The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, January 30, 1979-Page 5
THE PAUL TAYLOR COMPANY
Dance: Not for aesthetics only
By KATIE HERZFELD
It is a widely held prejudice that dan-
ce is an inaccessible art form, ap-
preciated only by the aesthetically well
versed. Paul Taylor's Dance Company
destroys this notion and proves that
dance can be enjoyed as an eminently
approachable form of art and enter-
tainment. Firday night's performance
in front of a packed house at the Power
Center innovatively, demonstrated that
the beauty of dance can be both en-
joyable and easily understandable.
The evening began with a relatively
new piece entitled Diggith. Cardboard
dogs in playful positions were-scattered
about the stage when the curtain rose,
and a petite young woman charmed her
audience with soothing, flowing
movement. The accompanying music,
specially composed by Donald York,
was a delight in itself, with brass in-
struments richly contrasting a guitar
and flute.
Soon the woman was joined by three
men dressed in khaki pants and shirts
and three women who, like the soloist,
wore white leotards with black collars
and airy, flowing skirts. Diggith
celebrated carefree happiness with
precise and synchronized movement.,
IN A BEAUTIFUL show of fluent
energy wherein the dancers appeared
to be figure skating, one of the women
was lifted in a split position onto the
men's shoulders and then swung 3600. In
another exciting lift, the men rolled a
girl in the air.
With childlike, continuous energy and
the ease and exactness of dance artists,
the group played out various fantasies
of tender romance in a dog patch.
Private Domain, a somewhat cosmic
work choreographed in 1969, followed.
Clad in bathing suits, the troupe moved
behind two pillar-like obstructions, and,
accompanied by eerie, almost bother-
some music and scant, strobe-like
lighting, the dancers explored one
another's bodies and the formations
they could make together.
The pillars were distracting, but they
added even more innovation to the
design. Perhaps one needs to see this
piece several times from different seats
in the audience to appreciate the total
perspective.
THE DANCERS' elegant
musculatures were especially notewor-
thy during this piece, and the technique
and variety of styles were excellent.
Unfortunately, however, the meaning
of the piece - if there was one - was in
the "private domain" of the dancers.
The final piece, Cloven Kingdom, was
described in the program as "an antic
view of the coexistence of social veneer
and primitive instinct and a few of the
eternal differences between men and
women." Choreographed in 1976,. this
outstanding work really needs no ex-
planation, but the description helped
everyone to feel comfortable with the
performance, and free to establish their
own interpretation once they under-
stood the choreographer's message.
THERE IS A fallacy about dance that
it needs to convey a messsage, and that
the message needs universal under-
standing. In truth, dance can be en-
joyed for the beautybof movement
alone; the beauty of bodies working
and shaping together. When a dance
makes a statement, this fine art
becomes even more special.
Cloven Kingdom combined fantastic,
synchronized movement with an
equally noteworthy theme. The music
for Kingdom changed often, sometimes
in three seconds, from classical string
orchestrations to primitive drumming.
By their dress and flirtatious behavior,
one assumed that the dancers were at-
tending a party of some sort. The
women, each dressed in differently
colored simple gowns, danced around
the men, who wore black tuxedos. The
men's constant energy was truly fan-
tastic: Despite soldier-like com-
binations with fine, precise steps, and
humorous gymnastics in which they
somersaulted over one another, a fluent
energy was maintained.
Taylor's statement that social pat-
terns between primitive and highly
sophisticated twentieth century people
have not really changed was thoroughly
enjoyed by the dancers and their
audience. Men and women from almost
all cultures instinctively play games,
mask their true selves, and flirt
aggressively, or perhaps shyly,dto!im-
press the opposite sex.
Paul Taylor's Dance Company is
creatively working towards universal
enjoyment of dance. This Ann Arbor
audience showed their approval with an
unusually long curtain call, and many
well-deserved shouts of appreciation.
Little Rock, Ark., was originally named
"La Petite Roche" by French explorer
Bernard de la Harpe, who established
his trading post on an outcropping of
rock on the Arkansas River.
IT'S COMING!
A SUPER SPECTACULAR EVENT
M CHIGRAS '79
Sat., Feb. 10-8 pm-The Union
To find out morecall UAC: 763-1107
STUDENTS!
