ARTS The Michigan Daily Tuesday, December 9, 1980 Page 5 Dance Theatre 2's concise 'Sketches' A grand debut for By ANNA NISSEN I can't wait until February. On the 27th and. 28th of that month, Ann Ar- or's Dance Theatre 2 will give its next studio recital. Their recital this weekend was superb "Scribble Sketch" showcased all five of the company's current members. Choreographer Denise Tazzioli allowed. each dancer to bring a personal inter- pretation to their pieces. The various dance styles blended well. Tazzioli her- self was bright and flamelike, with quick twists of her, head and arms. Company co-director Christopher Wat- son was more sedate and regal, while co-director Kathleen Smith softened the total picture with curving mellifluous movements. The spontaneity and or- dered chaos of Tazzioli's choreography made "Scribble Sketch" like a Jackson Pollack painting in motion. Although the dance floor was small, the dancers were framed rather than confined by it. CHRISTOPHER WATSON'S "Spare Time" was less successful in this aspect. This duet, which Watson danced with Laura Winslow, was conceived for a full-size stage and was first presented at the Duluth Summer Festival of the Arts in July. Watson and Winslow tip, teeter, and recover in perfect unsion, but I wished the studio ceiling had been about two feet higher. Watson is not a small dancer, and is forced to take less impressive leaps than he would on a full stage. Winslow, a recent convert to modern dance, brings unfaltering balance and full extensions from her classical ballet background to this piece. Kathleen Smith's dance personality was voiced in "Short Threads," choreographed this year for Leslie Chaskes, Denise Tazzioli, and herself. Smith favors the reach-fall-recover pattern of Doris Humphreys and Jose Limon, but she applies it to a trio working as one organic unit. The dan- cers lean back upon each other, push *up, and revolve into the next symbiotic arrangement. In the small st dio "Short Threads" develops likes an amoeba under a microscope, constan- tly redefining itself. It is, finally, an ex- pression of primal joy; set to a collec- tion of Renaissance and country dan- ces, and ending with a sprightly pavan- ne. THE EXTREME expression of in- dividual personality in Saturday's per- formance was Elizabeth Colburn's monologue-dance, "Solo No. 4: Grand River," in which guest artist Colburn recalls her Motown adolescence. through witty speech and pantomime movements, we watched her slow dan- cing at the Cooley High junior prom, taking Drivers' Ed., and waiting for the public bus. "Buses in Detroit were slow," she joked. "Some people are probably still waiting." After school hours, she cruised in her boyfriend's pink Cadillac. "He liked . . . BIG FINS," Colburn remembered, swaying her hips. "All dance is basically autobiographical," Watson observed, after the performance, "determined by our perceptions of the world." Watson's own solo, "Occasional Shiftings," was highly expressive, and it is easy to see where his devotion to DT2 fits in. This is a dance of reaching and yearning, of stretching to capacity and then con- tracting, and then pushing out in a new direction. Watson covered every elevation, combining light leaps with more floor work than he has used in previous pieces. Watson wanted to create "a sense of energy growing" and toexpress the joy of movement through movement itself, "without necessarily the musical-comedy smile." He suc- ceeded in both. "Occasional Shiftings" is sincere and unpretentious. Watson's solo reflects the attitude of DT2 as a whole. In choreographing his solo he discovered that, paradoxically, "the most freeing experience of the ar- tist is to discover his limitations and become great within them"' Each of the six artists in DT2 has found a distin- ct voice within this small, well in- tegrated group. This is a family of in- dividually gifted dancers rather than a depersonalized dance company. In the coming year DT2 plans several additional concerts, including one at the Michigan Theatre 'in April. Don't miss them. Of all the small dance groups in Ann Arbor, DT2 is making in- novations of the highest quality. By ELLEN RIESER Saturday night at the Michigan Theatre, Ann Arbor Ballet Theatre gave its premiere performance. That the company, which 'was formed less than four months ago, was able to per- form so soon is almost miraculous. That many of the things the company did were exciting and new for Ann Ar- bor is even more surprising. The first ballet of the evening was Medieva, choreographed by - Carol Scharp, the artistic director of the company, and Kathryn Scharp, one of the company's soloists. Set to the Renaissance music of the Munrow Con- sort, Medieva featured five dancers in jewel-like velvets and tulles, gravely performing several short country dan- ces. Although the dancers wore pointe shoes, in keeping with the period of the piece, there was little work done on pointe. Instead, the choreography em- phasized the use of the floor so common to Renaissance and medieval dance. This was not to suggest that the dan- cing was heavy, or that it was the sort of stuff one might see at a local folk dance club. The steps were fast, precise, and interconnected-a filigree of quicksilver, Roberta Elson was par- ticularly noteworthy for her first solo. Joanna Mendel appeared to be having an attack of nerves in the second sec- tion; however, by the third section, the company picked up again as Amy Cop- perman and Alida Schat partnered each other and engaged in some pretty mirror dancing. They were very much together, more so than the soloists of "big time" ballet companies frequently, are. THE COMPANY'S second piece was Gershwin Pas de Deux, set to Gersh- win's Prelude No. 2, with choreography by Carol Scharp (who provided