The Michigan Theater Italian Film Festival concludes this week.
Featuring the films of Michelangelo Antonioni, the theater will
screen "La Notte" today at 4:30 p.m, "The Red Desert" on
Wednesday at 7 pim., "Blow Up" and "Zabriskie Point" on
Thursday at 7 and 9:15 p.m., respectively. $5.25 for students.

Uri SdiTnUaS

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Breaking Records makes its 1999 return with a review of
Whitney Houston's "My Love is Your Love."9
Monday
January 11,1999


Irish dance company
ties past to present

By Anna KovalsWl
Fine & Performing Arts Editor
Mystical fog surrounded slowly
rising bodies on the Power Center
stage as dancers from the Trinity
Irish Dance Company presented
their non-traditional side in the
first piece of the night, "The

Trinity Irish
Dance Co.
Power Center
Jan. 8, 1999

Mist." What
was less tradi-
tional, one
wonders?
When think-
ing of Irish
culture, a few
events and
modes of
musical enter-
tainment
come to mind,
such as the
Great Irish
Famine, the
kilts and pipe
playing and

the dance company.
The Trinity Irish Dance
Company, which holds 12 world
champion titles in team dancing,
has performed throughout the
world since they first took top
honors in 1985 at the world com-
petitions in Galway, Ireland.
Aside from Michael Flatley, this
dance troupe has brought the art of
Irish folk dancing to the eyesight
of a world audience. No longer
are the dances performed solely in
the confines of a competitive cir-
cle, but audiences pay top dollar to
see performers on performing arts
stages.
This non-profit organization
was founded by Mark Howard as a
professional arena for students
who formerly had no outlet for
their dance training beyond the
competitive circuit. Known as "the
birthplace of progressive Irish
dance," it opened avenues for
other productions, such as
"Riverdance" and "Lord of
Dance." And the credits are far
reaching, with appearances on the
"Tonight Show" and "Good
Morning America," among many
others, and an Emmy Award for
their appearance in the PBS
Television
Special,
"World
Stage."

the toe-tapping Irish jig. The sur-
real atmosphere of the past often
escapes us, and this, among many
other aspects, is what Mark
Howard, creator of the company,
captured on Friday evening.
The program was by no means
aexclusive to dancing, however.
Accompanying some of the danc-
ing, three musicians beat out and
blew and strummed the rhythms
of Irish jigs on a drum, bag-
pipe guitar.
Included were a;

Irish dancing is defined by stiff
bodies with arms held tightly to
the side, with the legs and feet
doing all the work. Highly
detailed and fast-paced footwork,
launching kicks, spastic tapping
and occassional ballet steps are
what constitute the form.
Made up of 22 dancers between
the ages of 16 and 24, Trinity
made the audience tap and clap
during Friday's sold-out perfor-
mance. While exotic showmanship
and audience-oriented spectacle
mark "Riverdance" and "Lord of
Dance," this company stayed true
to artistic integrity, and relied
rather on innovative choreography
and creative expression to please
the audience.
Nowhere was this more true
than during "The Mollies," which
exhibited the hardship of Irish
miners in Pennsylvania during the
Great Irish Famine migration.
With mining lights on their heads
and smudged, workers' uniforms,
the dancers, through abrupt pauses
and movements, showed the immi-
grants' plight.
And then there were the physi-
cally demanding pieces which
were begun, continued and ended
in perfect unison. They represent-
ed the much admired tap and bal-
let-like movements so prevalent in
Irish dance.
An encore was performed,
and in order to display their
immediacy, dance mem-
bers mingled in the lobby
after the performance.
Four young talented
students from
local dance
schools also par-
ticipated in two
numbers. This
allowed, in a
sense, a strong
national pride and
tradition to be
passed on, and
showed how
much a part of
the progressive
Courtesy of 1MG Artists future the past
can become.

'Action'

deliberates too*,

-
Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures
John Travolta contemplates personal Importance In "A Civil Action."

long on lawyer's

few moments
of musical
inspiration, a
sad, nostalgic
song, a pipe
solo, and an
incredibly
fast-paced
drum solo.
These, of
course, were
introduced
with friendly
jokes, such
as the
recent
weather
in Chicago,
tthe home of

By Laura Flyer
Daily Arts Writer
Admittedly, cou
are no simple tasks
days in order for
stand out as qual
John Grisham's
already swept the
many ways in whic
idea of a corrupti
there is almost li
squeeze of out of t
This is why it mu
slight cringe that
"Searching for Bob
screenwriter for "S
Steven Zaillian, br

Dancers from the Irish Trinity Dance Company leap for joy.


4' 1


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If you think you're pregnant...
call us-we listen, we care,
PROBLEM PREGNANCY HELP
975-4357
Any time, any day, 24 hours.
Fully confidential.
Serving Students since 1970.

Michigan DailyV
mass meeting
Wednesday
420 Maynard
7:30 p.m.