LOW COST VACATION IN EUROPE
SPECIAL - CAR'N' TENT-PROGRAM
Drive throughut Europe for as little as
$28.90 per week*
CHARTEFS TO FRANKFURT
fron $349.0
EARV BOOKING DISCOUNTS
*9sed on 4 passenger to a car
For infoplation and reservation call or write:
EUROREW-TOURS OF EXCELLENT
801 tewport, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
769-1238
-4
the Collaborative
winter
art & craft
classes
Classes and workshops including:
JAPANESE INLAY WORKSHOP
REGISTER NOW-CLASSES BEGIN JAN.(29
RECORDS
Amended bias suit
filed against school
U-M Artists & Craftsmen Guild
763-4430
2nd floor, Michigan Union
+.
Love Beach
Emerson Lake and Palmer
At antnc SD-192 1
l
By STEVE HOOK
Girls, oh there were girls,
But they were part of the social world.
And! never took much notice
Until the night I met you.
Something is wrong here. Terribly
wrong.
Those of us who have followed Emer-
son, Lake and Palmer over the years,
who have supported them with pride
and dedication, deserve more than this.
The lyrics are from ELP's new
album;, Love Beach, and they
illustrate the tacky cheapness of their
newest work, a work filled with schlock
from beginning to end.
LOVE BEACH is a collection of min-
dless love songs, with titles such as "All
I Want is You," "Taste of My Love,"
the title track "Love Beach," and the
totally incomparable "Love at First
Sight;"
Standing there alone
Out on the terrace
Under the moon,
From the moment that I kissed you,
My life turned into a dream.
God love us. We don't need this
frustration.
Greg Lake and his cutsie love songs
dominate. Keith Emerson, with the ex-
ception of one enjoyable self-spun in-
strumental, is doing little more than
musically masturbating from start to
finish and Carl Palmer, one of the
world's most respected percussionists,
barely gets a workout.
It is Lake who holds that spotlight,
and this is a shame:
I knew that I loved you at first sight
And that you loved me.
Was it really happening,
Or was it a dream?
IN THE PAST, a new Emerson, Lake
and Palmer album was a welcome
break from the pretension and
monotony of contemporary music.
Amid the disco music of the Bee
Gee's and the deluge of Elton John and
Billy Joel, finding some ELP on the
airwaves almost inspired one to call up
the D.J. and thank him kindly. Stum-
bling upon an ELP album in someone's
record collection was similar to
noticing a bottle of Chivas in his liquor
cabinet.
FOR OVER ten years now, Emerson,
Lake and Palmer have managed to stay
free of the commercial mainstream,
exploring their colective creativity with
little influence from outside. They were
bawdy English punks throwing conven-
tion to the wind, with hair to their
shoulders and scowls on their faces.
Just look at that picture on the cover
of Love Beach: If it's not The Male An-
swer to Charlie's Angels. If the turmoil
of the late '60's were responsible for
ELP's anarchistic disposition, the
prevailing "me generation" tendencies
of the '70's have now surely made their
mark.
The most perceptive of ELP's
followers may have noticed this coming
for some time now.
WORKS I, their first major effort sin-
ce seemingly retiring in 1975, had many
moments which left us inrdoubt. But
these were smoothed over by many
more moments of solid maturity. Then
Works Volume II drove us to fear the
worst, and Love Beach has confirmed
just that.
There is little to do but sift back to
classic ELP works, such as Pictures at
an Exhibition, Hoedown, and Karn Evil
9 . .. and pray that one day soon this
band gets its act together again.
Join the
Ilts Staff
BY ELENORA DI LISCIA
Following an order by a district court
judge, lawyers for 15 black school
children from the Martin Luther King
Jr. Elementary School in Ann Arbor,
filed an amended complaint last Friday
in the "black English case." The
amendments were in response to an or-
der by Judge Charles Joiner requesting
that the case focus on the language
aspects of the case, rather than the
economic and cultural ones.
The suit involves 15 minority children
from the Green Road Housing project
who have been labeled as under-
achievers due to a black English
language barrier. The lawyers, on
behalf of the children, maintain that
this barrier has not been overcome by
the school and so the children have not
been effectively educated.
