate Sci­ :ollage of music by the Alan Fi themes into dance. Parso ns Project, Pat Metheny For the first four minutes of ~nd Ly le Mays as the accom­ Constellation I you can hardly _a ni ment for Lancez Votre see a thing - just flashing eve. Apparently she was green lights that could be a nspired by an entry in Ana1s flying saucer and then the "i n's journal - an invocation moving beams of flashlights, o th row caution to the wind presumably manipulated by ..n d to "launch your dream". dancer-cosmic-beings. Unfortunately, the ballet's Even when lighting designer eary, mostly low-key music Jane Reisman is allowed to orked against the choreo- illuminate the stage there's lraphy. Like so much elec­ little to be seen. Four shiny ·ronic sound it was vacantly round dais of different portentous without ever really heights and diameters are dis­ ;:,ro pelling the dance. The cast tributed around the stage and f JO , decked out by Julia these are revolved as the Gaetan Masse and Giaconda Barbuto in ,'v!artine Epoque·s Cons1ellarion I. 24 DANCE IN CANADA

National Ballet of Canada trast, was sinuous, voluptuou O'Keefe Centre and feline, genuinely sensual in Toronto a way that redeemed her from 4-22 May, 1983. the meretricious and demean­ ing sexiness of Quartet in the Alexander Grant stepped down February season. from his post as Artistic Direc­ Kain's body type rightly tor of the National Ballet with determined her interpretation a flourish, offering Toronto of the part. A tinier dancer audiences Glen Tetley's (guest artist Elisabetta Tera­ Sphinx, ( originally created for bust and Sabina Alleman both in took part later in the season) 1978), and Anthony Dowell's would be less predatory, more Don Juan as a parting gift. The supplicating, more nearly Coc­ gift was enthusaistically teau's "little girl of seventeen". received, as it well deserved to But Martine van Hamel, be. A new acquisition for the another womanly ballerina, company and a new role for was Tetley's first Sphinx at one of the world's foremost ABT, so perhaps Kain is true dancers command our atten­ to his conception of the part. tion. The lasting merit of the Augustyn danced Oedipus Tetley, however, has yet to be with the full commitment and proved and Dowell's flawless concentration that character­ performance made clearer than ized his performance in Giselle ever the limitations inherent in with Evelyn Hart but that have Neumeier's ballet. not always been his in previous Sphinx, the glamorous seasons. Gone was the air of centre-piece of the spring sea­ abstracted indifference that has son's mixed programs, is based often marred past performan­ on the second act of Jean ces. Augustyn was fully present Cocteau's La Machine Infer­ as Oedipus, concentrating all na/e. In it, the young Oedipus, of his resources on mastering still a stranger to Thebes, as to this new but not very clearly his ultimate destiny, encoun­ defined material. Mary Jago and Anthony Dowell in Don Juan. ters in the desert a young girl The essential classicism of who reveals to him the riddle of ship between Anubis and the seems merely symmetrical and Sphinx makes it an intelligent the Sphinx. She is, however, Sphinx. Like much of the reveals no change in basic choice for the National's reper­ the Sphinx in mortal guise and ballet, which repeats key relationships. Tetley seems at a toire, for in a sense, it can be her revelation is a sacrifice to choreographic motifs at signifi­ loss to create the sense, para­ seen as revisted, her love for Oedipus. When cant points, these are remarka­ mount in Cocteau's play, of concentrated and made new. Anubis, the god of death, bly symmetrical in form. Their Oedipus as a young man for Anubis, the Sphinx and Oedi­ compels her to put the young emotional impact, however, is whom destiny is waiting. His pus remind us of von Rothbart. stranger to the test, Oedipus sharply differentiated. The exit for Thebes crystallizes the Odette and Siegfried; both defeats her with the knowledge opening creates tension, as problem. What should be a ballets focus on a woman, she has given him and callously Anubis and the Sphinx exem­ momentous turning point immortal but with longings for leaves her to pursue his own plify the power-struggle looks merely like a dancer mortality, torn between the fate. The Sphinx subsides between fate and love; the getting offstage. immortal who controls her and under Anubis' control, con­ closing dispels that tension, These are problems in con­ the mortal who loves her demned to remain an immortal resigned to the superior force ception, not in execution. The insufficiently. The National's because of her betrayal at the of fate and the short-sighted cast I saw - Karen Kain as the production of Swan Lake, of hands of a mortal lover. indifference of human love. Sphinx, Frank Augustyn as course, blurs this relationship Tetley declines the extremes The two central sections, the Oedipus, Kevin Pugh as Anu­ by substituting the Black of full story-ballet or purely encounter between Oedipus bis - dealth convincingly with Queen for von Rothbart. See­ abstract dance, distilling from and the Sphinx and a trio for the essentially classical dance ing the clarity with which Pugh this material instead the all three characters, are less vocabulary which Tetley and Kain defined the sinister essence of the relationships clearly defined. The problem fashions into his own distinc­ struggle between Anubis and between the characters, mortal here lies with Oedipus, whose tive idiom. Anubis is yet the Sphinx made me wish more and immortal. He places his nature and relationship to the another triumph for Kevin than ever for a new Swan Lake central emphasis on the Sphinx are murky at best. Pugh. His dancing was precise, that would be true to this Sphinx, her bondage, as an Twice Tetley gives them a muscular and taut, his eleva­ essential element of the story. immortal, to Anubus, and her daring, acrobatic lift, the tion wonderfully controlled, Sphinx, then, makes a coher­ longing, as a mortal, for Oedi­ Sphinx curling round Oedipus' his clean, light landings flaw­ ent addition to the National's pus. The powerful opening and head and then falling from his lessly in profile to evoke the repertoire and is well served by closing sections of the ballet shoulders to lie across his bent Egyptian, hieratic nature of the its dancers. It looked exotic explore the immortal relation- knee. But here, the repetition part. Kain's Sphinx, by con- and mysterious in the· first DANCE IN CANADA 25

.ixed program, set off against form seems sacrilegious. impartial evaluation of Grant's Triskelian ~ollective Symphony, but its As usual, Dowell's generous tenure comes round this influ­ Dance Foundation ernticism paled when it fol- presence inspired the rest of the ence on the rising generation of Concordia University wed Constantin Patsalas' company. Veronica Tennant dancers may well be seen as his Montreal • ·ataraja, another work with a produced a fiery and passion­ most lasting achievement. In 26-28 May, 1983. culptural set that seeks to ate Dona Ana, well-contrasted Ashton, he has given them a megrate ballet with sculptural to Dowell's icy coolness. Mary significant body of repertoire; Pointepienu ne. Indeed, Tetley's work as a J ago's Lady in White, consist­ in Dowell, he has given them UQAM hole looked less convincing ently her most effective role in an impeccable model and Montreal . hen juxtaposed against Patsa- the repertoire, was made even source of inspiration; with this 19-20 May, 1983. ' . This isn't necessarily a more substantial by Dowell's basis, his casting them increas­ . a lue judgment on the two discreet, stylish partnering. ingly in major roles has begun That crunching sound you hear ,:horeographers. Rather, it is Dowell's guest relationship giving them the exposure and is The Critic Eating Her ·:, mptomatic of the relation­ with the National is one of the experience fundamental to the Words. Back in I 978, I made .hip between choreographer principal benefits of Alexander company's continued strength. fun of Linda Rabin's workshop _nd company. Perhaps Natar­ Grant's connections with the at "Octobre en Danse". She ~Ja, made for the company by Royal Ballet, and the acquisi­ JAMES NEUFELD told dancers to turn into ~s resident choreographer, tion of significant Ashton worms and they wiggled; to lo ngs to the company in a repertoire is another. For both Professor Neufeld teaches at turn into apple trees and they ay that Sphinx cannot. of these, the National and its Trenl University and writes branched out. I was appalled to audiences must be grateful to By contrast, Anthony about ballet for The Journal of see adults ready to abdicate the Grant. They remind a new Dowell, even though he's a Canadian Studies. self to the extent demanded by generation of dancers of the guest, seems to belong with the Rabin. It seemed emblematic . ·ational in such a way that his company's roots in British of the generation that had . resence illuminates the com­ ballet. When the time for handed its children to Dr. pany and its work. In this case, Spock on a platter and had is finished, elegant perfor­ thought Viet Nam was a ;nance of Don Juan, a new role daytime television serial. Their ·or him, served to emphasize eager self-hypnosis bespoke ·he curi•ously divided nature of their relief at relinquishing the o hn Neumeier's ballet. Here is reins, even temporarily, to an ballet that mocks its central authority figure. I saw in :haracter and, in the process, Rabin's workshop and the parodies its own dance vocabu- responses it elicited, all that ry through the ludicrous was wrong with the world and jance-within-a-dance conven­ said so. :ion it employs. The only way Today I am eating my out of this dilemna for past words. Her system works. Cer­ Don Juans, irrevocably cast in tainly the results worked for ·he Nureyev mold, has been me in the stillness of her mmense flamboyance and whitewashed, fern-hung studio exaggerated narcissism. Such one warm spring afternoon, as Don Juans would use sheer she and Dwight Shelton ·orce of personality to make us (miraculously rescued from his overlook the ballet's divided post-Grands Ballets Canadiens . ature. Dowell recast the role, professional limbo) drew me rought our attention back to into the heart of a work I dance itself, and so forced would normally have sloughed audiences to re-evaluate the off as (ugh!) minimalism. entire ballet. His narcissism A Moment Sitting is 13 ook on an appealing air of minutes of nervestretchingly irony and self-mockery; for slow, inexorable movement, :lamboyance, he substituted etching the length and breadth ·he purest, most elegant classi­ of a doomed relationship. The cal form to be seen on the stage very absence of motion intensi­ today. His two brief solos fies the impact. Its components rediscovered the eighteenth- are two chairs, two bodies and entury basis of the work in total concentration. You can­ G luck's wonderful music and not call it d an e: more li.·e o made the exaggerated par­ psychodrama: error o:: :n ...g. ody of the servant players seem mi read im tawdry and ineffective. When a oppon d ancer makes classical form i~ ore :JUS .i e real life. speak with DoweH's grandeur R abin follow Shelton Ii 'e The and eloquence, parody of the Karen Kain and Frank Augustyn in Sphinx. Hound of H eaven but each 26 DANCE IN CANADA