the choreography for the rest of the evening's ballets). If ever a ballet could be said to smoulder, this was it. Dressed in simple black and white, Kristine Konz and James Przeslawski danced through a remarkably difficult and sexy series of holds and lifts without ever losing eye contact. The piece was, if anything, too short. Leaves, set to Chopin's Etude in A Flat, was the third ballet of the evening's program. In terms of what the dance should be or what it is on those nights when the gods smile, Leaves was the high point of the per- formance. Dressed in a simple sheer shift, Kathryn Scharp rose from a sit- ting position on the stage and fluidly rode an autumn wind. Not only was the technique there, but, more importantly, Scharp had a fully commanding stage presence. Heliotrope followed after Leaves. Set to the exotic and vaguely oriental music of Satie's Gnossiennes, it featured three couples in three separate movements. As might be expected, the ballet reflec- ted the foreign feel of the music. Even the costumes fit the mood-the women in hot pink harem pants and skimpy tops, the men barechested and in the same baggy sort of pants. THE STEPS FOR Alida Schat and Thomas Ward, the first couple, were\ angular and played tricks with stan- dard ballet conventions. In a for- midable show of flekibility, Miss Schat wrapped her legs around her arms and around her partner. She was slowly turned upside down, draped over Mr. Ward's shoulder, and placed in positions that were unconventional but oddly graceful. The second and third movements of Heliotrope continued the unusual movements and lifts begun with the first movement. What stood out in general was the technique and strength of the men as they lifted their partners securely but fluidly. Gypsy, set to Prokofiev's music for the ballet The Stone Flower (mistakenly attributed to Satie in the company's program), was the fifth piece performed by Ann Arbor Ballet Theatre. This was an exciting ballet in- volving hand clapping, foot stomping, twirling, and the type of pyrotechnical lifts that are rarely seen in a small company. Wearing short fiery red skir- ts and black bodices, five gypsy women and their men whirled through the dramatic but little-known Prokofiev score. Thomas Ward and Roberta Elson danced the lead couple, and they* were quite good indeed. They were coordinated in timing and seemed to communicate well in their partner work. Mr. Ward needs to work on get- ting his feet to point a bit more when he jumps, and his dancing could have used 2B more attack; however, these are minor criticisms in the light of the rest of his uniformly excellent performance. THE FINAL BALLET on the program was The Class, which was set to assorted short compositions. It was here, unfortunately, that the magic of the evening began to dissolve. Every ballet company has its one ballet class ballet where steps ordinarily done at the barre or for center work are woven into a ballet in order to show an audien- ce what dancers do when they are not performing. Some of these ballets are good-informative and at the same time creative in the patterns made by the dancers. The Class had the makings of a good ballet, but they were smothered in the many things that were wrong with it. While the opening movement, with its diagonal rows of dancers in practice clothes at two barres, was effective for the first few "exercises" as eight pairs of legs and arms flowed as one, it went on far too long to sustain interest. Towards the end of the first movement, the barres became a hindrance to what could have been interesting movements if the dan- cers had done them, at the center or perhaps had partnered each other. The second movement, "Au Milieu," was performed, as its title implies, without the barres in center stage. While there was something profoundly hypnotic created by the sight of fifteen women all doing a slow grand plie in second position, as the movement wore on, the dancing revealed many rough edges. The third movement, which con- sisted of a pas de deux for Amy Cop- perman and Thomas Ward, had beautiful choreography and was dan- ced well-but it didn't belong in The Class. The dancers appeared to be having a romantic interlude of their own separate from the rest of the com- pany. It was quite lovely, but puzzling in the context of the rest of the ballet, which was devoid of emotion. Perhaps if some sort of story line had been in- cluded it would have made the entire ballet more interesting. For a first performance, Ann Arbor Ballet Theatre showed much promise. Many of its dancers have the makings of strong performers. Moreover, it was wonderful to see local male dancers being given a chance to try complicated and difficult partner work. With its pot- pourri of choreography and its em- phasis upon small ensembles and par- tner work, it is a welcome addition to the Ann Arbor dance community. C) Family Fun & Entertainment k Celebrate A French Christmas December 11 7pm Power Center PTP Ticket Office - Michigan League M F, 10- 1 & 2 5 Phone (313) 764-0450 i' ,+ v A + ,t Kathryn Sharpe appears in "Medieva," one of the choreographic works presented this weekend in the debut performance by the Ann Arbor Ballet Theatre, A2's latest addition to its dance community. "Sheer vocal elegance", Music Week London. "A clean, mellou style and a great feeling of togetherness," SEvening Express, Aberdeen, Scotland. "Cooly urbane virtuosity, "Chicago Tribune. neuwSuwingIeSing9ert A Christmas program Traditional carols Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" Songs by Jerome Kern and Cole Porter Music of Scarlatti, Debussy, Rimsky-Korsakov The New Swingle Singers' style of singing music by Johann Sebastian Bach Mozarts "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" Fidoy, D e412't,8:00 r.