Thursday, September 9, 1976 THE MICHIGAN DAILY D..,.... C .....a. r oge seven I i I Martial arts: The basic mastery of dimension By JAY LEVIN The lean, lithe man with white pants, pale yellow shirt and determined face moves for- ward, then back again in a ballet of slow, graceful motions. Outstretching his arms and thrusting his legs in a lethargic, yet decisive, kick, he propelles his body parts in soft unison, forever aware of the space he oc- cupies in the airy, mirror-clad gym. After his brief exercise concludes, Steve Har- rigan retreats to a sunny window perch and talks softly of the art he calls his specialty, Tai Chi Chuan. "WHAT WE'RE emphasizing here is the basic mastery of dimension - you're the master of your own bio-space, and you move within your space," he says. "Whatever happens on the outside, you have inner calm." Curiously, Tai Chi Chuan, even with its seem- ingly non-violent appearance, can be used as a martial art. Ann Arbor offers a bounty of op- portunities to learn these ancient oriental skills, both commercially and through University Clubs, for those interested in defending them- selves, exercising, or just seeking the inimitable feeling of well being and inner calm. Harrigan teaches Tai Chi Chuan at Arts World on Main St., and is very serious about what he tabs both a mental and physical exercise. "TAI CHI CHUAN is too big, too broad to de- fine," says Harrigan, whose curly brown hair is tinged with a hint of grey. "It's the multi-facet- ed study of life. It includes philosophy, moral conduct, mysticism, exercise, mental health, and martial art. It's a living philosophy: you do the philosophy." Harrigan adds that for this "non-linear" art to be used effectively in a martial sense, one must spend ten years mastering the precise body moves. Across the street from Arts World, at The Academy, the lung thrust cries of white-robed children practicing a more violent martial art, the ancient Korean Tai Kwon Do, can be heard by any passing pedestrian. HEAD INSTRUCTOR Edward Sell is a sixth level black belt and the highest ranged non- Oriental practitioner of Tai Kwon Do in the world. Tai Kwon Do is a science to coordinate the mind and body, to act as one, to avoid violence, danger and harm to the body by strengthening the mind," he says. Sell, whose muscular torso is clad in a royal blue sweatsuit and whose face radiates the glow of a fresh sunburn, emphasizes that Tai Kwon Do (or "karate to the layman") is basic- ally an art of control. "TAI KWON DO is the controlling of ones emotions,' 'he says. "You will not find a true student flying off the handle." To demonstrate the control technique, Sell told me to stand completely rigid, then thrust a beefy fist toward my probiscus, missing it by a threadbare margin. It took me several mo- ments to recoup. Sell suggests that those interested in learning Tai Kwon Do, or any form of martial art, should "shop around" by checking out various establishments, talk to students, and investigate the instructor's credentials. All the city's a stage for the dancer in Ann Arbor !the danc r in A nn(Continued from Page 3) to either know the right people or strike it in the right way. It does happen but it's kind of a rarity." Bergmann, however, disagrees. "Those people (Universiy graduates) who've wanted to perform have been successful," she said, listing a number of former students who are now linked with reputable New York companies. "I've been getting my body ready for New York," said McGraw who unlike Baker or Bergmann is nurturing an addic- tion to ballet. Though many modern dancers eventually resign themselves to gracing western and midwestern dance halls, ballerinas are born with the gleam of New York stagelights in their eyes. McGraw is however wary of the pitfalls she might meet in New York. "You have to be sixteen to fly off to New York to do ballet." So she'll settle for a career in modern dance-she's willing to be flexible; "I can dance, it doesn't have to be in Schorling, it can be anywhere for me . . . I just want to perform you've got to decide for yourself where the growing ex- periences are." NON-DANCE MAJORS are not excluded from the Ann Arbor dance picture. They can be invited to join a group of University Dancers. Opportunities also exist for instruction and performing in the community so don't dispair if you get closed out of a University dance class-you're most likely the rule, not the exception. The Sylvia Hamer School of Dance is a studio where