"look, Ma, no hands" feeling. Murray Darroch In Wands, four yellow and Guests shower curtain rods pass for Toronto Dance poles, fronds, hockey sticks, Theatre Studio samurai lances, harpoons and 16-18 June, 1983. brooms to shake the cobwebs loose. T he score, Phillip Murray Darroch has been a Werren's first, and possibly background phenomenon in last, computer piece, ranges Toronto dance for some time. from jungle sounds fraught He received the bulk of his with mystery to the roar of an early training, which began in aeroplane engine at too close 1973, at the Toronto Dance quarters. Theatre and appeared annuall y Rabin has been around a with the company in Donald long time. Something of a Himes's production of Bahar celebrity for her ritualistic The the Little Elephant over the White Goddess in 1977, her course of seven years. But these work was not seen again in and other early performances Montreal until she created did less, in my estimate, to Premonition, a solo about foster his highly idiosyncratic Linda Rabin and Dwight Shelton in A Moment Sitting. nuclear holocaust, for Margie presence than his success as a Gillis in 1979. She made waves teacher. again last year when les Grands laborious arrival finds him and choreograph for their Darroch spent two summer Ballets Canadiens commissi­ gone. dancers' idiosyncrasies. Rabin as guest modern artist and oned her to make Te/lurian, an A Moment Sitting is set, is too much her own woman to demonstrator at Lois Smith's undulating, sea weedy group incongruously, to Britten's have done that; consequently Summer School of Dance, as piece, for the company, which Ceremony of Carols. The con­ her work is frequently undone well as joining the faculty of was generally well received. texts are incompatible but the by her dancers. the School of the Toronto She has now formed The curious hollow sweetness of the The disparate group works Dance Theatre in 1976. There Triskelian Dance Foundation. music serves to emphasize the best in a visuall y intriguing and at Pavlychenko Studio he (She has a penchant for offbeat maddening detachment of this pieced called In Twilight, for taught some of the city's best names; this one comes from minuet of emotional cripples. Shelton and four women. It fitness classes, attended by Celtic lore, the three-legged It dates from Rabin's mid­ begins with lots of momentum dancers, other artists, and des­ Greek shield found on Isle of seventies Zen phase when she and kinetic energy: formations perate slobs alike. They were Man pennies.) It is hoped that fled to Japan to contemplate splintering into mirror·images remarkable, not only for Dar­ this will provide her with a her navel. or a maverick dancing against roch's ability to take muscles to solid base to train her own Her current choreographic the grain. The centre section the limit, but for the running dancers. A choreographer of crop could not be more has an improbable daisy-chain commentary he provided. The Rabin's obvious gifts should different. crawling out of the primaeval one-liners were dry sexual not have to compromise. The major new piece is With slime. Rabin suggests they may innuendos, prods at the gamut Not having seen Pointepienu Brahms, a long, buoyant, fly­ be forest creatures feeding at of vanities and fantasies that in action for several years, one ing, flitting work full of wind­ dusk but there are intimations bring people to lie on dirty tends to believe repeated raves mill arms, airborne splits, of Oberon's magic potion, studio floors, sweating and in minor Swiss and French figure eights, whirling, soaring, spurts of un predicatable move­ straining. In the words that provincial newspapers, citing ultra-romantic solos rippling ment lapsing into a narcotic Darroch the teacher used to Pointepienu's accessibility, along with the piano. Rabin, it trance and apprehension hov­ augment movement was the humor and lack of intellectual seems, has choreographed an ering in the air. The section special ingredient lacking in the pretension. honest-to-goodness ballet. Her stands on its own, unconnected Darroch who once simply per­ Having seen Pointepienu, intensity, humor and, above and unresolved because the formed other people's memory comes flooding back. all, clarity of structure, come finale brings back the four girls choreogaphy. An evening of five recent works blazing through even though in poses reminiscent of La It's no surprise that in the by founder Louise Latreille the fleet-footed arpeggios are Bayadere and sends them off past four years, as he has proves again that she has occasionally given unexpected with elaborate leg swings and emerged increasingly as a cho­ misunderstood her Mudra heft by performers with mod­ insistent stomping. reographer himself, Darroch training. Instead of enlisting ern dance backgrounds. Rabin has created another, has relied more on words, and other disciplines to enhance With so many self­ quite dissimilar work to Bar- used them more deftly, than dance, she swamps it with proclaimed choreographers in to k's piano music. Presto­ most other contemporary cho­ terminal cuteness. For the sake Montreal, all competing for so Quere/le is built along classic reographers here. The program of audience and dancers alike, few trained bodies in order to pas de deux lines for Shelton of works he and guest choeo­ one can only hope the end is form companies, it is a wonder and quicksilver Danielle Tar­ graphers Phyllis Whyte and nigh. anyone can cobble together dif. It has fast footwork; small, Conrad Alexandrowicz pres­ from a pickup team of Munch­ propulsive, Tayloresque jumps; ented was the most recent KATI VITA kins a styli sticall y homogenous solo turns followed by the two example of Darroch as an dance company. Some, like Jo dancers romping off in all essayist who uses dance to Lechay, bend with the wind directions. It has a breezy, make droll social observations DANCE IN CANADA 27

about the foibles and falseness applauds the deep meaning in more clearly analytical. Both Actus: In Contrast of an especially rarified seg­ Noel Coward tunes: "I'm the movement and words in her Palmerston Library ment of modern urban life. He world weary, world weary/I Talking, Talking (1983) are Toronto is at his best as the skeleton at find it so dreary, so dreary ... ! more literal and psychologi­ 2-4 June, 1983. the cocktail party - Fran wanna get back to nature and cally defined. About another Lebowitz, sometimes even relax", black bow tie loosened passive-aggressive, urbane rela­ To understand the eclectic Oscar Wilde, in tights. and body dissolved (it was tionship, it also uses broader, nature of the dance concert The characters Darroch given a fine rubbery perfor­ bigger movement than Dar­ given by Actus Institute one writes about in his choreo­ mance by Conrad Alexandro­ roch's works and depicts the must first understand the gr aphy have destructive rela­ wicz). It's an example of the couple's conflicted need for nature of the school itself. tionships of the haute WASP ironic -and, importantly, and disappointment with each Under its artistic director, the ort: done quietly and with a self-ironic - perspective that other. In a most impressive internationally known ballet -mile. Never-Ever Enders ( 1983) seems unique to Darroch, and observation of the way teacher, Maureen Webster­ and Never-Enders ( 19 80) are here it is checked just before unhappy, and often enough Consolati, Actus, (a Greek examples. The relationships in the foppish ennui becomes too happy, couples function, word meaning "in a state of these two pieces are passive­ much. Whyte has them resolve their possibility realized"), was aggressive par excellence. In Des Petites Lumieres ( 1983), mutual dissatisfaction by created to break down the the first, a couple dances as however, suggests, that it is reaching a middle ground of barriers between dance much apart as it's possible to easier to take Darroch shared intolerance of others. enclaves and provide a total be together. The throws and seriously when he's being Conrad Alexandrowicz's dance education. Consolati lifts are impersonal; the civility funny than when he's simply Johnny Get Angry was one of found that because m·odern mas ks violence. The whole being serious, in which case he the evening's finest fusions of and jazz classes, for example, thing is funn y and was crazily easily gets carried away with not only words and movement, extended the range of her ballet interjected with two spoken himself. He is less prone to but of various types of relation­ performances, she, therefore, passages by actress Susan Van­ self-i rony where there is humor ships. Broken into sections that wanted to create an open class derwerff, who emerged first to than where there isn 't, for there are at times performed in school the curricula of which tell a long, shaggy-dog tale is no restraining perspective silence, at times to fragments of would include not only all a bout a frog seeking a bank here. Though performed well the song from which its title dance forms, but such diverse loan and later to recount, in a by Francisco Alvarez, the piece comes, the work slides bril­ subjects as counselling in nutri­ French accent, a woman's is an overwrought existential liantly between representing tion, injury prevention and experience on the Champs tid-bit, aslosh in a vale of antagonism with another and resume writing. Such an ambi­ Elysses, making love under a darkness, illuminated hapha­ with both one's own body and tious undertaking will parked car "wiz ma love­ zardly by little lights attached self, showing how all these are obviously take several years to airrr." to the dancer's body and by interconnected. The dancer's consolidate, but the wider In Never-enders Darroch fragments of mournful Tenny­ hands especially play a remar­ horizons of Actus were visible uses another approach to son poetry flying out from the kable choreographic role, the in its first concert. create a similar ironic distance constant background mutinous semaphoric gestures Two choreographers domi­ and humorous alienation, a whispering. sometimes defying him for a nated the program - Paula great genteel height from which A more successful "serious" li fe of their own, sometimes Thomson and Janice Dulak. people bespatter each other. piece is Fragile ( 1982), in which beneficently and other times Although the women have ··Just brush my teeth before dancer Susan Greskevitch sat destructively. widely different backgrounds, yo u leave me", go the lyrics in in a wide second position on More than many evenings of at times their works over­ a rehash of Angel of the the floor, her body dislocate.d dance, this one seems best lapped, especially in their use .vforning. She in evening white into various disharmonious described collectively as, quite of lyrical dance movements to and he in black, this couple parts. But the most successful simply, smart. And, in an odd capture and reflect musical argues about whose turn it is to mixture of the sadness in these way, it seemed much like a rhythms and patterns. Thus, at be depressed from their respec­ pieces and the irony in the literary evening: the readings, first viewing, Thomson's In tive chairs; in the background others was Supporting Our the density, the definition of Contrast and Dulak's Stream, their negatively dressed real Lady of Perpetual Motion, Parts imagery and purpose, the both abstract works for four selves act out truer emotions. I and 2, (both I 983). Here oddly narrative perspective in dancers, were quite alike and The scrambled, stream-of­ dancer Sioux Hartle did battle most of the works. It reminded not particularly memorable. As consciousness script here is a with a mannequin in a sort of me at the time of T.S. Eliot's J. well, the disciplined ensemble melange of choice quotations dance and song evocation of Alfred Prufrock - "oh so work required by the choreo­ from everyone from Mary destructive dependency which elegant/so intelligent", a dim, graphy was not evident. Indi­ Tyler Moore to Marlene Die­ is finally resolved in Part 2. evening world of characters viduals a beat ahead or behind trich, Mervyn Peake to Virgi­ Guests Phyllis Whyte and both fearful and daring. proved distracting. nia Woolf, William Conrad Alexandrowicz also On the other hand. Dulak' Shakespeare to Lewis Carroll, ALINA GILDINER used words in their pieces. solo. Solace, to the ragged Fred Astaire to Pauline Kael. Each contributed one piece to rhythm o S oaJoii.. ·,a- - Amongst the other five each of the two programs; I works Darroch contributed to only saw the first program. the program was World Weary Like Darroch, they also are an: o (I 983). In it the destructive concerned with the disjointed­ mo,·e re lationship is to the self. Here ness and complexity of modern abru <> a drunken upper-class type relationships. But Whyte is far self-pity, interspersed wi h slow 28 DANCE IN CANADA

