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 ! o n iy I ( s- d n ar of r .4 1