. y
Action
At Ann Arbor1& 2
and Showcase
cerning the trial
revolves.


down numerous parents wishing to
receive an apology from whoever
urtroom dramas was responsible for the leukemia-
to produce these related deaths of, their children.
them to really Initially, Jan cannot accept the case
ity films. With because there seems to be no big
movies having business companies (read rich) who
nation with the can provide a substantial compen-
h he exposes the sation for Jan's effort. He
ve legal system, defends/protects his decision by
ttle else left to explaining that there is little evi-
he genre. dence on what they suspect is the
ast be said with a cause of their children's deaths: a
the director of foul waterworks system.
bby Fischer" and But on his drive home (during
;chindler's List," which he receives two speeding
rought about "A tickets - is this supposed to be
Civil Action" funny?) he notices a tannery that is
for our viewing also connected with two hefty food
pleasure. Based corporations, Beatrice Foods (own-
on Jonathan ers of Peter Pan peanut butter,
Harris' novel, among others) and W.R. Grace &
which was Co. Suspicious of the fact they are
based on a true located right next to a river, Jan
story, "A Civil makes a bold move: He decides to
Action" does risk ruining his expensive shoes by
succeed in dri- squishing through some snow and
ving the plot mud and deftly pushing away some
forward in an branches with his delicate hands.
entertaining Please. The movie tries so hard to
way, but fails champion Jan's change of beliefs
miserably in that it is nauseating.
making any sort Backed by three associates, one
of sense con- of whom is played by William H.
iround which it Macy in his typical anxiety-crazed
role, the new Jan gives up every-
character as a thing (savings, his home, office and
ersonal injury possessions) in order to try this
s into a high- case and seek the justice that the
ve money now" parents of Woburn deserve. Amidst
utterly overused the trial proceedings, the film
to even attempt touches upon the, yep you said it,
to this premise negative aspects of the judicial
mpossible feat. process.
wn Woburn in Zaillian does cover his bases in
n Schlichtmann showing just about every angle of
sets out to turn the film's hell-bent nature, but iron-

a
civility
ically exaggerates what he9
attempting to make so realistic. In
one scene, one of the defendant's
lawyers tries to persuade his client
into believing that the drinking
water isn't contaminated. "How do
you know?" says his client.
"Because I do," says the lawyer
defensively. It's hard to believe that
a lawyer would make such a com-
ment to his client in light of the fact
that he is about to put up an enti
defense on his behalf.
Incidentally, "A Civil Action" is
so wrapped up in Jan's transforma-
tion, that it leaves out important
details that would aid in under-
standing the more complex details
of the case. The novel upon which
the movie is based, is full of details
concerning the land in question,
complete with an explanation
how the groundwater actually can'
to be poisoned. Without this knowl-
edge, the film delivers a very sur-
faced, vague representation of why
Jan thinks he has such a strong
argument for the contamination of
the drinking water (which he ends
up having to re-research after the
case has been closed).
On the other hand, we are thank-
ful that Jan has to encounter so
many obstacles and lose so much of
his material wealth in order to act@
ally win. In this sense, the movie is
able to maintain a level of intrigue
and entertainment. Robert Duvall's
performance as the defending attor-
ney for Beatrice Foods is well done.
He portrays a wealthy, well-respect-
ed lawyer who simultaneously pos-
sesses little quirks that make him
more real and not just another
materialistically insatiable attorne
His passion for baseball, his chea'
old radio and his need for separa-
tion from the office indicate that
not all lawyers are money hungry
vigilantes, but even his character
isn't developed enough to under
stand his own complex nature.
Though "Searching for Bobby
Fischer" was able to capture outs
hearts, Zaillian obviously should
have rethought the possibility of'a
courtroom drama triumph after ha
ing witnessed Francis Poit
Coppola's disappointing film, "The
Rainmaker."



John Travolta's
money-driven p
lawyer who turn
moraled "I'm abol
evangelist is so u
and contrived that
to add some spice
would be an in
Visiting small to
Massachusetts, Ja
(Travolta) initially

..just infiltrate the software
section of your campus bookstore.

ORIENTATION & WELCOME TO MICHIGAN SUMMER POSITIONS:
REMINDER: There will be a mass meeting for Summer Orientation Leaders positions on
January 13 h, 6:30 p.m., Angell Hall Aud D. Applications available in Office of New Student
Programs.
we are also hiring two coordinators:
Summer Parent Orientation Coordinator and
Welcome to Michigan Student Coordinator
The Office of New Student Programs is looking for two energetic students to assist in the
coordination of the University of Michigan Parent Orientation Program and the Welcome to
Michigan Program. Both positions are outstanding leadership opportunities.
Parent Orientation Coordinator
The Parent Orientation Coordinator is a member of the Summer Orientation senior staff and also
works closely with the New Student Summer Orientation Program. This is a live-in position with
rotating on-call responsibilities 2 evenings per week. Job responsibilities include overseeing the
overall operation of the Parent Orientation program including supervising 4 Parent Orientation
Leaders; communicating/scheduling with campus offices: managing program logistics such as
scheduling rooms, AV equipment, and bus transportation; and serving as liaison to summer hotel.

Employment Dates:
Remuneration:

8-10 hours a week, beginning in January
40 hours a week, May 3' - August 20th
(Employment can be extended until classes begin)
Room (with private bath) in East Quad
Meals in East Quad when the program is in session
$7.50 per hour

JOBS!!!s
Winter Term
Apply now at the Law Library-
*non-Law Students

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