Laura Dean Dancers technical prowess associated and Musicians with more stringent schools of Simon Fraser University dance. Her dancers are acquir­ Burnaby, B.C. ing an individuality through 7-8 April, 1983. entrances (earlier works found the group on stage at curtain's Since Martha Graham's early rise and fall), and the costum­ touring days, the university ing in two new ensemble works circuit has afforded time, per­ involves a departure from the forming space and encourage­ loose pyjama-like garment ment to pioneers in the dance which concealed the source of arts. This year Laura Dean strength in earlier Dean dan­ finally made her Vancouver ces. She's now experimenting debut - but also in the benign with stage lighting, and she is atmosphere of academe, draw­ thinking about the issue of ing to the small stage atop gender. Burnaby Mountain the kind of Sky Light, which had its highly motivated audience that premiere in 1982, has her six watches dance with a firm dancers in bright buttercup purpose. Many became ecstatic tights with sequinned waist­ converts, while some local bands, entering individually critics preferred to deal with and establishing their territo­ Dean's work in the context of a ries. The relentless percussion waning pop-art movement score and shafts of overhead associated with sitars, trances light provide the energy sour­ and drugs. ces for the dance which Dean now has a following on evolves, working up to the three continents, and her work complex configurations which Paul Thomson's Symbiosis. is substantially financed at characterize all her group dan­ home in the United States. In periods of reflection. In Symbi­ most dance programs and ces. This piece has a sharp, recent years she has created martial quality and shows us osis, Thomson shrouded two spoke well for the theatricality dances (and their scores) for dancers who are fully in charge dancers in material, one piece of future Actus concerts. In the , doubtlessly covering the entire surface of Dance Baroque, three women of their destinies, rather than the floor, the other only the under Elaine Biagi-Turner, learning in the process that mesmerized pawns in some body. The dancers were thus performed four works from keeping an audience captive happy cosmic plan. has advantages. The minimal able to create fabulous shapes, 1704 in period costumes to li ve In Inner Circle, Dean's most or pedestrian movement which alone and with each other, that music (flute and harpsichord) recent ensemble creation, was her main concern in earlier were particularly evocative of giving the audience a visual Ching Gonzalez is the first to years has become part of a movements and designs in lesson in dance history. The enter with a short signature larger and more flambouyant nature. Visually, the work was rigid formality of the period as dance, followed in sequence by vocabulary. Her dances are stunning in its constantly shift­ seen in the limited hand, each dancer; they ultimately now quite finite. Protracted ing pictures. shoulder and head gestures, form a wedge behind him and dances such as the 1979 work, The latter half of the concert differed sharply with energetic answer his movement with Music, with its IS-minute epi­ demonstrated the many crea­ footwork with its roots in synchronozied counterpoint. sode of uninterrupted spinning, tive avenues Actus intends to country dances. This segment The men are in black harem frequently emptied the theatres explore. Closing Time, Dulak's was both fascinating and illum­ pants, which billow effectively where she played. Now Dean narrative, contrasted one inating. Creme de la Creme had when they spin, while the girls, offers shorter dance concep­ dancer in a simple dress against the dancers in their clown in red boots and short skirts, tions, packed with a master­ a backdrop of a chorus made personas. In clownwork, an resemble inverted tulips when fully organized miscellany. up of three women, sitting at a actor takes on one identity and they turn. Dean's score is for Archaeologist and scavenger, cafe table, arrayed in variations perfects that personality; thus synthesizer and percussion, Dean extracts movement from of the basic black cocktail the six dancers and one actor and the dance makes a brash, history, traditional forms and outfit. The soloist showed con­ were completely different and aggressive statement. Most of the world around her. Her fusion and bewilderment in her very funny. Thomson, who put the elements we expect from a growing audience delights in movements while the chorus the piece together, let her Dean creation are aired - recognizing a familiar figure in shifted position provocatively, imagination run wild and even unison movements which shift a pristine state, plucked from a exuding confidence and bore­ if the whole made no sense, the to canon, the shoulder shakes known source, polished and set dom. The contrast suggested a individual flights of fancy were we associate with the dances of in an ingenious new format. range of questions about the worth the whole evening, espe­ gypsies, the robust stampings, two sides of woman's nature, cially the slow motion curling Dean's present company is the squat plie supporting a as well as demonstrating an game with the dancers as mostly new and she has set new coiling torso and arms. There is interesting use of movement stones, sliding and spinning tasks for her dancers, coming a new lassoing movement with and stasis. down the ice . to terms with theatrical issues fist clenched, and Dean's usu­ The remaining two pieces previously ignored. There are ally gentle kicks are now full we re complete departures from PAULA CITRON now movements requiring split ones. There are grand jetes DANCE IN CANADA 29

nd other borrowings from The Royal Ballet allet. The spinning, exception­ Royal Opera House, Covent lly elaborate in this dance, Garden f~e quently involves the dancers London ;novi ng at three different July, 19 83. ·e locities. For decades now, there have Sandwiched between these been two virtually equal iwo new group works was claimants to the title of greatest Enochian, a provocatively­ living choreographer; with the ·it led duet which demonstrates dea th of Balanchine, the right 3 departure from just about of Sir Frederick Ashton to that eve rything Dean has consi- title must be unchallenged. ered to date. This is an Hence, any new Ashton ballet invocation and dance for is a major event in the dance Ching Gonzalez and Dean. world, even if the new work is a The hand movements are piece d'occasion like Varii allegedly based on 3,500-year­ Capricci, created to open the old Egyptia n gestures, and the Royal Ballet's 1983 Metropoli­ ransaction of the dancers tan Opera House season and, depicts a meeting of Isis and incidentally, a memorial to Osiris. Gonzalez, in the charac­ composer Sir William Walton. eristic Dean pyjama garment, He was a long-time frie nd and performs his luxurious request collaborator of Ashton and in pools of overhead light, died only a few days after he retreating when Dean enters in finished adapting the clever a diagonal progression. Her and attractive set of bagatelles heavil y sequinned black and that comprise Varii Capricci white garb, the Eastern trap­ for the ballet. The work's pings of her synthesizer score, London premiere in July, and the manipulation of her created just as great a sensati on arms and hands in tension and as it had reportedly done in repose evoke in essence an New York during the Ro yal's Orient that Ruth St. Denis brief visi t there earlier this could barely touch in a lifetime year. of trying. A title with Biblical As light, bright, and spar­ a nnotations and a dance from kl ing as Fa rade, another pagan antiquity - what better Ashton-Walton piece dating way to salute the hybrid Amer­ from 1931 and still freshl y ican dance heritage to which amusing, Varii Capricci is an he has become a self­ updated versio n of Farade's Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell in Sir Frederick Ashton's Varii acknowledged heir? encounter of the Debutante Capricci - The Royal Ba llet. and th e Dago. It's a languid LELAND WINDREICH Saturday Afternoon Fever, boyantly macho in black shirt, in the ballet. The plot is with John Travolta (Anthony white trousers, Elvis Presley minimal: an inconsequential Do we ll as Lo Straniero) meet­ pompadour, and dark glasses, flirtation between two people ing a cheerfully foxy Mrs. struts, slouches, mugs, and with nothing in common but Robinson (Antoinette Sibley as dances li ke a disco dream in an leisure, place, and a taste for La Capricciosa). Dowell, flam- unnecessary attempt to seduce the outrageous. The dances, the ice-hot Sibley, lavish patro­ for the lead couple and for a ness of a Mediterranean garden polished corps of four extrava­ director (itself, as presented by David gantly beautiful young couples MARGO PERRY Hockney, a bright evocation of in Ossie Clark's brilliant fri lls ballet master Walton's exotic garden on and draperies, are witty varia­ Stud10 Ischi a: the ballet is fu ll of tions on social dances and the RICHARD in-jokes). danse d' eco le, full of briskly 103 SUGARMAN Sibley, as delighted by her shimmied shoulders, flicked The Professional's new toy as ever Peggy Guggen­ wrists, rolling hips, and fl ashy heim was, is sometimes coy, jumps and spins, all precisely Dance Studio retracting a hand that Dowell and stylis hly performed. for information call is about to seize, sometimes Allusions, choreographic (416) 968-7050 calculatedly brazen, caressing and otherwise, abound: to Dowell's thigh and astonishing 1 03 Bellevue Nijinska' Les Biches, another him into a reflexive smoothing chic and ambiguous house­ Toronto, Ont. MST 2N8 of his hai r, a repeated (and party, to Ashton's The Dream continually funny) mannerism made for Sibley and Dowell in 30 DANCE IN CANADA