"THE LINGUISTIC characteristics
of these children are different and the
school has proven that they will
disregard these differences,"-said the
plaintiff's lawyer Gabe Kaimowitz.
Kaimowitz said that the complaint
was "amended through focus on the
racial and linguistic characteristics
rather than on their cultural or
economic backgrounds." He main-
tained that these children were dif-
ferent from other black children atten-1
ding King School because they live in a
racially isolated community. "The
Israeli pair
BEIRUT, Lebanon (UPI) - Israeli
warplanes crisscrossed the skies over
southern Lebanon yesterday, often at
relatively low altitudes, and
Palestinian guerrillas in the south were;
on full alert after a Palestinian-planted.
bomb killed two in Israel.
"Two Israeli planes have been flying
over Sidon and Tyre all day long," said
a resident of the southern port of Sidon.
"The Palestinians are on full alert,
especially along the coast.
A bomb killed two Israelis and woun-
ded 34 others Sunday in the norther
Israeli town of Netanya. In Beirut, the
Palestine Liberation Organization
claimed responsibility for the blast and
reports from Israel said the bombing
raised the possibility of Israeli
retaliatory action against Palestinian
positions in Lebanon.
The United Nations worked out a
precarious cease-fire last week bet-
ween Israel and the Palestinians in
south Lebanon after five days of cross-
border artillery and rocket duels. The
shelling followed an Israeli raid against
common characteristic of thes
children is the language that they spea
with each other," said Kaimowitz.
Even though Kaimowitz said that th
suit, which has been amended severa
times since 1977, now complies with th
standards ordered by Joiner, he is no
optimistic that the suit will be accepted
"We anticipate that they will agai
move to dismiss the suit. The case ha
enormous value - it means that ther
are a lot of functionally illiterate kids i
the world and people would start filin
suits left and right."
THE CASE is being compared wit
one in the early 70's involving Chines
students in San Francisco in which th
Supreme Court ruled that thos
children were entitled to specia
English language instruction.
The attorney for the Ann Arbor Board
of Education, John Weaver, said he had
not received a copy of the complaint
and would not comment on what cours
the defendants will take.
However, he maintained that th
language barrier in question was no dif
ferent than an accent such asa
southern or New England one. "I don'
think the statute involved (Equa
Education Opportunity Act) was inten
ded to apply to English-speaking
people,' he said.
THE EQUAL Educataion Oppo '
See AMENDED, Page 12
iles attack
Palestinian positions north of the I
River 10 days ago.
The Israeli overflights, oft at
relatively low altitudes, led resid' of
southern towns and villages to eve
that the jets were taking pict' on
reconnaissance for planning of Able
retaliatory action.
>e
k
e
e
a
to
I.
n
ks
e
n
g
h
e
e
e
d
A PLAY
BY DAVID STOREY
JAN. 31- FEB. 3
TRUEBLOOD THEATRE 8 PM
UNIVESITY SHOWCASE PRODUCTIONS
.JKETS $2 AT PTP OFFICE IN THE
MICHIGAN LEAGUE 7640450
t 'f"'y 1 ^! i
In
Celebration
iNapoleon II
Sumptuou
Second
Empi(e
Artof 18 1870
that )ed
Ameri taste
NEVEK:
. a hing
a cetion of
o ent.
MIMES:
t ale outstand-
ng On of the
r. ..
fr
d
,e
e
-
aX
,t CED A R POINT A MUSE MENT PA RK, Sandusky,
SOhio, will hold on-campus interviews for
1-" summer employment:
Dates: Wednesday, February 14
Thursday, February 15
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Place: 3200 Student A ctivities Bldg.
Over 3,200 positions available for a wide variety of jobs.
y Dormitory or apartment style housing available. Contact
Summer Placement Office foriforo
tion and appointment. Spendin sum-
mer in one of the finest resort areas
in the North.
BESTOF BROA DWAY
~presents
H~in
SONDEIM
jg gazztirng iMical rnter-tainmsenat
#
,
4,
.'
Selft Development Through the Arts
ART CLASSES at RUDOLF STEINER HOUSE
1923 GEDDES AVENUE, ANN ARBOR
Robert Logsdon will offer classes in
WATERCOLOR PAINTING
Wednesday evenings,
starting February 7
I