Entertainment
Page 6
University Daily Kansan, April 15. 1983
Concert to feature dances choreographed by seniors
By LAUREN PETERSON Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
Four maroon-clad bodies crawl across the empty stage. The bellies scrape the black floor mat, while each limb reaches desperately for freedom from the bleak milieu.
"To Bear Strife," an expressionistic work choreographed by Mary Cumnick, McPherson senior, is one of the four dances choreographed by seniors appearing at the KU Modern Dance Company's spring concert at 8 p.m. Friday in 240 Robinson Center.
The company will also perform at 2 p.m. Saturday, also in 240 Robinson.
Christy Taylor, England special student and one of the dancers in "To Bear Strife," said that the dance dealt with bound-flow movement and body weight as well as the weight and problems of life and getting free.
"EVERY NOW AND THEN, the dance gets free, but then it is pulled down again and again."
She said that during the early rehearsals for the concert she and the three other dancers used elastic bands tied to different parts of their bodies to give them the realistic feeling of movement.
The work will be to the music of Krzysztof
Pandereck, a 20th century Polish composer, she
Janet Hamburg, associate professor of dance and director of the modern dance group of 20 students at the University of Pittsburgh.
role of seniors as choreographers and performers in the concert to celebrate their four or more years.
In fact, seniors Duane Ellis and Karla Flatt choreographed a duet for themselves called, "Four to Five Years," which includes portions from their repertory.
"It shows what we've learned and done in these last years," Flott said. "It will probably be more emotional for the senior dancers in the audience than any one else."
The piece will be danced to two John Lennon songs, "Dear Yoko," and "In My Life," she said.
FLOTT ALSO CHOREOGRAPHED "Nutcracker Sour," a parody of the celebrated Christmas ballet, "The Nutcracker Suite."
She said that the dancers dressed in frilly, white, long tutus, pink toe shoes and with flowers in their hair, would dance to the traditional "Nutraracker" march song on their heels instead
In addition to the dances choreographed by seniors, other members of the company will also perform their works.
Allison Baker, Kalamazoo, Mich., senior, adds to the senior ensemble with her piece, "Fantasia," a light, bright, lyrical quartet danced to harpicord music.
FRANCES TAO, Taiwan graduate student, choreographed two pieces, "Wasteland Part I" and "Small Exhibits."
The latter begins with several slides of 19th century Impressionistic paintings by Monet, Pissarro, Degas, and Renoir, she said.
A quartet then comes on stage dancing to the music of Claude Debussy, a 19th century French composer.
"I saw the paintings and tried to recapture the images," she said.
Hamburg said that the music was composed on a computer by Edward Mattila, KU professor of music theory and composition and director of electronic music at KU.
"Wasteland Part, I" is danced to the excerpt from T.S. Eliot's poem.
ALSO, A QUINTET of five women will dance to a tape of environmental sounds in "Creek," a dance choreographed by Michelle Hyde, Prairie Village junior.
Village junction The last performance is "Movements for Computer and Dancers," choreographed by Hamburg
Brightly colored balloons are tied to the floor and define the space for the dance, she said. The dancers weave between the balloons and bounce plastic balls on stage throughout the perform-
Mattilla said that he composed his work while on sabbatical at Colgate University in 1981.
"I always had a dance in mind when I was composing the work," he said.
Movements for Computer and Dancers made a debut at the Symposium for Contemporary Music in March at KU.
Tickets for the performances are $2.50, $1.50 for students and senior citizens. The audience is invited to stay and talk with the dancers after the performance.
Sharon Rosse, Omaha freshman, and three other members of the University Dance Company practiced "Nutcracker Sour," a spoof on ballet tradition, Wednesday night in preparation for the Spring Dance Concert this weekend.
Russian choir to use traditional songs, dress in first full-length public concert at Spencer
Bv LA DONNA LONGSTREET
Staff Reporter
A choir of 20 enthusiastic singers, wearing traditional Russian costumes, will celebrate three years of existence with its first full-length public concert at 3 p.m. Saturday in the Spencer
The KU Russian Choir will perform Russian folk songs and church hymns a cappella and accompanied by an accordion.
The choir began in spring 1890 as the Slavic act of the program for Foreign Language Day in March, said Anesa Pogacar, mistress of ceremonies.