1964, (also on the program), to especiall y Jefferies, Eagling, Scenes de Ballet, long a grand and Page. But for me the ballet ve hicle for Sibley, who plays is, finally, too long, too frag­ the superbly confident grande mented; a story lurks just dame with tongue ever so below the surfaced, but I can't delicately in cheek. There's grasp it even with the aid of the even a hint of A Month in the poetic texts. This is neither Country: whil e the work's abstract nor story ballet, heroine tragically fondles the neither classical nor really rose left by her young lover as modern, and it leaves me the ballet ends, La Capricciosa uneasy. dons the decamping Dowell's The general state of the black sunglasses with a well­ Royal, however, is anything judged hint of nostalgia before but uneasy these days. Sibley they are reclaimed by their and Park, well into their owner in a flourish of torero forties, are superb; Dowell is, music. Whether the work will quite simply, Lord of the last isn't reall y the iss ue: this is Dance, wh ich takes nothing a deliciously li ght-hearted away from Jefferies and frolic whose success is we ll­ Eagling, now entering their Jean-Charles Gi l in L' Arlesienne - Ballet National de Marseille. deserved, ajeu d' espril from prime. Dancers such as Collier, the cunning hand of a master. Jennifer Penney, and Marguer­ G len Tetley's recent Dances ite Porter would be an asset to of Albion: Dark Night Glad any company, and younger Ballet National de Who but Petit, for example, Day, also on the program, is a soloists and corps members are Marseille would dare touch Marcel long, 50-or-so minute work set getting, and meriting, remarka­ Place des Arts to Britten's Serenade for Tenor, ble opportunities: Stephen She­ Proust and the French writer's Horn, and Strings (1942) and riff, for instance, made an Montreal monumentally complex novel 6-10 July, 1983. Sinfonia da Requiem ( 1942). amazing debut as Puck in The A La recherche du temps perdu? Typically sculptural in visual Dream, and Ravenna Tucker, a The choreographic result Roland Petit is not one of the effect and emotionall y dra­ Eurasian beauty with some­ called, Les Intermittences du 20th century's great choreo­ matic, the ballet focusses on thing of Gelsey Kirkland's Coeur, is a travesty of Proust graphers. However, the 59- two couples (Stephen Jefferies delicacy, shone in Ashton's but as an evening of dance year-old Frenchman has and Lesley Collier as a loving, Voices of Spring. If the reper­ theatre, it is often riveting. The nurturing pair, Wayne Eagling toire is less adventurous than proved to be a remarkably program-notes are a hoot - no versatile and resilient show­ and Rosalyn Whitten as tor­ one might wish, that's normal help at all, even if you've read man. He's worked in Holly­ mented partners in darker in classical companies. With the book - and the characters wood, in musicals and passion) who are disrupted by young dancer-choreographers on stage are often hard to pick theatrical reviews, and his two angels of death (Stephen (David Bintley, Michael out. What we get is an extrava­ ballets pop up in the reper­ Beagley and a splendidly bale­ Corder, Derek Deane) getting gant turn-of-the-century cos­ toires of a number of leading ful Ashl ey Page). As is usual more chances, with Ashton in tume drama with variations on international companies, prin­ the themes of love, death, with Tetley's ballets, there is creative mood, with MacMil­ cipally, of course, in his own corruption and sexual deca­ much that is beautiful, much lan turning out new works, Ballet National de Marseille. dence. There's no stylistic con­ that is potently theatrical, and with the dancers responding to When the city fathers of that th e dancing is simply extraor­ Tetley as they do, adventure sistency and some of the rather disreputable Mediterra­ dinary: Royal dancers don't may not be quite so necessary. ballet's 13 scenes are truly often get to do what one might nean port decided they wanted embarrassing in their tasteless­ a high-profile ballet company, ness but the total effect is a loosely call "modern ballet," PENELOPE DOOB and they seem to thrive on it, they knew Petit was the man to knock-out. turn to. It's been a long haul, Le Jeune Homme et la Mort, but now, 11 years later and first choreographed in 1946 for LONDON with the tributes of many the incomparable Jean Babille, Academy of Dance and Theatre Arts North American dance critics has since been tackled by many still ringing in their ears, the 55 great dancers including members of the Petit company Nureyev and Baryshnikov, but Member are being hailed in France as its presence on the mixed Ro yal Academy of Dancing. the country's premier ballet program which Petit offered Imperia l Soc iety. company. Montreal audiences demon­ Canadian Dance Petit's approach to ballet is strated the essential difference Teachers Residential governed by his instinctive between a work that is a period Summer School F.BAT.D. theatricality. He thinks of the at Alma College piece and one that is plain July stage as a place to make magic. dated. His appeal is to the senses, not Le Jeune Homme was TRAINING TO PROFESSIONAL STANDARD BY HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF the intellect. His dances are inspired by an idea of Jean chic, sometimes sexy - often Cocteau. A young artist is 432 Waterloo Street London, Ont. N6B 2P2 (5 I 9) 439-8961 verging on the crass or vulgar. driven by the anguish of unre- DANCE IN CANADA 31 quited love to commit suicide. able dramatic promise. Now, a Afterwards the unconcerned lot of that promise has been object of his affection returns fulfilled and the Spanish-born as the figure of Death to lead dancer, still only in his early him across the roofs of Paris. 20s, has managed to harmonize The man's role demands a his technical and dramatic gifts ;,recise and acrobatic technique to make himself an altogether combined with the ability to very impressive artist. ;,roject inner turmoil. Too In L' Arlesienne, he used often, dancers have resorted to irtflections of the whole body to superficial gesture to accomp­ convey his inner anguish, even is h this. Luigi Bonino, sharing a touch of madness, and by the ,he role at alternate performan­ end of watching him work his ces with guest artist Patrick way towards suicide, one could Dupond, did not. His lady almost share his total despair. fri end, danced by another The leading woman in guest, Natalia Makarova, L'Arlesienne has a less reward­ seemed, on the other hand, to ing role and the exotically aeat the ballet like some beautiful Dominique Khal­ hideous joke and didn't even founi, whom Petit lured away · other to complete the from the in choreography. 1980, did not look very com­ Her attitude is probably fortable as Vivette. Justified. Le Jeune Homme has Elsewhere, however, she lost its power to impress and shone, especially in the Proust ends up looking rather silly. ballet. Indeed, Khalfouni, Gil, Its companions on the mixed Ganio and Luigi Bonino, the il l were a 40-minute excerpt company's resident stars, all from a full-length abstract gave proof of their quality and ballet created by Petit last made it that much harder to December - Soiree Debussy - understand why those promot­ and his L' Arlesienne, to Bizet's ing the Ballet de Marseille's suites from a play by Alphonse North American tour (Mont­ The Kol Demama Dance Company in Attachments. Daudet. The Debussy work is a real was sandwiched between visits to Washington, DC, and company show-off piece in a Ko!Demama New York) would think it vibrations. Efrati's style derives ra nge of styles. It's more like a Dance Company from Graham but it is given an necessary to burden the com­ routine than a ballet Place des Arts extraordinary, poignant sub­ pany with a glut of imported · ut the Montreal audience Montreal text by the subtle touches he stars: Makarova, Du pond and ee med to approve. L'Arle­ 22May, 1983. has insinuated in order to cue Richard Cragun in Montreal, sienne is more serious stuff. It's the deaf dancers. with the addition of Nureyev in a grim little drama about a Any dancer will tell you, the New York. Being a dancer himself, man's fatal romantic obsession essence of dance is an act of Efrati is dancer oriented. Cos­ Petit's dancers are stars in - a creature of his imagination faith . Dancers are absolutely tumes are gleaming elastic their own right and can make ·,~•horn we never see - and its dependent on each other. They tights; scenery is stark back­ his choreography look better ~ollision with the strictures of a leap into the void believing drop leavened by classical than it probably deserves. Next conservative community. In they'll be caught, and more draperies. Lighting is dramatic, time he should show us that he this ballet, Petit shows he does often than not, they are. echoing perhaps the harsh sun is worthy of them by creating · ave some sense of choreogra- Imagine this dependence inten­ of Israel and the sudden dar­ suitable vehicles for Khalfouni, hic design, even of inventive­ sified a hundredfold and you kness of a desert night, which Gil, Ganio and the rest. ness in terms of steps, but the have Kol Demama, an Israeli drops like stone. There is a entral male role remains company of 14 dancers, half of touch of narcissism in the KEVIN SING EN roblematic. them deaf mutes. choice of male dancers who are Frederi has to convince us Choreographer Moshe all Efrati lookalikes. ,hat he really is obsessed while Efrati, a charter member of The corps is strong and sleek ar the same time throwing off Batsheva, has been working but two dancers stood out: Esti some quite demanding steps. I with deaf dancers since 1969. Nadler, a compelling danci ng missed Denys Ganio, whom Kol Demama (which means the actress trained in Stuttgart and friends tell me was terrific, but voice of silence) mixes deaf­ Amnon Damti. a towering Jean-Charles Gil was no mutes and hearing dancers so Yemenite who, to borrow a slouch. seamlessly that the issue of who phrase from John Le Car-re. Gil appeared with the is which instantly becomes appeared o han been. a ·e y . ational Ballet as James in La academic. Hearing dancers the ame 1rm ha Sylphide three years ago. He transmit signals literally by Stonehenge. ..,, ,as clearly a young dancer of making waves in the air and the The ewning. which was a sound technique and consider- deaf dancers respond to the benefit for the Hebrew Cultu- 32 DANCE IN CANADA ral Organization of Canada, Flashdance · Nevertheless, Travolta's starring role on Broadway was devoted to three works, all Staying Alive technical short-comings are not while a woman who's been by Efrati. Attachements, dedi­ Paramount Pictures what turns the film sour. dancing since she was three is cated to the memory of Efrati's 1983. Audiences, especially film lucky to get a part in the chorus brother, was, like the other audiences, can be made to and a job teaching aerobics at a two, abstract but fraught with I hope Sylvester Stallone accept anything. The most third-rate studio run by some fragmentary relationships, knows more about boxing than unlikely of situations can work gorgon named Fatima. forming, dissolving and he does about dance. I would if the character himself is A little more subtle and a lot reforming. There was much hate to think my notions about strong, sympathetic and even more offensive is the implica­ balletic running around which a boxer's life, gleaned first remotely believable. But Tony tion that Travolta captures the remained unintegrated with the from Marlon Brando On the Manero - as Travolta and lead role because he is a "real remaining bulk of modern Waterfront and later heavily Stallone have decided to play man". After a predictable tan­ dance movements. re-inforced by Stallone's Rocky him - is a self-centred moron. trum, he struts back into the Dalet A mot (A Man with Balboa, are as non-sensical as His approach to life reflects a studio. The original lead Walls) mixed elements of calis­ the picture he has painted of a chauvinist double standard not dancer, a stereotypical "dancer thenics. The frequent use of dancer's life in the recently worthy of a caveman. His type", is dismissed and Manero movements in unison or canon released Paramount produc­ dancing fails because his proceeds to do everything but invested them with meaning tion Staying Alive. approach-is invariably mean, swing his partner around by and provided a sociological John Travolta's intensive predatory and pointlessly vio­ her long hair in a display of context. physical training for his lead lent. We are supposed to masculine domination - the Chapters/Voices used as its role in Staying Alive has been believe it's his "anger" that message to middle America soundtrack the amplified, hyped into one of the main makes him special. What is being it's O.K. to be a dancer sometimes eerie efforts at selling points of the film. Too truly unforgiveable about this as long as you're not gay. And speech made by the deaf. One bad they trained him for the film is that it doesn't even what this film has to say about remembers less of the steps wrong movie. Travolta looks attempt to communicate a love relationships between men than of the fabric of communi­ like Rocky in tights, with the sense of the joy or even the and women is better off cation knitting the group bulging biceps, chest and pure physical excitement of forgotten. together. Nervous hand ges­ dancing. Nobody seems to like thighs dancers strive not to The auditions, rehearsals tures, clandestine taps on the it very much. Their lives play develop. and performances of an spine, feet thumping on the out in some sort of combat In Saturday Night Fever, improbable Broadway show floor, a faunlike cock of the zone. Stallone has substituted a Travolta was playing a charac­ called Satan's Alley lend Stay­ head, and a tendency to peel dance studio for a boxing ring ter well within his range of ing Alive what little structure it off from the group in triplets, only this time you don't even capabilities. The Tony Manero has and some of the details all wove a subliminal web of care who wins. who sparked all that discoma­ concerning this are just silly support and caring. Sublimi­ nia, possessed a certain dumb enough to mention. Satan's nal, because the company as a Aside from the insurmounta­ charm and animal grace on the Alley is an impossible show to whole is faceless, fast and ble problem of a central char­ floor of Brooklyn's find on Broadway. Staying rather asexual. Efrati's choreo­ acter who is repulsive, the Odessy: 2001 club. Without Alive's choreographer, Dennon graphy is strong on structure inconsistencies and falsehoods question Travolta is convincing Rawles, has a background but soon runs out of choreo­ of the script are legion. and very hot in that style of staging Las Vegas revues, graphic steam. It did not seem Dancers from Alicia Alonso to choreographed social dancing. which explains a lot. The show to matter. The medium was the Ann Miller, Margot Fonteyn to What a dance audience is has a multi-storeyed shiny message. Shirley MacLean notwith­ probably most eager to find standing, this film solemnly chrome set and lots of smoke out is if he has acquired the and dramatic lighting but it's KATI VITA informs us that, "male technical subtleties of a theatri­ dancers' careers are twice as too big to fit on any Broadway cal dancer. long as female dancers' careers stage I've ever seen. There is no The answer is not as obvious and therefore men have twice singing, no acting, not even a as one might imagine. Cos­ as many opportunities as scrap of story-line, no costume tume, choreography and most women and therefore women changes from beginning to end of all, clever editing, protect have to be realistic and content and the director/choreo­ him from scrutiny. We see him with whatever they can get". grapher sits in the lighting spinning and flying through the This bit of brilliant logic is booth on opening night saying air but rarely see him take off supposed to explain why Jackie stupid things like, "Give me a or land. He is often carrying (Manero's sometime girfriend, white spot!" And, by the way, girls around in complicated valiantly played by Cynthia what Broadway theatre backs lifts, but we seldom see how he Rhodes) who is obviously drip­ onto the waterfront? got them up there or whether ping with singing and acting To add insult to injury we they got back down smoothly. talent, plods along anonym­ are dished up a nice little The choreography is pretty ously in the chorus while climax in which Tony Manero much of the "step-ball-change, Manero sulks and bullies his throws his partner Laura bump and grind" variety. He's way into the lead role. What it (played by Finola Hughes) never required to stretch his really does is perpetuate the across the stage and proceeds legs or point his feet , which are disgusting notion that a man to do a solo, while she, having carefully shrouded in layers of who studies dance for more throughout the film shown messy-looking legwarmers. than half an hour can land a herself to be even more danger- DANCE IN CANADA 33

