rsday, September 9, 1976
THE MICHIGAN DAIL,
Page Three
l the city's a stage for
e dancer in Ann Arbor
By SUSAN ADES
y college town is an aspiring dancer's sanctuary. Here,
rd-togged men and women painstakingly cultivate their tip-
talents at the local studio and gym bars. Fruitless, frus-
g audition hopes are not included in this scenerio. Instead,
are sprinkled with classes, rehearsals and performances.
e even get to court their concert dreams on the stage of the
ening Power Center where such masters as Alvin Ailey and
ha Grahm have lept, pirouetted and whet the appetites of
Arbor admirers.
ut the end of the dancer's rainbow is a city of eight million
ess characters-hundreds of them scrambling for the few
ing dance troupe openings like subway riders diving for
ited seats. The city is New York. The game is expertise,
ition, perserverence and praying.
0 IT IS no wonder University dancers savor their days here
oistered contentment before stalking the professional jungles.
People in this area have a lot of initiative. There's always
nce going on somewhere-in the Power Center, in Schorling
itorium, in the Pendleton Room of the Union, on the diag, on
)rch on Hill Street, on the sidewalk-because there's always
eone around who wants to' watch," said Barbara McGraw,
nior performance major in the dance department. k
To give you an idea of the grab-bag of performances that r
it you when you get here, dancers, carefully selected from
University concentration pool, put on one Power Center show
term replete with all the frills and delights of a professional
uction. Year around, dozens of other pieces are executed
e Schorling Auditorium at the School of Education.
PERFORMERS are often plucked from the ranks of compo-
n class University Dancers. Modern dance is the forte of
town- and the original works often composed and danced by <
ersity masters students are nicely done.
"There aren't a lot of pursist around who try to do Swan
.e," explained Deborah Baker, a Master of Fine Arts candi-
- in the dance department.
For the last two years, dancers have had to audition for
'ance into the University concentration program which is
a unit of the Music School. Consequently, according to
rtment head Elizabeth Bergmann, "the calibre of per-
ances has gone up considerably."t
BUT BAKER feels that one drawback to Ann Arbor's relaxed'
ce atmosphere is that people don't always give performances
r all, whereas for survival in the dance world outside this
en "you've got to have your heart and soul into it."
So although dancers sheltered in this town may not yet be A pair of University Dance Sch
ared for the cutthroat competition inherent in outside dance Idance routine.
les, Baker points out that, "You're not running up a blind (--- -
y performing here in Ann Arbor ... and they're not blind
hat they'd be facing when they get out. . . . They've got i r
.r eyes open. It's a reasonable jump from here (performing C
knn Arbor) to there ... wherever there is."
There, she claims, often does not include performing in By JEFFREY SELBST
York for most dance majors at the University. They seek Classical music in Ann Arbor'
e tenable careers like teaching dance in public schools and is a common commodity. Why,
ing dance studios. "Even the best professionals have to leaflets and flyers assail you
:h to make ends meet. There's just not enough money in this from every kiosk in the city,
ntry to support the arts. Most of us here at the 'U' are aiming advertising one group or an-
a sort of balance between teaching, choreographing and other, proclaiming loudly that
orming." theirs is indeed the best classi-
BAKER DOES not have her eyes fixed eastward-she event- cal concert that Ann Arbor has
y wants to organize her own dance studio. "I've been to New to offer.
'k and I don't dig the scene there," she says. "It's either 36 Well, music in the Beautiful
rs a day trying to get your own company started or finding Town is diverse, anyway, and
of the few groups around and following them around like an really quite bad. You have to
worshiper or a disciple just to get a chance to dance in! know how to pick and choose.
r company. Here is your handy-dandy guide,
"Auditions are cattle calls," she continues, "and you've got culled from a season of observ-;
See ALL THE, Page 7 ing the various groups about
town.
FIRST, OBSERVE the per-
" formers. The Music School has
Lad es ge tsa number of groups, some o
a naents, which can be counted on to de-
liver class stuff. The University
I Symphony Orchestra and the'
Ieeeres You-ack' Uersit Philharmoiar e
the Mui Scoo' tw prni
Music aboard the Ark.