"The original had nine people including the accordionist and the director," she said. "We kind of sheepishly called ourselves a chair. We were really an ensemble, but we did not care."
Anne Harrison, director, said, "We have grown so much in the last three years. We have grown to be a leader."
THE CHOIR HAS GAINED more than 20
members and has performed at Slavic Conferences, Foreign Language Day and in Kansas City Russian Orthodox churches as well as for groups in Lawrence, she said.
The members consider this presentation to be their first public one because anyone can come to the free concert, she said. All of the other students are also present with other events and had limited audiences.
"I think we do a good job of singing the language," Harrison said. "We've been told that our pronunciation is excellent."
Some native Russian speakers at a Slovak conference told her that they could understand what was being said.
Pogacar said, "Most of the members in the choir are students of Russian or former students of Russian."
THOSE THAT HAVE NOT studied the language learn the words phoenetically from those that have.
"I would love to music students who have never studied Russian try out," she said.
Harrison said, "I think we do a good job
expressing the feeling of the songs. The folk songs are the music of the people. It's more of a cultural experience than really musical."
cultural experience that really informs.
The choir now wears traditional peasant
costumes, which adds immensely to the show,
Harrison said.
The women wear sarafans and the men wear long-sleeved, blousy shirts which fasten on the left side of the collar and are belted.
A sariaram is a long, loose fitting jumper made of cotton print with broad straps and a yolk that is fastened down the front or has an ornate vertical band. A long-sleeved, high-collared blouse is worn under it with a fringed shaw across the shoulders.
"OUR SHOW IS quite a bit visual as well as oral," she said. "The visual experience is a big part of the show."
Pogacar said she gave audiences a brief description of the songs and the history behind them before the choir sang them.
their voices in the conversation.
"I try to do announcements of the songs which will enhance them," she said. "I think people are very curious about Russian culture."
Spare Time
Friday
Pot-Pourri Productions will present the play, "Three of Cups," at 8 p.m. in the William Inge Theatre.
A doctoral recital by Dan Frizane, conducting, will be at 3:30 p.m. in Swarthout Recital Hall.
The Lawrence Chamber Players, directed by Leon Burk III, will perform Beethoven's Fourth Symphony and Copland's "Appalachian Spring" at the Newman Church, 19th and New Hampshire streets.
A junior recital by Joan Harkness, piano, will be at 8 p.m. in Southeast
Pot-Pourrr Productions will present the play, "The Lion King" p.m. in Inage Theatre.
A senior recital by Connie Haverkamp, piano will be at 2 p.m. in Swarthowell.
A spring concert by the KU Symphonic Band with Robert E. Foster, conductor, and Claude T. Smith, guest conductor, will be at 3:30 p.m. in the Crafton-Prever Theatre.
A senior recital by Fran Secor, soprano, will be
at 8 p.m in Swarthout.
Pot-Pourri Productions will perform "The Lion in Winter" at 8 p.m. in the Inge.
Hashing Hall's Spring Arts Week will begin with the Hashinger Choir Classical Recital.
A concert by Jerry Young, tuba, part of the Visiting Artists Series, will be at 8 p.m. in Swarthout.
Hashinger Hall will present "Composition and Wit": music and poetry original works.
A student rectal by the Kansas Tuba Concept and Friends with Scott Watson directing will be
Hashinger Hill will present "Lecture in the Loft," with special guest Romalyn Tilghman, regional representative for the National Endowment for the Arts.
An opera workshop, "Scenes from Operas," will be at 8 p.m. in the Inge.
The Hashinger Jazz Ensemble will perform a concert.
An opera workshop, "Scenes from Operas," will be at 8 a.m. in the Inge.
No one picked 'em,but Kansan pays up for closest 2
LUCKY. HAPPY MAN
A totosome Mike Robinson is assisted by sumptuous Mark Zieman (far right) and dashing Matt Schofield (far left) as he presents gobs of money ($30) to Victor Goodpasture, who correctly picked 14 of 16 Academy Award winners to garner a first place consolation prize in the Kansan's Oscar contest.
Photos by Buddy Mangine/KANSAN
OH SO CLOSE
Debonair Mike Robinson is all smiles and praise as he gives Martha Edge the second-place consolation check for $20 for correctly picking 12 of 16 Oscar winners in the Kenyan's "You Pick 'em; The Oscar Competition." Gushing swashbucklers Mark Zieman and Matt Schofield look on.