every possible angle is that of Marine Jahans, Beals' dancing double, who generates most of the film's excitement, yet is not mentioned in the credits. Para­ mount claims this was a regret­ table oversight. Cynthia Rhodes (mentioned above) also appears in Flash­ dance as Tina Tech. She's one of the dancers at Mawby's and is featured in a rampage of leather and chains, dark glasses and red lips personifying a ravenous man-eater with just the right touch of camp. The other saving grace of Flashdance is the phenomenon of spin-dancing or break­ dancing which has become popular in clubs and on the streets mainly of New York and Los Angeles. Some of the film's best moments occur in an outdoor sequence where Alex joins a crowd watching some kids dancing on the sidewalk. They move like quicksilver, spinning incredibly on their heads, on their shoulders, curled into a tight ball or stretched out parallel to John Travolta in the Satan's Alley finale of Staying Alive. the ground and spinning on one hand. The two strengths of Flash­ dance - the break-dancing and ously conceited and self­ bunch of beer-drinking bozos. Jeffrey Hornaday have pulled the electrifying presence of centred than he is, sits The plot is silly and inconse­ out all the stops. Marine Jahans - come watching him like a dope. And quential. Alex's love interest is While the choreography together in the final dance she's not even injured because not the least bit interesting, and itself is not inspired, the mar­ sequence, Alex's audition at the last possible second she her dreams of becoming a riage of dance, music, camera before a grim jury of characters jetees 10 feet in the air and professional dancer in a ballet work and editing creates real from the fictional ballet com­ lands squarely on top of a company are not very cinematic excitement. My pany she (misguidedly) wishes rapidly rising hydraulic pedes­ convincing. favourite dance number begins to join. Clad only in a tiny tal. From there the neanderthal The film is sort of a conglo­ with the central character, black leotard, black ankle Manero heaves her up another meration of styles, at times Alex, draping herself back­ warmers and jazz shoes, she 10 feet in a spectacular one­ resembling an aerobics video, wards over a chair and yanking gives them a taste of street arm lift that he holds for an at other times masquerading as a cord to unleash a shower of dancing they are not likely ever eternity as the two ascend into a Truffault film from the I 960s. water which splashes down her to forget. They sit with mouths a smoky heaven. It's like watching a lot of bare chest. While the audience agape and eyes popping as this Flashdance, also a Para­ different TV commercials is still recovering from the seemingly possessed little crea­ mount production, inspires strung together, which is not shock, she hurls herself into a ture dives through the air, spins considerably less ill-will. It is surprising since the director, sort of choreographed temper like a top and propels her esse ntially a good-natured, Adrian Lyne, has an estab­ tantrum with dripping black perfect limbs hither and yon as straight-forward film and lished reputation directing curls and slippery, naked body if her very soul were on fi re. Jennifer Beals is a lot prettier commercials including a series flying every which way. The Predictably, these cartoon than John Travolta. for Calvin Klein. sequence is short and snappy, types give her a standing Beals plays Alex, a young The tremendous success of over before you know what hit ovation and she runs. ha py woman who appears equally Flashdance has nothing to do you. and exhausted into me ravishing in her day-job as an with its writing, acting or Lyne favours tight shots, arms of he, i.ns ' _cr a industrial welder and in her directorial vision. These con­ mostly of the dancer's lean boyfrie .d. night-job as a dancer in a ventional elements of a feature thighs and shapely bum which mythical club called Mawby's film exist merely to hold the are quite remarkable and HOLLY 5:\fAL where stunning women per­ dance sequences together, and which do not belong to Jen­ form highly conceptual and these are quite sensational. nifer Beals. The sensational slick dance numbers for a Lyne and choreographer fe line body photographed from 34 DANCE IN CANADA

Touring Office of the Canada Council presents Sadler's Wells oya allet

A Royal Opera House Company

sponsored by BARCLAYS BANK Canada A British Council Tour

KITCHENER, THE CENTRE IN THE SQUARE, Oct. 2 & 3 Tix at box-office (519) 578-1570, Ticketron outlets, Bonus vacation draw OTTAWA, NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE, Oct. 5-8 Teleticket (613) 237-4400, Toll-free outside Ottawa & Hull 1-800-267-9038 TORONTO, O'KEEFE CENTRE, Oct. 12-1 6 Tickets at box-office, Ticketron & Teletron WINNIPEG, CENTENNIAL CONCERT HALL, Oct. 19-23 Tickets: ATO, BTO, RWB REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN CENTRE OF THE ARTS, Oct. 25 & 26 Centre box-offices/Lakeshore Drive & Cornwall Centre SASKATOON, CENTENNIAL AUDITORIUM, Oct. 28 & 29 Tickets at box-office EDMONTON, NORTHERN JUBILEE AUDITORIUM, Oct. 31, Nov. I & 2 Tickets at Bass outlets CALGARY, SOUTHERN JUBILEE AUDITORIUM, Nov. 4 & 5 Tickets at Bass outlets VANCOUVER, QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE, Nov. 8-13 Tix on sale at Vancouver Ticket Centre Outlets DANCE IN CANADA 35

Book Beat

answer the question posed in included in Whal is Dance? the title. The majority however, These - key statements by represents timely and signifi­ Gautier and Valery, Noverre, cant points of view on a Duncan and Michel Fokine, many-faceted subject. Roger Constant Lambert and Have­ Copeland of Oberlin Coll ege is lock Ellis - add prestige to a professor of theatre and any anthology, and it's easy to dance while Marshall Cohen's see how Copeland and Cohen field is philosophy, at the were reluctant to exclude them. Coll ege of Staten Island. Each Had they been a bit more is represented by two studies in good-natured about being this anthology. The other arti­ scooped by Steinberg, how­ cles are drawn from a 200-year ever, they could have replaced span of writings on dance. The these pronouncements with result may have been designed writi ngs by or about other as a potential textbook for giants whom they mention only their respective students, but its in passing - Bournonville, application could prove limited Massine, Humphrey and David Ash mole and Galina Samsova in the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet in other educational settings. Tudor being a few who come to production of Swan Lake which is discussed in a new book by Barbara Aesthetics is the main con­ mind. Newman. cern and, beyond the search for In comparison What is definition and an examination Dance? offers a longer and Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet Rehearsal time is woefully of

CENTRE FOR THE ARTS SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY . . . •

the store for

Major degree program in DANCE Emphasis is on

Contemporary dance, Workouts on Bellair at performance and 82 Bloor St. West composition Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 1 L9 For further information on admission (416) 921-9610 contact: Student Services Centre for the Arts Sherway Gardens Oakville Place 25 The West Mall 240 Leighland Avenue Simon Fraser University Sherway Gardens Oakville, Ontario Etobicoke, Ontario Canada L6H 3H6 Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6 Canada M9C 1 B8 (416) 844-4909 (604) 291-3363 (416) 626-6412 NCE 1 T e 1~Jl Practical Magazine of Dance Featuring in Each Issue: Building Your Library. Spotlight on Successful Teachers • Practical Tips. 3 Calendar Sections • Auditions •Seminars & Workshops. Published bimonthly Plus two annuals: Costume Preview, Equipment Update. (□ =e;-;7_;- -□ -;;m:;En::e;- 1 D Two Years $29.00 D Please Bill Me I I Payable in US Currency I Name I

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Noticeboard

The Sadlers' Wells Royal Ballet tions are better suited to the will make its first tour of smaller stages found around Canada for six weeks this fall. Great Britain. It is not, how­ The 80-member company wi ll ever, as has often been implied, appear in nine cities with a a "second" company to the reper_toire including a new Royal Ballet. From time to production of Swan Lake by time, its principal dancers Peter Wright and Galina Sam­ appear with the Royal Ballet sova, a mixed program of The and the company itself occa­ Invitation by Sir Kenneth Mac­ sionally moves from its home­ Millan, Night Moves by David base at the historic Sadlers' Bintley and 's Wells Theatre to dance at the version of Raymonda Act Ill. Royal Opera House. The tour will begin in Kit­ Peter Wright is, of course, chener, Ontario, (Oct. 2, 3) and well known to Canadian include Ottawa, (Oct. 5-8); audiences through his out­ Christopher House (second from left) with Sonja Barton, Gordon Pearson and Su san Cohen after accepting the 19 83 Chalmers Award. Toronto, (Oct. 12-16); Win­ standingly tasteful and lucid nipeg, (Oct. I 8-23); Regina, productions of Giselle for the from the University of Ottawa University's dance program (Oct. 25 , 26) ; Saskatoon, (Oct. National Ballet and for the with a B.A. in Political Science and received a B.F.A. ·n 1979. 28); Edmonton, (Oct. 31-Nov. Royal Winnipeg Ballet. While in 1976. Upon graduation he Almost immediately House 2); Calgary, (Nov. 4, 5); and Wright has choreographed began to study dance with became a full-time member of Vancouver, (Nov. 8-13) . many original ballets he is Elizabeth Langley, Nikki Cole the Toronto Dance Threatre The London-based com­ generally considered to be one and Joyce Schietze in Ottawa. and was appointed the com­ pany, under the artistic direc­ of the world's greatest produc­ He then enrolled in York pany's first resident choreo- tion of Peter Wright, has ers of the classic repertoire. existed under various titles The S wan Lake which Cana­ OBITUARY since 1946. As the Sadlers' dian audiences wi ll see in Alan Hooper, the director of should do so by making a Wells Theatre Ballet it visited October is his latest production the Royal Academy of Dancing cheque/ money-order payable Canada during the fifties. It and has already been highly in London, England, died on to "BanffCentre: Alan Hooper was later known as the Royal praised in Britain. July 12 in Oakland, California Scholarship" and sending it to Ballet Touring Company and, after falling from the third Ken Madsen, Vice-President, from 1970-76 as The Royal Christopher House is the floor window of a dormitory Special Projects, Banff Centre, Ballet New Group. winner of the 10th Annual Jean building at Mills College. P.O. Box 1020, Banff, Alberta, Like its larger sister com­ A. Chalmers Award in Choreo­ Hooper, who was 36, had just T0L 0C0. Interest from the pany based at Covent Garden, graphy. He received his $5 ,000 arrived to teach at Mills. Local endowment fund will be the SWRB draws most of its prize June 11 , at the Dance in police believe he may have matched by the Alberta dancers from the Royal Ballet Canada Conference in risen in the night and, being government. School. It tours far more Saskatoon. exhausted after his I I-hour On the same day, July 12, than the larger company Born in St. John's, New­ flight from England, lost his Edwin Denby, the distinguished since, in general, its produc- foundland, House graduated bearings before falling through American dance critic and the low window. poet, committed suicide at his Hooper, who retired from summer home in Searsmont, performing as a soloist with the Maine. Denby, who was born Royal Ballet following an in China, where his father was injury, became a renowned American consul in Shanghai, teacher. He was well known to wrote about dance for Modern many figures in Canadian Music magazine, 1936-42 and ballet and for four years taught for the New York Herald at the Banff Centre's dance Tribune, 1942-45. He then summer school. This year's worked freelance. Denby, who Banff Festival Dance Presenta­ was 80 when he died, was tion was dedicated to Alan among the pioneers of dance Hooper and a fund has been criticism in America His two opened to endow a dance volumes of collected cri ti : m. scholarship at the Banff Cen­ Looking a1 1he Dance 9.J tre. Anyo ne interested in mak­ and Dancers. Bui.din ing a tax-deductible People in rhe S1ree1 • 9 :. a, e Marian Tait and David Ashmole in Nighr Moves. David Bintley's ballet contribution to the Alan be ome clas I in their genre will form part of a mixed program to be presented across Canada by the Hooper Memorial Scholarship and are till in print. Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet during its tour this October and November. 38 DANCE IN CANADA grapher in 1982. A number of activities included classes, House's works are in the workshops, panels, lectures repertoire ofTDT including and a wide range of performan- Toss Quintet, Boulevard and ' ces (see Peter Ryan's review in Fleet. this issue). The award is administered by Conference Chairperson the Ontario Arts Council Sonja Barton and her indefa­ through the Floyd S. Chalmers tigable team of helpers pro­ Fund and is made annually to vided a friendly and welcoming assist professional choreo­ atmosphere and somehow graphers who have displayed arranged for the sun to shine outstanding creative abilities in throughout most of the dance. conference. Highlights of the Saskatoon Peggy MacLeod, executive Conference, judging by the director of the Dance in Can­ response of delegates, included ada Association for the past an animated address by two years has resigned to take Canadian-born choreographer Dance for the Handicapped Workshop at the 1983 Dance in Canada up a new appointment as Norbert Vesak, a movi ng dem­ Conference, Saskatoon. national co-ordinator of the onstration of how people with Toronto-based Association of physical disabilities can be specific dances which were Max Wyman, author and Cultural Executives. helped to experience the joy of finally taped. The emphasis dance and drama critic of the Vancouver Province. Work­ The 7-year-old organization dance - and a handsome was on exploring the medium has 194 members and one of 39-item exhibition of dance rather than on producing fin­ shops in dance literacy and MacLeod 's jobs is to increase prints and lithographs. This ished masterpieces. Each day's criticism will be supplemented that figure. She will also be exhibition was curated by Yves activities concluded with a by movement classes, lectures, responsible for corporate fund­ Cousineau who, together with roundtable discussion and panel discussions, film show­ raising (ACE gets no govern­ Quebec dance historian Pierre viewing of work in progress. ings and several live perfor­ ment subsidy) and for Guilmette, has produced an The 12-day program - bud­ mances including one by the convening a conference in 1984 attractive, illustrated geted at $80,000 - was Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet to examine the relations catalogue. financed through participants' which will then be in Van­ between the salaried adminis­ fees and by grants from the couver as part of its Canadian trators and boards of directors Dance and the Electronic Age Laidlaw Foundation, Winta­ tour. of arts organizations. was the title of a pioneering rio, the Canada Council Dance workshop held in the studios of Section and the Ontario Arts EDAM, Vancouver's newest The 11th Annual Dance in Toronto Dance Theatre, June Council Dance and Video experimental dance group, Canada Conference, held on the 20 to July I. Six Canadian departments. made its Toronto debut August campus of the University of choreographers worked inten­ Faculty included America's 12-14 at the Toronto Dance Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, sively with an equal number of legendary ballet star Edward Theatre studios. Included were June 8-12, attracted a total of TV /video directors to explore Villella, who has developed a works by Jennifer Mascall, 206 delegates from across the the possibilities and technology new career in directing dance Barbara Bourget, Lola country - considerably more of dance on the small screen. on television, the renowned MacLaughlin, Ahmed Hassan than had been expected. Choreographers and direc­ Radio-Canada producer Pierre and Peter Ryan and featured As usual, the conference tors teamed up to work on Morin and Production performances by Jay Hira­ Designer Hugo Wuthrich. bayashi as well as Toronto Technical Co-ordination was dancers Susan McKenzie, by Terry McGlade who during Souix Hartle and William his 10 years as a video/TV Douglas. director has worked on a The Anna Wyman Dance Thea­ number of projects with tre will leave Vancouver at the choreographers. end of September for a JO-week tour of France, Belgium and BRITISH COLUMBIA Switzerland. The tour itinerary consists of performances in The National Dance Critics' more than 30 European cities Seminar takes place November including Brussels, Marseille, 7 to 12 in Vancouver at the Dijon and Chartres. centre for the Arts, Simon Fraser University. The seminar The Paula Ross Dance Com­ will be conducted by Deborah pany opens its fall season at the Jowitt, dance critic of The Vancouver East Cultural Cen­ Village Voice, New York; Wil­ tre, (Oct. 25-29). Following its liam Littler, dance and music home season the company will Peggy MacLeod, who leaves Dance in Canada on September 9 after two years as Executive Director, gives Arnold Spohr a congratulatory kiss critic of The Toronto Star; embark on an extensive tour of after his acceptance of a 1983 Canadian Conference of the Arts Dipl6me Selma Odom, dance historian, the interior of British Colum­ d'Honneur: Rideau Hall, Ottawa. , Toronto; and bia, (Nov. 7-25). DANCE IN CANADA 39