By LANI JORDAN SPECIAL EVENTS such as
Somewhere back in my 60's square dancing and folk music
childhood I developed a pre- workshops have also been con-
conceived idea about coffee ducted at the Ark. An autoharp
houses. I had visions of a dark, building class has even b e e n
smoke-filled room dotted with sponsored.
lethargic bodies emotionlessly Local talent is featured on
listening while someone with a Thursday nights although Ark
guitar monotoned a song about alumni who have gone on to the
the state of the world. big time have been known to
As did many of my other appear unannounced. The Ark
childhood ideas, this one passed boasts giving starts to such well-
away. The only things the Ark known folk-buff artists as Divid
coffee house has in common Bromberg, John Prine, and
with the coffeehouses of my } "Ramblin" Jack Elliot. Other
memory are bodies and guitars. past performers include Maria
LOCATED IN a rambiling old Muldaur, Malvina Reynolds,
house on Hill St. near Wash- Mike Seger, and Kris Kristoffer-
tenaw, the Ark has provided a son.
warm, intimate atmosphere for Weekends are reserved for
blues and folk music lovers and concerts by some of the prev-
performers for over a decade. iously mentioned as well as oth-
It's reputed to be one of the er well-knowns in the f o I k
best coffee houses in the mid- music world.
west. ON ONE memorable evening
The Ark offers a relaxed hav- a group of performers including
en for those who perfer their Louis Killen, Andy Wallace and
music soft and lilting, and their John Eberhart played f r o m
performers within e a s y ac- midnight until eight in the morn-
cess. Linda Siglin, who with her ing and then went out and or-
husband David manages the dered breakfast. Of the 75 peo-
Ark, greets customers at the ple who began the marathan
door as if welcoming guests in- nearly 50 remained when the
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Daily Photo by STEVE KAGAN
ool students perform a modern
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.t
)'
,
d
1s not aiwo
ral Union and its dainty off-
shoot, the Festival Chorus. With
so much to choose from, you
could hardly go right.
The University also offers two
interesting series, the Contem-
porary Directions Ensemble and
the Composers' Forum. The lat-
ter is a display of composers in
the Music School and their work.
Generally of dubious quality, a
good composer can occassional-
ly be found from the bunch. The
Contemporary Directions offers
"established" new music. What-
ever that means. I think it
means "established" composers'
new works, performed by mem-
bers of the Music School.
THE BACH Club meets week-
ly at East Quad and, for fifty
cents you can listen to obscure,
though well-played, music, and
munch intellectual food.
Now to the meat of Music in
Ann Arbor-run by that czar of
classical music himself, Gail
Rector. I am speaking, of
course, of the University Musi-
cal Society.
The UMS, as it is fondly
known, sponsors some forty-odd
concerts roughly divided over
four series, in Power Centerand
Hill Auditorium, each school
year. They also sponsor the
May Festival (featuring the
Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene
Ormandy, and usually a host of
juicy classical stars-this year
it was Aaron Copland), and a
number of unscheduled sur-
prises, such as the now-annual
Benefit Concert, which has so
far headlined Mstislav Rostro-
:o her home, which in a sense sun came up.
she is doing for the Siglins live! "The biggest thrill I've had,"
above the Ark. says David, "was the night when
Five nights a week the Ark Reverend Gary Davis (a blind
plays host to a variety of per- street preacher and singer) did
formers ranging from novice to a service here. It was only the
well-known. The Wednesday second time he'd ever done any-
night Hootenany offers the in- thing like that. He stood up and
experienced a chance to develop gave a 20 minute sermon, I was
poise in front of an audience really moved."
and prictice their craft. T h e Currently the Ark is exper- f
audience, filled with many who iencing financial difficulties due
refer to themselves as regulars, Ito a loss of governmental grants
sprawls on the cushion-covered which provided a great d e a 1
floor drinking coffee and munch- of its support, along with a num-
ing donuts. They patiently over- ber of local churches. Many re-
look mistakes made by p e r - gular -customers and past per-
formers and enthusiastically formers are rallying to preserve!
join in the singing of obscure the Ark by giving benefit con-
folk tunes. certs.
"THE PERFORMERS feel the
Ark is a home. They feel that
it is not only reaching out to
y sa, g as the audience but the audience!
reaching out to them," s a y s
Linda, explaining the benefits.
povich and Yehudi Menuhin, or "At the end of the showyou
the Horowitz concerts of the last don't have a group of strangers.
two years. You have people who feel com-
THERE IS also some dance fortable with each other. I re-
about town, and faculty chan- member one night at the end
ber concerts, sponsored by the of a performance every one
Music School. went out on the lawn and wat-
A good indicator of quality is ched the eclipse," added David.
the location of the concerts. If!Hopefully the Ark will remain
they are scheduled into Power -°. a friendly place to unwind!
or Hill, settle down and relax, with good music.
because it'll more likely be good . ®I
than not. If Rackham, then r
your chances decrease. If, per- GREAT L
chance, they are to be shown
in the School of Music Recital
Hall, read a book instead.
The one exception to this is
that the Music School opera
groups which, though class pro-
ductions always, are consigned
to the Mendelssohn Theatre,
while the Canadian Opera Com-
pany, a terrible strutting bunch,
are, under the aegis of the UMS,
allowed to.profane the stage ofi
Power Center. Such is la vie.
