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September 04, 1975 - Image 40

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
Michigan Daily, 1975-09-04

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Page Two

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Thursday, September 4, 1975

Trotter House offers a variety of
black cultural activities on campusI

.I

By CATHERINE REUTTER
The record player in the corner spews a constant stream of
music, the shiny linoleum floor reflects the overhead lights: the
Trotter House basement looks like thousands of others, but a
dance group is earnestly practicing their repertoire, perfecting
gracemul footwork across the polished floor.
The Trotter House Dance Group uses African, Modern and
Jazz music for their numbers. The ten-member company meets
twice a week to practice for concerts which they have performed
in Ann Arbor, Detroit and Cleveland.
THE DANCE group is one of many black student groups and
cultural activities which meet in the University's William Monroe

In addition to the repertoire company, a dance class meets
two evenings a week. When new people join the class, dance
group leader Sharon Madison says, "Sometimes we can tell if
they can be an asset to us." Past experience varies among the
group members, who must audition to join the group. Company
member Lisa Weaver says she has been dancing for 15 years.
"We try to get a guest teacher once a month," says mem-
ber June Porter. Last year, they invited Carol Morrisseau from
a Detroit company. Otherwise, troupe members share the respon-
sibility of teaching sessions. "Usually we have one person to lead
the warmups and one to lead the floor exercises," says member
Brenda Wright.
THE TROTTER House also tries to invite guest speakers to
address their groups. Owens hopes to bring in speakers of the
See TROTTER, Page 4

Trotter House, 1443 Washtenaw. House Manager Lois
mentions, "There's black theater on Monday nights.
poetry, music and works by black playwrights."

Owens
We do

1. 1

Overbeck

Bookstore

Doily Photo by PAULINE LUBENS
The Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe
Dance is growing in popularity

the professional bookstore

LAW

BOOKS

By ELAINE FLETCHER elite professional scnoois. But
While Ann Arbor is not known that has changed, acco1'ding to
as the Mecca for modern dance Elizabeth Bergmann, director
and ballet, an increasingly large, of the University dance depart-
number of students h ie found ment.
the art good training for i er- "The dance train'ng in col-
ests ranging from full time leges has improved so much in
dance career to improvement of. the last five years. Now you
wrestling footwork. have professional training. The

movement often look to private
instruction within the commun-
ity.
For those with the necessary
experience and talent, the Ann
Arbor Civil Ballet, a local semi-
professional company, pi ovides
the best stepping-stone to a Tull-
time dance career.
"The company is open to
auditions in September and
many University students a r e
members," says Sylvia ilamer,
founder and artistic dire:+or of
the group which emphasizes
classical ballet, suppozted ada-
gio, and some moderi dance.

and SUPPLIES
including

And out of this increased in-
terest in dance, a number of
local companies have formed.
Meanwhile on campus, the Uni-
versity last year elevated dance
- from the status of a sub-con-
centration in Education'- to a
full fledged department within
the School of Music.

only other way to do it is to go
to New York," she said.
However, she adds that the
University's dance programs
concentrate largely on modern
dance. "Ballet is pret:y much
asupplement to tnose pro-
grams," she continued.

CASEBOOKS-HORNBOOKS
REFRERENCES-OUTLINES
LEGAL NOTEBOOKS-LEGAL PADS
OPEN THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES UNTIL 7:30 P.M.
CHARGE IT.

FOR THIS reason,

DANCE USED to be something I more interested in
learned well only by attending the traditional form

U

r-

Academic Year Abroad
OR
Summer Abroad
ACCREDITED PROGRAMS OF STUDY IN
FRANCE SPAIN ITALY AUSTRIA
AFRICA SWITZERLAND ISRAEL PORTI
" Studio Arts 0 Lanauaqe 0 History 0 Bu
* International Relations * History of Art "
. Cooking0 Dance " Safaris 0 Archeological
" Theater
For Course Catalogs and Application Forms Contac
CENTER FOR FOREIGN STUDY
216 SOUTH STATE STREET
(on campus next to Lane Hall)
ANN ARBOR, Mi. 48108 (313) 662-55

students THE twenty-year-old g r io u p
developing performs statewide and locally
of body every year at thle PoweriCen-
-ter. This fall's ballet will be
choreographed by Richard Hold-
er of the Harkness Ballet in'
New York.
However, according to Hamer,
the route into a tru:iy profes-:
sional balet company is often
incompatible with a fmir yearI
USSR University education. "Must of
UGAL the boys and girls who come
isiness out with a dance degree can't
Film Hse it - they need real pack-
Digs ground and you can't go to the
University and then go dance -'
ct the you're too old."
"Girls that leave high schools
usually have to go to profes-1
sional schools for two years.
75 But they are very expensive, so
many of them go to Ne'v York"