ALBERTA then flew back to Canada and and The Royal Winnipeg Ballet Ballet. New corps members are continued on to a workshop in (Edmonton - Nov. 29, 30; Stephen Hyde and Professional Keith Urban and Maria For­ Chicago before finally getting Calgary - Dec. 2, 3). The Division graduates Diane Buck molo of the Edmonton-based home to Edmonton. In July Alberta Ballet Company pres­ and Peter Narbutas. Formolo and Urban Dance they taught at the Alberta ents Nutcracker (Edmonton - Winnipeg's Contemporary Company spent six weeks in Ballet School and then at Dec. 23 , 24, 26; Calgary - Dancers have expanded their New Zealand, i8 April to 31 Lakeland College in Vermilion, Dec. 28-31 ), a mixed program 1983/84 season to four engage­ May, teaching and performing. Alberta, where they also (Edmonton - Feb. 7, 8; ments. The season opens with a They visited Dunedin, Christ­ performed. Calgary - Feb. 24, 25) and guest appearance by Annabell church, Auckland, New Ply­ On October 22, Formolo Cinderella (Edmonton - Mar. Gamson from New York who mouth and Wellington. and Urban Dance begin an 27, 28; Calgary - Apr. 20, 21). will perform The Dances of The tour was sponsored by Ontario tour in Thunder Bay The season closes with the at the com­ the New Zealand Dance Feder­ and will continue to Almont, Canadian debut of the Tokyo pany's season opener (Sept. ation and received support (Oct. 28-29); Lakefield and Ballet (Edmonton - May 21, 14-17). Composer /performer from Alberta Culture Touring, Peterborough, (Nov. 3-4); Lon­ 22; Calgary - May 24, 25). Fred Penner will highlight the and The Alberta Foundation don, (Nov. 10-12) and Wind­ holiday show (Dec. 7-10) in for the Performing Arts and sor, (Nov. 13). MANITOBA Dance Through the Ages cho­ Western Canada Lotteries, The Alberta Ballet Company reographed by Odette Heyn­ Alberta Division. The Cana­ has initiated a new Young The Royal Winnipeg Ballet's Penner. The company's annual dian High Commission in New People's Ballet Series this year first event of the season is a company choreographic pres­ Zealand also offered at the John L. Haar Theatre at Gala Celebration, October 18, entation, Dance Experience, is assistance. Grant MacEwan College. The in honour of Arnold Spohr's now part of the formal season The two dancers found series is designed as an intro­ 25th Anniversary as artistic and will feature an evening of themselves warmly greeted duction to ballet and will director. The gala includes a works by resident choreo­ wherever they went and in include fall, winter and spring performance featuring the grapher Tedd Robinson and Wellington and Christchurch performances. The company Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet and other company members special "cushion concerts" will tour to Alaska and Alberta the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and (March 7-10). The final perfor­ were held at which local per­ this fall. During 1984 choreo­ a post-performance reception mances of the season will formers danced in honour of grapher James Kudelka will set when a special presentation feature a number of company the visitors. a work previously created for will be made to Arnold Spohr. premiers. Founding artistic They found their students to the National Ballet choreogra­ The SWRB will perform Ray­ director Rachel Brown and the be generally "strong, athletic phic workshop and artistic monda Act III, the RWB will new artistic director, Bill and eager". There was consid­ director Brydon Paige will perform Paddy Stone's Varia­ Evans, will both present works. erable interest in the movement choreograph Raymonda Varia­ zions on Strike Up The Band As well , New York choreo­ improvisation classes they iions. and together the two compan­ grapher Rosalind Newman, taught. ies will dance Hans Van Man­ Vancouver's Jennifer Mascall On their way back from New Dancewest's 1983/84 season en's Five Tangos. In mid­ and former company dancer Zealand, Maria Formolo and opens with the National Ballet November the RWB embarks Charles Moulton, who now Keith Urban stopped off in Fiji (Calgary - Sept. 23, 34; on a western Canada tour directs his own troupe in New where Maria was able to Edmonton - Sept. 25, 26) and returning in December for its York, will all choreograph arrange unscheduled perfor­ includes the Sadler's Wells annual presentation of The works for the company. mances for guests of the local Royal Ballet (Edmonton - Nutcracker. Contemporary Dancers will Hyatt Regency Hotel. They Nov. l, 2; Calgary- Nov. 4, 5) Svea Eckloff, formerly prin­ make a three-week tour of cipal dancer of the Alberta Manitoba in November and Ballet, has joined the company will tour British Columbia for as a senior soloist. Martin the month of February. Schlapfer has also joined as a Two dancers from the com­ soloist from the Basler Stadt pany's Professional Pro-

BALLET (Character, Cecchetti, Russian) JAZZ (Alvin Ailey) FITNESS (morning, noon & evening workouts)

PRESCHOOL TO ADULT SPECIAL CHILDRENS' CLASSES 307 Bering A Yenue Maria Formolo and Keith Urban ham it up among the April autumn Etobicoke, Onta ri o Z 3A' leaves during a break from teaching and performing in Dunedin, during (41 6) 239-0111 their tour of New Zealand. 40 DANCE IN CANADA gramme, directed by Odette three-dimensional life. Also Heyn-Penner, have joined the featured will be Beatty's Skyl­ company. They are David ing and Seastill with designs by Kurzer and Cathy Cornes. Aiko Suzuki and with guest Christopher Gower formerly appearances by William Dou­ with Ottawa Dance Theatre, glas, Dindi Lidge, Terrill Joel Skewky, from Miami and Maguire, Stephen Raptis and Erique Redd from Los Angeles Holly Small. have also joined the company. An Evening of Works by Evelyn Polish assumes the Christopher House is next on new title of Executive Director TDT's fall agenda. House, this this fall while Lin Gibson is year's Chalmers Award winner, now the Publicity/Develop­ will premier two new works in ment Manager and Diana this, the second evening pro­ Davis assumes the full-time gram devoted entirely to his cho­ position of Tour Co-ordinator. reography, (Nov. 10-13). TDT is sponsoring a special Evelyn Hart, the Royal Win­ holiday production, The Court Former National Ballet of Canada artistic directors Alexander Grant and nipeg Ballet's internationally Celia Franca rehearse the Tango from Sir Frederick Ashton's Fa,ade for a of Miracles, as part of its 15th lecture demonstration at the University of Ottawa in July. acclaimed ballerina, has been Anniversary Season. The Court named a Member of the Order of Miracles promises to be a director Carol Anderson. last May. The Ottawa company of Canada. It is the latest in a unique collaboration of Cana­ In December the company performed in facilities ranging string of awards for the dian dance and music artists will perform in a collaborative from the imperial-style Teatro Toronto-born dancer who, in which will join TDT and some project for the holiday season, Nacional in San Jose to a 1980, won the first-place gold of the senior students of its The Court ofMiracles; (for bull-ring in Torreon. medal at the International professional program with details, read under "Toronto Ballet Competition in Varna, Dancemakers and many noted Dance Theatre"). Celia Franca gave a series of Bulgaria. Hart will be invested guest artists in a production with her order of Canada in five lectures at the University written and directed by David Theatre Ballet of Canada will of Ottawa throughout April, Ottawa on October 5. During Earle. Choreography is by the summer, Hart appeared participate in a gala fund­ May and June. More than 160 Earle and Christopher House raising performance at Otta­ people attended the lectures with a number of other ballet and the artistic director of stars at the famous Jacob's wa's National Arts Centre, which introduced the basics of Dancemakers, Carol Ander­ November 7. The gala is Pillow Dance Festival in Lee, ballet and related dance forms. son, as well as a special guest planned as a salute to the Students from The School of Massachusetts, and at Liberty choreographer. The Court of State Park, August 1-13. Ontario Arts Council on its Dance pre-professional pro­ Miracles is based on a tradi­ 20th anniversary and will raise gram gave on-stage demonstra­ tional fable, set in Medeival tions to illustrate the lectures. ONTARIO funds for the Children's Hospi­ times. There will be dancers, tal of Eastern Ontario. TBC A highlight of the lecture series Toronto Dance Theatre will mimes, jugglers, puppeteers, shares the program with the was the performance by Celia open its 15th Anniversary Sea­ acrobats and minstrels to tell Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, Franca and Alexander Grant son with the unveiling of the tale of good deeds triumph­ the Cantata Singers, the of the tango from Sir Frederick Patricia Bea tty's Painters and ing over poverty and Ottawa Board of Education Ashton's 1931 ballet Fa9ade. the Dance Project at the unhappiness. Children's Choir and guest The lecture series continues recently renovated St. Law­ artists Karen Kain and Frank throughout the fall. rence Centre, (Sept. 22-24). Dancemakers opens its fall Augustyn. TBC will premier Painters and the Dance is a season with an Evening of artistic director Lawrence Gra­ The Second International unique project, three years in Solos presented in the com­ dus' latest work Moralities set Summer School in Benesh the making, for which Beatty pany's Toronto studios (Sept. to the music of Hans Weiner Movement Notation was held at won the Victor Martyn Lynch­ 17, 18). The program will Henze. The NAC performance the University of Waterloo, Staunton Award, an award consist of recent solos choreo­ is sponsored by Northern Tele­ July 25 to August 12. The usually given exclusively to graphed by company members com Limited. summer school was offered in painters. She commissioned as well as several well-known TBC will then embark on a co-operation with the Institute two noted Canadian painters, Canadian choreographers. The brief tour (Nov. 26-Dec. 3) ofChoreology, London, Eng­ Graham Coughtry and Gor­ company will perform at the which will include Belleville, land, under the artistic direc­ don Rayner, to create vast Premier Dance Theatre (Sept. Ontario, Ypsilanti, Michigan, tion of Monica Parker, director canvasses to envelop and 30) and will give a benefit Oswego, New York and Pitts­ of the Institute in London and define the performing space. performance for the Koffler burgh, Pennsylvania. former principal choreologist Canadian composers Ann Sou­ Centre Program in Dance at New York dancer Daniel of the Royal Ballet. Instructors tham and Robert Daigneault the Leah Posluns Theatre (Oct. Ray has joined the company included Wendy Walker, com­ were commissioned to write 5) . During November Dance­ this season increasing the com­ pany choreologist of American original scores for the new makers will make a three-week pany roster to 10 dancers. Ballet Theatre; Elizabeth Cun­ works. Beatty's choreography tour of Western Canada per­ TBC's first international liffe of the Institute of Choreol­ for the project is designed to forming works from the cur­ appearance was a five-week ogy, and Ilana Supru, company make her dancers part of the rent repertoire as well as a new tour of California, Mexico, choreologist of the Bat-Dor painting to give the canvass a quartet choreographed by co- Central and South America Dance Company in Tel Aviv. DANCE IN C ANADA 41