By MIKE ROBINSON, MATTHEW SCHOFIELD and MARK ZIEMAN Kansan Movie Reviewers
Champagne corks popped, streamers flew, scantily eld bodies danced on the tables. As some funny-sounding guy picked up the first Oscar Night for night the foreign film "Volver a Emperator," we knew that 129 Oscar contest entrants had just bitten the dust. Only seven of the 136 poor jackanapes were still in the running.
"Gee," says Scho, "that's a darn shame
Looks like a tough go. Do you think any of the
shapes?"
"I looks rather ragged, old bean, but don't sell them short." Zieman says, as he tears up the box.
Robinson poured another round of bubbly, spilling a generous amount on the pile of contest entries. "You know," says he, pushing a pile of entries toward the fire with his feet, and then running back to the ground.
And drown you did. All of you. Everyone
That means you, buddy.
BUT WAT A MINUTE! Ever magnanimous, the University Daily Kaned can decided to empty its pocketful of jack, even though you all failed miserably.
As you remember, the rules for this year’s “You Pick 'em: The Oscar Competition” stated explicitly that to win you must pick the winners of the 16 categories given on the Kansan’s official entry sheet. Did anyone miss this feat, you ask? Do donkeys fly? we answer
But many of you didn't do so bad. In fact, most of you did better than we did, and there was no reason to be sad.
We got seven categories correct. All 136 of you, if there had been a consensus ballot, got 12 correct. Not bad, for amateurs.
Yesterday, under cadaverous gray skies, through blustering ice, and across windwipes Mount Alpe, VICIOR GOODPASTURE, Topeka freshman, and MARTHA EDILO, Hawaii, Philippines, junior, trudged to the offices of their University Daily Kansan and campus of the University of Miami. $80.001
Two of you did very well.
Isn't that great! Aren't we nice! Ain't she sweet!
"You can't go by what movie critics say, because they're all different. Goodpasture
Edge added: "I kept the thing that the Kansan put out on March 25, then I picked my own."
Fine
Goodpasture was awarded $30 for correctly picking 14 of the 16 winners. He missed best
foreign film ("Volver a Empezar") and best adapted screenplay ("Missing").
Slathers of you got 10, bunches nine, scores eight, gads seven, and the like. Melanie
He edged Edge by two, as she was awarded $20 for nicking 12 winners.
Johnston and Shirley Flagg got two categories correct. We would like to thank them for making us look good.
"I lucked out on the two documentaries," Edge said. "I kind of thought they sounded the most enlightening."
For you losers, it may be some consolation that both Goodpasture and Edge admitted luck played a part in their winning entries.
Goodpasture bemined his incorrect answer in the foreign film catagory. "I don't even know if these have ever been shown in the United States. I can't even pronounce some of these names."
For your edification, the following is a list of the two most popular picks in each category.
BEST PICTURE: "Gandhi" (84) "E.T." (41).
(BEST ACTOR: Ben Kingsley (49), Paul
Austin (45))
Newhill BEST ACTRESS: Meryl Streep (107),
(14).
JESSICA LEE
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Louis Gossett
GIVE ME A MESSAGE (18).
Jr. (88). James Mason (18)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jessica
(10)
BEST DIRECTOR: Richard Attenborough (94) Steven Sienbierg (36).
FORGE FORIRE FILM: "The Flight of the
bagle, Sweden (53), "Coup d' Torchon,
Britain (52)."
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: "Toot-
(44) "E" (37).
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: "Sophie's Choice" (21) "Das_Boug" (21)
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: "E.T." (58),
"Sarah's Choice" (*T*).
BEST ORIGINAL SONG: "Up Where We Belong" in the Officer and a Gentleman ("The Gentleman") by James Young.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY "Gandhi" (65). "E.T." (43).
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: "Gandhi" (42).
(40)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: "Poltergeist"
(68) "E.T." (47).
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: "Just Another Missing Kid" (67), "After the Axe" (26).
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT:
"If You Love This Planet" (47), "The Klan: A Legacy of Hate in America" (37).
We would like to give special thanks to B.S. Durham of Fort Hays State University, who sent in an entry — a very poor one, we might add — and broke every rule of eligibility. B.S., you got four right.
1
Thanks also to the 104 entrants who said they had a good time. We did too. See you next year when "You Pick 'em. The Oscar Competition."