anyone can walk in and learn ballet at $3.50 a lesson (there's a discount for students). Hamer herself is a virtual dance-community legend and although in her mid-80's she's still teaching. Art Worlds, the YM-YWCA and the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Program are all there to catch you when the Uni- versity throws you out in the cold, and they probably charge less for the offering. And if you're into folk dancing for free, get over to the Dental Building some Friday night. Strictly for entertainment's sake, the Ann Arbor Civic Ballet lights up the Power Center stage once a year with works per- formed by community dancers and choreographed by noted New York professionals. The University Musical Society often features ballet to a community overdosing on modern dance, with a num- ber of famous visiting troupes. Meanwhile, African dance is flourishing with the University-sponsored Trotter house providing the style its niche. Laflv photo by STEVE KA AN Frank Lobbestach, a green belt, going through his painstaking practice sessions at The Academy. I ' ~ ..~i.W - i 1 " 1 INTERNATIONAL PRESENTATIONS I t 1976 -1977 98th Season of Music and Dance -A A wide variety of entertainment awaits concertgoers this season as guest artists from 19 countries and America perform in three auditoriums on the U-M campus. Sym- phony orchestras, chamber groups, opera, recitals, chor- al music, Asian groups, and all types of dance are offered in the series listed here. You may purchase a complete series at the prices noted, or buy single concert CHORAL UNION SERIES HILL AUDITORIUM ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Thurs., Sept. 16 ZUBIN MEHTA, Conductor HAIM TAUB, Violinist SHERRILL MILNES, Baritone .............. Fri. Oct. 8 MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Sun. Oct. 17 CHARLES MACKERRAS, Conductor; FESTIVAL CHORUS ORCHESTRE DE PARIS ..............,Wed. Oct. 27 DANIEL BARENBOIM, Conductor LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Sun. Nov. 14 BERNARD HAITINK, Conductor CHAMBER ARTS SERIES RACKHAM AUDITORIUM GUARNERI STRING QUARTET . ......... Sat. Oct. 9 First concert featuring the complete Beethoven cycle. BAROQUE MUSIC MASTERS ........... Wed. Oct. 20 ASIAN SERIES RACKHAM AUDITORIUM MARTIAL ARTS OF KABUKI ............Thurs. Oct. 21 CHINESE ACROBATS (in Hill Aud.)......Sat. Nov. 6 YAMINI KRISHNAMURTI, South Indian Dancer Mon. Feb. 28 MASKED DANCE-DRAMA OF KOREA ... Wed. Mar. 16 GUARNERI STRING QUARTET .... Fri. Nov. 5 AEOLIAN CHAMBER PLAYERS .......... Sat. Nov. 20 SERIES OF 4: $20, $15, $10 JEAN-PIERRE RAMPAL, Flutist Fri. Jan. 14 tickets in September. WARSAW QUINTET (piano and strings) ..Thurs. Feb. 3 GUARNERI STRING QUARTET .....(aft.) Sun. Feb. 20 CHOICE SERIES POWER CENTER PRAGUE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA .....Sat. Jan. 15 FRANS BRUEGGEN, Flute & Recorder; ALAN CURTIS, Harpsichord ............ SERIES OF 8: s40, $30, s20 . Tues. Mar. 22 DEBUT RECITAL SERIES JORGE BOLET, Pianist ................Sat. Feb. 5 LENINGRAD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Thurs. Feb. 10 YURI TEMIRKANOV, Conductor CZECH PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA ..Thurs. Mar. 3 VACLAV NEUMANN, Conductor DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and UNIVERSITY CHORAL UNION .. .. (aft.) Sun. Mar. 20 ALDO CECCATO conducts Beethoven's "Missa Sol- emnis" with BENITA VALENTE, Soprano, ELAINE BONAZZI, Contralto, SETH McCOY, Tenor, ARA BERBERIAN, Bass. SERIES OF 10;:x+60, $50. S40, $30. x520 DORA STRATOU'S GREEK DANCES .....Sat. 80 folk dancers from Athens (aft.) Sun. SPANISH NATIONAL FOLK BALLET .....Mon. JULIAN BREAM, Guitarist (in Hill Aud.) Oct. Oct. Oct. BEETHOVEN "~FINALE PAl "O' 23 24 25 RACKHAM AUDITORIUM GUARNERI STRING QUARTET GUARNERI STRING QUARTET -.. - .Sat. Apr. 16 (aft.) Sun. Apr. 17 (aft.) Sun. Oct .31 VICTOR HERBERT'S "Naughty Marietta" . Fri. & Sat. starring CYRIL RITCHARD Nov. 12 & 13 TCHAIKOVSKY'S "Nutcracker" BALLET THE PITTSBURGH BALLET Thurs. Fri. Sat. Dec. 16, 17, 18 VERDI'S "LA TRAVIATA" ................Sun. Jan. 9 CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY (aft. & eve.) ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET ........... . ..Sat. Jan. 29 (Two different programs) (aft.) Sun. Jan. 30 nAT U7VTVFN7lTT'T A Wed. Feh 7 A new series featuring top-notch artists SERIES OF 2: $10, $L50, $5 making their Ann Arbor debuts: COMPLETE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: 0