The Dance Ontario branch of ing July. Maguire gave perfor­ costumes and sets by Arthur Dance Theatre (Oct. 13-15). the Dance in Canada Associa­ mances and workshops and Penson a nd lighting design by Da nceworks director Mimi tion has initiated the founding collaborated on an environ­ John Monroe. Robert Kru­ Beck plans a Hallowe'en fun­ of the Toronto Dan'ce mental dance production with pinski has joined Le Groupe draiser, 'The Late Show", to Umbrella. The Dance St. John's Choreographer from Winnipeg's Contempor­ be held at Harbourfront (Oct. Umbrella project is designed to Cathy Ferri. Maguire also ary Dancers. 31). The final Danceworks of assist dance companies based appeared with the Mel Wong 1983 - Danceworks 33 - will in or touring to Toronto. Dance Company in New York Juan Antonio, a distinguished feature choreographers Kai Services the Dance-Umbrella last May and in June choreo­ dancer and former associate Lai, Murray Darroch both of intends to develop include: a graphed Gilbert and Sullivan's director of the Louis Falco Toronto, Peter Ryan of Van­ comprehensive ~ailing list; a jolanthe at the Muhlenberg Dance Company, began his couver and Christian Swenson Toronto Dance Calendar to College Summer Music Thea­ new duties as artistic director and Helen Walkley from Seat­ advertise dance events and to tre in Pennsylvania. In Sep­ of Les Ballets Jazz Dance tle. (Dec. 1-3). help companies plan their tember Maguire will Centre in Toronto on June 1. Toronto seasons so as to avoid participate in Patricia Beatty's Among the goals Antonio has The Premiere Dance Theatre in conflicting dates as much as Painters and the Dance Project set for the Dance Centre is the Toronto's Queen's Quay Ter­ possible; a resource centre to at the St. Lawrence Centre and creation of a second company minal will be officially inaugu­ provide information on venues will premiere her dance/theatre of Les Ballets Jazz in Montreal. rated September 24. Its first for dance, qualified technicians work Cutting Losses #I in a Toward this end he presented a season will include performan­ and equipment rental; an program of her recent choreo­ performance at the Toronto ces by 14 North American annual Dance Umbrella Festi­ graphy at the Toronto Dance Dance Theatre, (Aug. 4-6) dance companies. The gala val; advance publicity for Theatre, (Oct. 6-8). In featuring students of the school opening, a $100-a-ticket black Toronto appearances of out­ November Maguire will per­ and guest dancers Phyllis tie affair, will feature a spe­ of-town companies; and a form in the Simon Fraser Eckler, Michael Conway and cially commissioned work long-term plan to develop a University Fine Arts concert Pierre Godreault. entitled Pari Passu by Cana­ regular touring circuit through­ series and in December she will Modern dance will be given dian choreographer Judith out Ontario. If you wish to give performances in Northern more emphasis this year at the Marcuse. The gala will open participate in the development California. Centre. The school has pre­ with a new work by Montreal of the Toronto Dance viously been known as a jazz soloist Margie Gillis and will Umbrella contact Dance Onta­ Le Groupe de la Place Royale school with solid ballet classes. include the Robert Desrosier rio, c/ o Premiere Dance Thea­ will premier artistic director J aun Antonio himself teaches Dance Theatre in an excerpt tre, 207 Queens Quay West, Peter Boneham's Faustus, An intermediate and advanced from The Fool's Table, Winnip­ 3rd F109r, Toronto, Ontario. Opera For Dancers at the modern classes in the exuber­ eg's Contemporary Dancers in M5J 1A7. (416) 869-8460. National Arts Centre in ant Falco style. Tedd Robinson's Who Could Ottawa, (Oct. 14, 15) and then Ask For Anything More?, Sara Terrill Maguire, the independ­ will travel to Montreal's Cen­ Danceworks 32 will fe ature new Pettitt of the Toronto Dance ent choreographer, co-directed taur II, (Nov. 9-12), and to the work by choreographers Gina Theatre in Peter Randazzo's with R. Murray Schaeffer and Toronto Dance Theatre, (Nov. Lori Riley of Windsor as well Enter the Dawn, La Compagnie Rob MacKenzie, the first 15-19). Faustus, based on the as Carole Anderson, Conrad de danse Eddy Toussaint in A annual Sound Symposium in Gertrude Stein play, has an Alexandrowicz and Denise Simple Moment, Danny Gross­ St. John's, Newfoundland dur- original score by John Plant, Fujiwara, at the Toronto man's virtuoso solo Curious Schools of Theatrical Dancing and a pas de deux by National Ballet rising stars Yoko !chino and Kevin Pugh. The gala opening will be followed by a Festival Week of Dance, (Sept. 27-Oct. 1).

The Premier Dance Thea­ tre's 1983/84 season offers two subscription series. The Star Series includes Margie Gillis (Oct. 4-8), American Ballet Comedie (Oct. 25-29), Danny Grossman Dance Theatre (Dec. 6-10), Danielle Leveille (Jan. 24-28), Judith Marcuse Dance Projects (March 2 -31 ) and the Lar Lubovitch D ance Compa ny (April 1 --1). The G reat Performers series includes the Robert Desrosiers "Why don't you try using the stairs!" Da nce Theatre (Oct. 18-22), American Ballet Theatre II (Nov. 22- 26), Theatre Ballet of 42 DANCE IN CANADA

Canada (Jan. 10-14), Dance­ makers (Jan. 31-Feb. 4), The Joffrey II (March 6-10), Toronto Dance Theatre (April 3-7) and La com pagnie de danse Eddy Toussaint (May 1-5).

QUEBEC

Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal has already embarked on a busy new season which will see it dance on three continents before the end of the year! In early September, the company toured within the Montreal area. It performs in Albu­ querque, New Mexico (Sept. 21) and in Boston (Sept. 24) before leaving on a European tour. The highlight of the visit will be Les Ballets Jazz's participation in the 20th anni­ versary Paris International Dance Festival. The company will be appearing at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees, October 24-29. Other compan­ ies included in the Paris Festi­ val are The New York City The Premier Dance Theatre in Harbourfront's renovated Queen's Quay Terminal, Toronto, opens officially with Ballet, Nederlands Dans a gala performance on September 24. Theater and Joyce Trissler Dance Company. breaks new ground by return­ Ballets' own John Stanzel, was fall season closes in Quebec A tour of Swiss cities pre­ ing to French territory to greeted enthusiastically by City (Nov. 25, 26). cedes the Paris festival: Gen­ become the first foreign dance audiences. The established crit­ eva, (Oct. 1-2); Lausanne, (Oct. troupe to visit St. Pierre and ics, however, did not care for it 3); Berne, (Oct. 4); Lugano, NOVA SCOTIA Miquelon islands, (Dec. 6 and although Claude Girard's set (Oct. 5) and Zurich, (Oct. 7). 7). The Prefet has arranged for received many compliments. Les Ballets Jazz then visits a Joseph Wallin, choreographer the company to be transported Regardless of mixed reviews, number of French centres and Highland dance teacher, is from Canada in his own pri­ the critics agreed that Les before arriving in Paris. the winner of the 1983 DANS vate vessel. Grands Ballets has established In November, the company Award for outstanding contri­ In July, Les Ballets Jazz was itself as a welcome and will open an African tour in bution to the development of once again refused a Canada respected visitor to New York. Casablanca, (Nov. 1). The dance in Nova Scotia. Wallin Council project grant. tour, which ends November 15, Les Grands Ballets will begin was the first Nova Scotian to will take the company to Les Grands Ballets Canadiens its fall season with a tour of the set up a school for Highland Rabat, Morocco; Dakar, Sene­ danced at the City Centre in maritimes including perfor­ dance and to qualify as an gal; Abidjan, Ivory Coast; New York for the second year mances in Halifax, (Sept. 30, examiner for the British Asso­ Libreville, Gabon; Yaunde, in a row, May 25 to June 5. As Oct. l); St. John, N.B., (Oct. ciation of Teachers of Dance. Cameroun and Kinshasa in before, the dancers were well 3); Fredericton, N .B., (Oct. 4, A former member of the Zaire. received by audiences and crit­ 5); Riviere du Loup, (Oct. 7) as Buchta Dancers, Wallin was Then it's back to Canada for ics alike although some of the well as Burlington, Vermont, instrumental in establishing a a tour to Trois Riviere, (Nov. choreography presented was (Oct. 20-21). The company Canadian syllabus in stage 20); Sherbrooke, (Nov. 22); coolly treated by the press. The appears at Toronto's O'Keefe dance for the Canadian Associ­ then from Quebec into Ontario company's performances of Centre, (Oct. 25-29), and from ation of Teachers of Dance. - Guelph, (Nov. 24); London, two Balanchine classics, Con­ there travels to Guelph, (Oct. Other recipients of the (Nov. 25) ; Kingston, (Nov. 28). certo Barocco and Serenade 31) and to Ottawa's National DANS Awards were Ella This will be followed by a tour were highly praised and James Arts Centre, (Nov. 2-5). The Browne (Ballet), Len Hart of Atlantic Canada: Edmun­ Kudelka's lastest work, In company's home season in (Ballroom), Kathy Selby (Edu­ ston, N.B., (Nov. 31); Monc­ Paradisum was widely admired. Montreal's Place des Arts, cation), Pat Kent (Ethnic), Ann ton, N.B. (Dec. I); Sackville, Brydon Paige's Astaire, con­ (Nov. 10-12, 18 , 19), will Marie Comeau (Folk), Marie N.B., (Dec. 2); Halifax, N.S., ceived as a joint tribute to the feature a revival of Fernand Urquhart (Highland), Jeanne (Dec. 3) and St. John's, Nwfld., legendary American dancer of Nault's highly successful Robinson (Modern), Ray Cav­ (Dec. 4). The company then the title and to Les Grands Tommy ( 1970). The company's erzan (Therapy). DANCE IN CANADA 43 Letters to the Editor