FOR THE person interested in
jazz, modern, of African dance
a wider and perhaps more flex-
ible range of activities exist in
the Ann Arbor area.
The Trotter House dance com-
pany is a University affiliated
group which gives oerformances
in African dance while persons
interested in modern d a n c e
often audition for the Ann Ar-
bor Dance theatre, says Berg-
mann who founded the original
group.
For .the amateur, classes :re
available at Art Worlds and Lhe
YMCA. TheResidential'College
also offers courses in beginning
modern dance, ipen to the Uni-
versity at large and perforr-iJrg
publicly every year.
A NEW University d a n c e
concentration goes -nto effect
this fall. Bergmann expressed
satisfaction with the new pro-
gram saying, "It won't be like
going to college wi''h a little
dancing on the side. It's now an
artist's degree - a lot of the
academics are out and being an
artist in te studio is in."
However, "there's a big prob-
lem in getting tne University
administration to do what needs
to be done," complains Berg-
mann, "there's not even money
in the general fund to support
our concert activity. It's not

663-9333

1216 SOUTH UNIVERSITY (near Forest)

5 ,

i

e

See LOCAL. Page 8

I' _____________________________Ir

ANN ARBOR CIVIC THEATR
E
Hello from AACT. rel OCTOBER 1518
Since 1929 interested people in the Ann Arbor 46th SEA SON rsenE
area have gathered for the fun of performing a Joseph Kesselring's famous comedy about tw
varied playbill for their audiences. 19 7 5 -19 07 61"charming and innocent ladies who dispense fa
v a ri d p l yb il f or th e r a u ie n c s . t l el erb rry in e ig h t ap s
At our building at 201 Mulholland, every room
will be bursting at the seams with preparations for
five major productions-comedy, drama, and musi- DECEMBER 17-20
cots - plus workshops on acting, costuming, and APromises, romises
other interests, studio productions presented in our TroicsonaeS
ow oo hetean an thratiiie.- The sparkling toe-tapping musical by Neil Simoi
own Cook Theatre and many other activities. and Bert Bacharach, adapted from the academ
Are you looking for new friends and/or vocational A m erican Plays
pursuits here we are! Theatre is more than actors FEBRUARY 11-14
before a curtain, but also the ten-fold people work-
ing behind the scenes doing their "thing" in order------------------------------------------
to raise the curtain. All of us are volunteers, beingI Please reserve sets of K WED. BALC. at $12.00
paid only by the reward that our efforts culminate tickets as inlicated below. I have Q WED. ORCH. at $14.00
I enclosed $ . I under-WI
in the state-wide recognition of being one of the I stand the tickets will be mailed Q THURS. BALC. at $1300 The American Playwriter Theatre Program di
finest community theatres in all of Michigan. I to me in the fall. I have enclosed tinguished offering by Jerome Lawrence an
I a self-addressed stamped enve- Q THURS. ORCH. at $15.00 I7Robert E. Lee of a fascinating play about a ma
I ope. Orders are filled on a first Q FRI.'BALC. at $17.00 I whose thoughts and action are pertinent to o
Come join us. As a member you will receive our come, first serve basis. Season times and our problems.
newsletter, The Spotlight, or be notified of auditions, I tickets for a Friday or Saturday Q FRI. ORCH. at $18.00 I
I evening performance m us t be Q SAT. BAL, at $17.00 jI itl~
membership meetings, parties, and other activities. I ordered no later than Sept. 15,AHR
I 1975. El SAT. ORCH. at $18.00 I ARCH 24-27
If you would like to act, direct, build and paint Ihe little [oX05
sets, find or build props, sew costumes, usher, man
our boxoffice, work on stage crew or make-up crew, I address__________The outstanding drama by Lillian Hellmanc
prticae, k an wa hre place fory, it I life in the South at the turn of the century.
or participate iri any way we have a place for you. I
SMAY 12-16
I Mail orders to A.A.C.T., P.O. Box 1993, Ann Arbor, Mi. 48106
Cas, A~aI:: OklahAoma !

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