ENTERTAINMENT

Prima
Ballerina

Joanne Danto has left performing
to pass on her craft to the youth

ROBYN KLEEREKOPER

Special to The Jewish News

he years in which to shine as a
ballet dancer are limited by the profes-
sion itself. It's geared towards the
young, with some dancers entering com-
panies these days as early as age 15 and
16. As a former principal dancer for
such companies as the prestigious Jof-
frey Ballet and the Pennsylvania Ballet,
Joanne Danto notes, We are just corn-
ing into our prime as human beings
when our careers are over." Danto, a
teacher at the Center for Creative
Studies Institute for Music and Dance,
said ballet is a very competitive busi-
ness.
"There are a lot of young dancers
gnawing away at your `pointures,' trying
to outdo you. It's also gruelling — as
you grow older, you begin to feel it's a
difficult way to live. The politics in this

WEEK OF AM. IFit 111 IL-

business can be so frustrating, and the
design of the business being that man-
agement is used to dealing with very
young people, that all of a sudden when
you are mature and in your 30s, you
find it very difficult communicating on
that same level with your director and
the management. You feel in ballet
companies you are continually being
treated as a child. They speak of boys
and girls — very few directors will call
you men and women. It's dehumanizing
in a way."
But Danto talks of being a ballet
dancer with great love. She cannot im-
agine a future without dancing as its
focus. "Dancing's been my life. I don't
have another goal outside of it. I was
ten years in companies, and probably

Continued on next page

-II "7- 2 3

GOING oPLACES

LISTINGS WELCOME

Performing a pas de deux?
Screening a film? Staging a
play? If so, The Jewish News
wants to hear about it in our
new entertainment calendar,
Going Places. Send concert,
film, dance, comedy, club
and other entertainment ac-
tivity listings to Entertain-
ment Calendar, The Jewish
News, 20300 Civic Center Dr.,
Suite 240, Southfield 48076.
Items must be typed,
double-spaced and include
the time, date, place, admis-
sion charge of each event
and a name and phone
number of someone to call
during business hours. List-
ings must be received at
least two weeks prior to pub-
lication.

CHILDREN

PEANUT BUTTER PLAYERS:
Austin Hall, 18000 E. Warren,
Detroit, The Electric Sun-
shine Man, noon Thursday,
admission, reservations,
559-6727.

COBO ARENA: Cobo Hall,
Muppet Babies Live, 7:30
p.m. today, 11 a.m., 3 and 7
p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday,
admission, 567-6000.

MUSIC

DETROIT SYMPHONY OR-
CHESTRA: Ford Auditorium,
8 p.m. Thursday, admission,
567-1400.

WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY

CHAMBER SINGERS: Com-
munity Auditorium, WSU cam-
pus, Jazz Concert, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, admission, 557-2618.

CRANBROOK SCHOOLS: Per-
forming Arts Center, 550 Lone
Pine Rd., Spring Festival
Concert, 8 p.m. Thursday, ad-
mission, 645-3440.

1NTERLOCHEN: Orchestra Hall,
Interlochen Arts Academy
Orchestra, conductor Gun-
ther Herbig, 8 p.m. Wednes-
day, admission, 833-3700.

COMEDY

COMEDY CROSSING: 23055
Telegraph Rd., Southfield,
Ron Coden and Company
Comedy Show, 8:30 and 11

p.m. every Friday and Satur-
day, now through May 30, ad-
mission, 353-3798.

COMEDY CASTLE: Northwood
Inn, 2593 Woodward, Berkley,
Diane Nichols, 8:30 and 11
p.m. today and Saturday,'
David Sayh, Tuesday through
April 25, admission, 542-9900.

THEATER

DOWNTOWN
DINNER
THEATER:
Veterans
Memorial Building banquet
hall, They're Playing Our
Song, presented by Jimmy
Launce Productions, cocktails
6:30 p.m., dinner at 7, curtain
at 8:45 today, every Friday and
Saturday, admission, reserva-
tions, 224-6000.

JIMMY LAUNCE PRODUC-
TIONS, INC.: Somerset Din-
ner Theatre, It Had to Be You,
dinner 6 and 7 p.m., curtain
8:15 p.m., through June 13,
admission, 649-6629.
JIMMY LAUNCE PRODUC-
TION, INC.: "The Club," Hyatt
Regency Dearborn, I'll Be
Back Before Midnight, din-
ner 6 and 7 p.m., cocktails 8
p.m., curtain 8:30 p.m.,
through May 9, admission,
593-1234, ext. 2323.

HENRY FORD MUSEUM
THEATER: Dearborn, Small
War on Murray Hill, 8:30 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays
through April 25, admission,
271-1620.

Continued on Page 62

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