Moose Jaw names the Moose Jaw Festival awards and scholarships that include the media which carries An article by Denise Ball in the of Dance, we feel obligated to totalled well ove r $2,700 in great impact with its printed Summer/ 83 issue of Dance in respond publicly. 1983 plus trophies a nd other words, to provide positive Canada regarding Dance in Sas­ Concerning festivals, it awards. reporting and criticism along katchewan has the potential to quotes only one teacher's Time is given for dancers to the road toward our common do harm. actual complaints - about prepare physically and goal. National attention in a problems blamed on the emotionally before highly-respected professional festival's large size. performances. Order is Sandra Dewald magazine read by all Dance in Negative, not sufficiently maintained by basic discipline. President Canada members and subscrib­ researched writing "puts Discipline is one of the most Moose Jaw Festival of ers is distressing when, down" all past entrants beneficial lessons taught in Dance Association although there are good points, whether they earned awards or dance. the write-up actually damages simply had an opportunity to Certainly this Festival is not Denise Ball replies: the credibility of many perform in public - learning remotely, "like being in a cattle While I quoted one teacher involved in the province's from the experience, from the sale", where "the kid gets a directly, her comments reflect dance. Saskatchewan is among general comments of number and is pushed through an attitude held by a significant the best organized, strongest adjudicators and from written the shute". number of teachers in the and consistently growing dance adjudication sheets and The article says adjudicators province. At least three teachers fields in Canada. cassette tapes made for every can do no more than hand out interviewed for the story were The article has excited entry and given to the teachers marks and trophies for the critical of the way dance festi­ enough adverse reaction to to assist further work and teacher to use as "artifacts for vals operate. These teachers, become spread by word-of­ improvement. advertising the schools". All working in Regina, Saskatoon mouth. Since it specifically It also can discourage future awards and most trophies go to and Yorkton, all expressed dis­ discusses dance festivals and festival entries and donors of the students who earn them. satisfaction with the size and lack Only group trophies go to dance studios. of individual attention paid to Other positive aspects not competitors. Several of the most mentioned include the value of highly respected teachers in seeing the work of other Saskatchewan refuse to enter teachers and students, the their students infestiva/sfor the friendships with peers that are reasons I quoted in the story. forged, the encouragement of Rather than attacking Dance in serious dance study. Canada for failing to carry Awards for summer schools "positive reporting" on the such as Fort Qu'Appelle, Moose Jaw Festival ofDance Banff, Kelowna, the Royal Association, Ms. Dewald might Winnipeg and National Ballet spend her time and energy more schools are not lightly given constructively by giving serious nor received. Recipients are consideration to the criticisms required to attend and work expressed by a significant seg­ very hard. The benefits to ment of the dance education students and our provincial community in Saskatchewan - dance scene are obvious. a segment which, one assumes, A significant number of our the festival is intended to serve. young teachers and performers are in dance today because of the Festival - not only the result of awards, but because of the recognition of talent, the encouragement, the assurance that this talent was worthy of nurturing and "staying with it". That the Moose J aw Festival is entering it's 25th year ay something. The theme o Den e Ball' Lnit_ ·a: he ,an D..:.nce•· i • ru·~ m 44 DANCE IN CANADA

Dance at a Glance

American Dance Guild Ecole de Danse Pointepienu offr e un Lois Smith Theatrebooks Limited Book Club programme en ba llet classique et George Brown College 659 Yonge Street, Toronto , Ontario, Ballet, m ode rn, technique, biogra phy: moderne. Po ur renseignements: Ecole School of Dance M4Y 1Z9. the best a nd the newest at discount. de danse Po intepience 5415 Chemin 200 King Street East, Toronto . C a nada 's fin es t selectio n of Dance Write Box 109, Princeton , NJ 08540 Queen Mary, M o ntreal, Que bec H3X (416) 363-9945. books. USA. I VI. (5 14 ) 487-5622. Ba llet, Po inte, Characte r, Mode rn, Jazz, Junior, Senior and Ad ult Classes. The Friends of Terpsichore Anna Wyman School of Classical ballet a nd modern classes. For T wo-year d iplo ma program­ All types of DANCE BOOKS bought Dance Arts informa tio n: Ecole de danse Pointepien u, professional level. and sold. Catalogue availa ble. 1705 Marine Dr. West , Vancouve r, BC 5415 C hemin Queen Mary, Mo ntreal, P.O. 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Ca ll 1- classes in m odern a nd exercises for T eacher training Course. Coaching 403-483-233 1. PEI Ballet Association a d ul ts a nd childre n. Princ ipal: Billyann for RA D a nd !STD exams. 50 (Ba ll et, Pre-Ba ll et , RAD, Ad ult, Ba lay. G o uld Street, Toronto M 5B I E8, The Kathak Institute, Rina Singha J azz-Stretch, ISTD Nationa l) 595-5086. A m:it: nt d assk a l u: mples a nc..l cuun Classes Mo n-Sat. Info (902) 892-16 10 Tinda Holland School of Uance 307 dances of north India. T raining, beg. to or (902) 436-2498 . PO Box 2384 , Bering Ave ., Etobicoke, Ont. M8Z 3A5. Centre of Movement, prof. research a nd conservation. 173 Charlo tteto wn, PEI, CIA SC I. Ballet - Character, Cecchetti and 17 1 Ha mpton Ave., Toronto M4K C o xwe ll Ave nue, Toronto M4L 3B4. Russ ia n . Jazz- Alvin Ailey & Adult. 2Z3, 466-9549. Private sessio ns, (416) 463-1 7 10 . Quinte Dance Centre Fitness Studio Re ntal Avail able. 41 6- classes & workshops. Full professio na l progra m to graduate 239--0 II I. T eacher/ Director: Leslie F re nch. Le Groupe de la Place Royale. Complete level. Enquiries invited fo r wi nte r a nd modern dance p rogram. Begi nner to summer schools. Box 534 , Bell evill e, York University: Classical Jazz Dance Company Professio na l levels. Spring, Fa ll & Ont. K8N 5B2 (6 I 3) 962-9938. Dance Department Hal Mischka, Director. Blending Ba ll et Winter Sessio ns and Annua l Summer Dian ne L. Woodruff, Cha irperson, with co ntempo rary jazz m ovements. School. 130 Spa rks Street, Otta wa. (6 13) Russian Academy of B.A. (Hons), B.F.A., (Hons) in 427 A Queen St. W ., 3rd fl ., 235-1492. Classical Ballet Ltd. Performance Cho reography, Notatio n, T oronto M SV 2A5. Ma ry Asla mazova, Director. C la sses Teachi ng, Histo ry, Criticism , D a nce (41 6) 593-0696. Kyra Lober day and eveni ng, fro m beginners to Therapy; M .F.A . in History a nd Developmental M ovement professio na ls. 935 Bl oor St. W . (at C riticism. SUMMER SESSION: C redit Concordia University Repa tterning, a thera peutic method O ssington), To ro nto, Onta rio, M 6H or non-credit. ( 4 I 6) 667-3243, 4 700 7 141 Sherbrooke St. West whic h faci li tates o ne's a bility to move I LS ( 4 I 6) 532-2993. Keele St., T o ronto, Onta ri o M o ntreal, Quebec H4B I R6 with more freedom, ease, grace a nd M3J IP3 Developing Programme in Mo de rn effi ciency . Private sessio ns and School of Winnipeg's da nce & C reati vit y in sc ho lastic year. worksho ps. A lso classes in Feldenkrais C ontemporary Dancers Professor Eli za beth La ngley . Awareness Throug h Movement. Call Modern, Ba llet, Creative Da nce, Jazz, T el·: (514) 879-5803. (4 16) 924-3469 T oronto . Ge neral, Pre-Professiona l, Professio na l P rogrammes. 2nd F loor, 444 Ri ve r Diana Jabloka va-Vorps School of Les Ballets Jazz, Ecole Superieure Avenue, Winnipeg, M anit oba R3L Classical Ballet - Kirov Method 1231 St. Catherine St. W. 0C7. (204 ) 452-1239. Art. Dir.: T o ronto Regi o nal Ba llet a nd (514) 849-6071 T o ronto Summer Sc hoo l in Dance. Montreal, Quebec H3G 1 PS Joseph Shulman, The Other 1920 Avenue Rd., T o ro nto, Ont. M5M Ministry of Educatio n Agency, Public Relations 389. (41 6) 489-7597. Permit #7 49889 11 79A Bloor St. West, To ro nto, Jazz, C lassical, T a p Ontario M6 H I M9. T elepho ne (41 6) Douglas D. Durand 3-D Arts Prof. Adv. int. Beg. 532-65 I 9. Management. Bookings & T o ur Scho la rships. Coordina tion Public ity & Public Fo unders: G enevieve Sa lbaing, Simon Fraser University Centre Relatio ns, P.O. Box I 182 , Statio n F, Eva vo n Gencsy. for the Arts Toro nto, Onta ri o M4Y 2T8. (41 6) 922- G ra nt Strate-Directo r 8649. Les Ballets Russes de Montreal BA degree program with a d ance Director: Mikha il Be rkut. C lassical majo r in a n interdiscipli na ry fine a nd Ecole Dansepartout Ba lle t (Russia n Method), Ba ll et-Jazz, perfo rming a rts depa rtment. Casier posta l 597, Ha ute-Ville, 336, rue C haracter Da nces, Beginners to Contact To ny Besa nt de Ro i, Quebec, Q uebec GIR 4S2. Professiona ls. Courses year round. (604) 29 1-3363. (41 8) 525-465 7. Permis du ministere de Ka linka Slavic D a nce C o mpa ny. !'educati on #669584 Cours de danse 1231 St. Cathe rine St. W. , Mo ntreal Sun Ergos, A Company of classique, da nse moderne, jazz, danse H3G I PS; (5 14 ) 288-1677. Theatre and Dance c reati ve; a teli ers; program me de Dana Leubke & Ro be rt Greenwood, bo ursiers; (debuta nts a professio nne ls). Directo rs 2205 , 700-9th S t. S W., Calgary T2P 285. Te l. (403) 264-462 I. Perfo rma nces-C lasses.

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