THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY APRIL 2, 2007
MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2007
NEWS
》 FINE ARTS
3A
Students get into the rhythm
Stephanie Thompson and Josh Ibarra, both Shawne freshmen, learn how to ballroom dance Saturday evening in the Kansas Union Ballroom. Saturday was Dance Across Lawrence Day. "We've done some ballroom dancing before and we wanted to get some more experience," said Thompson. The Lawrence community had the opportunity to attend free dance classes or mini-performances throughout the city.
Dance Across Lawrence Day brings shows, free classes
Marla Keown/KANSAN
BY KYLE CARTER
Learning a few new moves was free for participants in Dance Across Lawrence on Saturday. The event, sponsored by the Lied Center, the Lawrence Arts Center and the University of Kansas department of music and dance, featured free dance classes and performances for the public from 8 a.m., *7 p.m.
Among the styles of dance taught at the 30 classes throughout the day were ballet, ballroom, east Indian, hip-hop, jazz and swing. Stephanie Bottoms, Omaha, Neb., senior and intern at the Lied Center, said class sizes ranged from three in a ballet class to 30 in an advanced jazz class.
Another popular class was hiphop, which was taught by members of the Rock Chalk Dancers, Aubrey Morris, Lawrence freshman, convinced her boyfriend to join her for the class after hearing out about it through her sorority. Students learned choreography to a Ciara song in eight-count bits and progressively built on more steps until performing the entire routine for each other at end the class.
"I've never really danced routines so it was really difficult for me," Morris said. "It was so much fun though."
Candi Baker, dance program director, said the idea for the day came from a similar event held in Boston. She said the event showcased the wide variety of dance available in Lawrence.
"We just wanted to open the
doors to everyone and get people excited about dance," she said.
Mayor Mike Amyx declared the day "Dance Across Lawrence Day," and Baker said she hoped
it would become an annual event. Lawrence native Karole Armitage also returned Saturday night with her dance company and participants received discounted tickets.
Kansan staff writer Kyle Carter can be contacted at kcarter@kansan.com.
Edited by Sharla Shivers
》 AVANT-GARDE
Artists debate modern jazz
BY BETHANY BUNCH
Students curious about the debate over modern musical movements had the opportunity to learn more during the KU Interdisciplinary Jazz Studies Colloquium last weekend.
Events kicked off on Friday morning with a lecture by Kevin Whitehead, a former jazz critic for National Public Radio and lecturer at the university.
The theme of the weekend was the avant-garde, a term assigned to cutting-edge artists and their work.
whitehead had studied the genre extensively and cited an article he wrote for Voice magazine in 1995, titled "Death to the Avant-Garde."
"The term can either be a badge of honor or an insult." Whitehead said.
The early morning lecture gathered a small crowd of about 20, most of whom were other faculty members. Chuck Berg, professor of theatre and film, said he was happy with the turnout.
"For a jazz audience this early in the morning, I'd say were off to a
good start," Berg said.
Whitehead shifted genres from NPR critic to KU faculty three years ago. He moved from New York City to Holland to Kansas, pursuing music studies at each location.
Fred Ho, composer, performer, author, activist and founder of the Afro-Asian Ensemble, performed Friday afternoon playing solo baritone saxophone. He also delivered a lecture.
Whitehead said he was not convinced that there is a true avant-garde today. He disagreed.
"I think music will always go forward." Ho said. "I think most of jazz has been avant-garde. There's always been a quest to explore the parameters of American society."
More than 10 different speakers and artists took part in the production of the colloquium.
Kansan staff writer Bethany Bunch can be contacted at bbunch@kansan.com.
— Edited by Mark Vierthaler
>> PET FOOD RECALL
Joint suit could bring more money
BY MARK JOHNSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
ALBANY, N.Y. — Pet owners are not likely to get much compensation if they individually sue pet food-maker Menu Foods over the death of a dog or cat, although they might better fare if they joined forces in a class action suit, legal experts say.
Ontario-based Menu Foods has taken a low-key approach to the recall, expressing concern for people who have lost pets and offering to pay veterinary bills if a pet's illness or death can be directly linked to the food, but admitting no wrongdoing.
Jack Hall, a product liability lawyer from Pittsburgh, said the owner of a dog or cat used for breeding or of a specially trained animal could argue for higher compensation on the basis of lost potential earnings.
Hall said pet owners would fare better in a class action suit.
"I would think this kind of case would allow itself to a class action. That could work for somebody here," he said.
On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said recalled pet foods contained melamine, a chemical used to make plastics, but that its tests failed to confirm the presence of a rat poison, aminopterin, reported by the New York State Food Laboratory. The FDA said it also found melamine in wheat gluten used as an ingredient in the wet-style products. Still, it was not immediately clear whether the melamine was the culprit in the deaths.
"We are angered that a source outside the company has adulterated our product," Menu Foods Chief Executive Paul Henderson said.
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