Also, check out the amount of
advertising each group does. If
it's a lot, therconcert will prob- GOURMET NATURA
ably be better. Reason: the 'U'GOR ENAU L
shells out money for those items
it considers to be quality. NOW O
The verdict: strictly at your
own risk, toots. seas
'
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Sr
PHOTGR Hy-
Ta'i Ch'i, Yoga, Pottery, Darkroom.
and over 80 other classes
days, evenings and Saturdays
beginning to advanced levels .
open to all, no membership fees,
Summer Classes start the week of July 7.
Fal/ Classes start the week of Sept. 18.
Register now by mail or in person. For information and catalog call 994-8400.
213'h So Main St. (between Liberty & Washington) Ann Arbor, Mi. 48108.
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John Prine, just one of a host of big names to play the Ark,
warms the hearts of a weekend audience with his moody,
mzllow folk.
y MICHAEL BLUMFIELD not play within 50 miles 'f that
And now ladies and gentle- city for 30 days before or after
n," a voice announced from his or her appearance. T h s
darkened stage, "You-a c k hurts UAC's chances 4 grab-
udly presents ..." If this bing a group on a national tojurr
4 the first concert you'd seen until the group happens to be
he University, you may have returning to this vicinity. The
dered who or what the hell iprominent concert production
o-ack" is. people in Detroit have a better !
ell, it's just another ine of chance of picking up a popular
e student organizations with musician because they can prac-
ree-letter name - UAC. The tically guarantee a sell-out
-onym stands for University crowd in a gigantic auditorium
:ivities Center and it was their in the rock-lovin' motor city.
cert co-op which brought Another concern has been ex-
whatever artist you happen- pressed in the past by Univer.-
to see that night. sity officials about the types of
crowds that. showed up at con-
ERHAPS calling it "j u s t certs at such sacred and imma-
her" organization is unfair. culate halls at Hill and Power.
C Concert Co-Ops, has Dope-smoking was feared for
ught some of the best mod- fire safety reasons in Hil. Gen-
musicians to University Au- eral disorderliness as well as
riums for evenings of en- vomitting had plagued the con-
ainment that will linger long certs of the past and at o n e
the campus' collective me- point in early 1975 is was
ry. thought that rock c ncerts
,ast fall's concert season in- would no longer take place in:
ded a line-up of acts that will the acoustically-sound Hill.
hard to top this year. Repre-
itatives from nearly e v e r y INSTEAD, concerts w o u 1 d
jors fo inear ms v eryhave to use Crisler as their
jr force sg popular. music base, which suffers from the tv-
aced the stages of Hill, Pow- pical drawbacks of a large
and Crisler auditoriums. pcldabcso ag
e's and Nevsweek's cover- arena - poor acoustics, impos-
y Bruce Springsteen shook sable vision from all but ihe
re than the rafters at Hill in closest of seats, and the sink-
ptember in one of his first mng feeling that results from to
ncerts since he had gained many people at one event.
tional recognition. His con- But apparently this concern
rt was followed a few d a v s was not merited last yt~ar as
ter by the leaders of progres- even the Springsteen a jdiences 1
7e electronic jazz, Chic Corea maintained a reasonable amount
d Return to Forever. of self-composure. And several
Loggins and Messina enter- small jazz concerts were h t- 1 d
ned a mammoth crowd of successfully in the r.- rict d
000 at Crisler Arena in Oc- capacity of Power and the Un-
ber while jazz piano giant Mc- ion Ballroom, the latter in which
)y Turner gave a stunning per- Les McCann played. Eclipse
rmance in the intimate halls I Jazz, an off-shoot of UAC, was
the Power Center. responsible for bringing many
Bonnie Raitt warmed hearts fine names to town and the win-
Hill with her soecial gutsy ter term saw the appearance of!
ues. Back in Crisler, J o h n Weather Report, Cecil Taylor,
cLaughlin, disciple Larry and Keith Jarrett - all imnort-
)rvell and the father of t h e ant faces in the jazz w.rld.
>thers of Invention r r a r. k Carole King gave one of her
ippa performed in November. concerts in last winter's tour in
Hill, much to the delight of a
man ITMA r" e ....no t~n Ical-etrrwr A nntIhor locndinay
pal symphonic groups, with the
Philharmonia perhaps the bet-
ter. The School considers the
University Symphony the finer,
which is a good tipoff to their
general level of taste and judg-
ment.
Both of these ensembles put
on several concerts a year. They
are joined in this frenetic dis-
pl)y of energy by the various
choirs-the Arts Chorale, which
used to be headed up by the
marvelous Maynard Klein, the
Glee Club (which is fun for all
you frat types), the University
Choir, the Chamber Choir (heav-
ily into avant-garde), the Cho-
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