PHOTO BY IRV BERG

4-1V Entertainment
Dancing To Remember

orget Charlton Heston.
Set aside your Haggadah
for the moment. The Fes-
tival Dancers tell the sto-
ry of Moses just a little
differently.
This weekend, the 30-year-old
resident dance troupe at the
Jewish Community Center pre-
sents the Exodus tale not with
cameras or books, but through
movement. And not just any
movement, but that of ancient
Sephardic peoples.
"The Sephardic dances date
back to biblical times," explains
founder and artistic director
Harriet Berg. In fact, some peo-
ple believe the dances were an
integral part of religious cere-
monies before the destruction of
the Second Temple. Berg also
points out that elements of these
ecstatic dances, nearly forgotten
over the centuries, still influence
modern Israeli folkdance.
Which is exactly why the Fes-
tival Dancers continue to use the
Sephardic (as well as Eastern
European) dances as blueprints
for their own work. "People
aren't dancing these like they
used to," Berg says. "A lot of
these traditions are being lost."
Besides, she adds, the dances are

Krochmal, Margo Cohen and
Linda Sherman — celebrated its
thirtieth anniversary last spring
with a sold-out performance.
And Berg has much praise for
her dancers — mothers and pro-
fessionals who use their talent
to give back to the community.
Besides, "it's a great opportuni-
ty for them to keep dance in their
lives," she says.
As always, the family concert
will include audience participa-
tion, so pull on those cross-train-
ers and polish your "sher"
(something like an Israeli square
dance): Berg and her dancers
aren't likely to let you sit this one
out.

F

Anne Frank
Remembered

Jon Blair's 1995 documentary
takes an intimate look at the
girl who would become an icon
of the Holocaust, at the Detroit
Film Theatre. Tickets are
$5.50. (313)833-2323.

Fri.-Sat.,
7 & 9:30.m.
p
Sun., 4 & 7 p.m.

The Festival Dancers: Shelly Krochmal, Margo Cohen, Linda Sherman, Patty Ceresnie, Michelle Millman and Maggie Jobin.

"a great way to learn about Jew-
ish history," especially for chil-
dren.
On Sunday, the group's "Sto-
ry of Exodus" — adaptations of
Ladino and Middle Eastern
dance — will begin with the dis-
covery of the baby Moses and
end with the Dance of Miriam.
(Supposedly, the sister of Moses
greeted her brother and the Is-
raelites with a dance upon their
crossing of the Red Sea.)
Troupe members Maggie

Stars of the Bolshoi
Ballet

Sound Transformed

A Sunday brunch lecture
subtitled "When Computers
Compose and Composers
Compute," with University of
Michigan's Evan Chambers at
the Cranbrook Institute of
Science. Tickets are $8.
(810) 645-3200.

Sun., 11 a.m.

Jobin, Michelle Millman and
Patty Ceresnie choreographed
the piece, which they've set in
the time of the Spanish Renais-
sance. The dancers pose as min-
strels who've alighted on the
town square to tell the story of
the Exodus in music and song.
Michelle Moenssen's biblical-pe-
riod silk costumes lend to the an-
cient aura.
The second half of the concert
presents a suite of Jewish,
Yemenite and Israeli dances. "In

A bevy of ballerinas and
leading solo artists from
Russia's premier troupe
dance segments of
Swan Lake and other ballets.
Fox Theatre.
Tickets are $10-$35.

•

Sun., 1 & 5 p.m.

Israel, everyone dances," Pays
Berg, whose personal repertoire
included about 100 different Is-
raeli folkdances before she trav-
eled to the Jewish state in 1994.
Folkdance in Israel is a fertile
art form, and by the time Berg
finished her trip she had ab-
sorbed a new slate of European-
and Middle Eastern-tinged
dances to bring back to her stu-
dents in Michigan.
The Festival Dancers —
whose ranks also include Shelly

—Liz Stevens

The "Dances of our Her-
itage" concert will begin at 2
p.m. Sunday, March 31, at
the Jewish Community Cen-
ter, Jimmy Prentis Morris
Building, in Oak Park. Tick-
ets are $1.50 for mem-
bers/$2.50 for non-members
and are on sale at both JCC
buildings. Call (810) 967-
4030.

Julio Iglesias

Del Amitri

The Latin heartthrob,
who once intended to become
a diplomat, brings his romantic
balladeering to the
Fox Theatre.
Tickets are $15-$50.
(810) 433-1515.

The Scottish pop trio
returns to the Detroit area,
following the success of
its latest single, "Tell Her."
Industry in Pontiac hosts the
show. Tickets are $12.50.
(810) 334-1999.

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CD
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Wed., 8 p.m.

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p.m.
Thurs. 7.30

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