The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 24, 1999 - 9 Thesis concert gives culmination of work Phil LeMarr lends voice to 'Futurma Courtesy of University Musical Society ar v aravan will perform tomorrow evening at the Michigan Theater, musictocamp*us By Jeni Glem Daily Arts Writer Four contrasting personalities and styles converge in this weekend's MFA Dance Thesis Concert. The first of two such events this semester, the concert demonstrates not only the creativity of the four graduate students who chore- ographed it, but also the spirit of com- munication that exists between them. Holly Hobbs, Corinne Imberski, Nancy Langsner and Antonio Francesco each choreographed a group piece and a solo as part of their two year program of study. Due to the large size of this year's class, their con- cert will be followed next weekend by a performance featuring three of their classmates. These seven artists have worked together on many projects dur- ing the past two years. The concert serves as the culmination of that expe- By Lucia Franetovic .the Daily The Gypsy Caravan will pass through Ann Arbor tomorrow, when the University Musical Society hosts this celebration of gypsy culture and music at the Michigan Theater. Entergetic and soulful, gypsy music has found its way into many of the world's cultures. For a people with no written history and a century of migra- tory existence, its unity is amazing and oyves much to the power of the gypsy sic. Found to influence such composers as Bartok, Kodaly and Paganini, as well as the soulful Spanish Flamenco and Romanian folk music, Gypsy music and dance has made a huge iihprint on our world's cultural her- Gypsy Caravan Michigan Theater Tomrrow at 8 itage. The concert will include six groups of per- formers from Central and Eastern Europe, the traditional home of the Rroma people. For centuries the gypsies of Romani a, Hungary, Russia, Spain and other nearby regions music and culture. book of conduct, or laws, that can be found from Russia to Spain. Their Romanese language resembles some dialects from Rajhastan and is, for the most part, understood by the Gypsies from region to region in present-day Europe. Other groups featured in the Caravan include Antonio Pipa's Flamenco Dance Company, which entertains with guitar, dancing and song and the Taraf de Haidouks. The Kolpakov Trio from Russia will also perform, featuring the flamboyant seven-string guitarist, singer and dancer, Sacha Kolpakov. The Bulgarian Gypsy saxophonist Yuri Yunakov will lead his six-person ensemble, the Yuri Yunakov Ensemble, in playing Bulgarian wedding band music and the Turkish-influenced Gypsy music of Bulgaria and Macedonia. One of the groups, the Taraf de Haidouks, has the representation of three generations within its 10-person ensemble. Aged 18-74, the Romanian musicians will flavor the concert with energetic and soulful music from their village of Clejani, where they've lived for and from their music until the release of their first album in 1991. Taraf de Haidouks participated in the film, "Latcho Drom," which traces the history and migration of the Gypsy musicians in India, Asia and Europe. The festival will follow a similar for- mat to this critically acclaimed film. The Rroma people have been relent- lessly persecuted throughout history and repeatedly pushed to the fringes of society. By hearing their culture through their music and dance, an awareness and appreciation can be fos- tered for this often historically oppressed group of people. Their music is full of life and soul and the Gypsy Caravan's tour in America is allowing people to see a culture they hardly ever hear or read about. For tickets call the UMS Box Office at 764-2538 or purchase over the Web at www.ums.org. They range from $22 to $34 but students can obtain Rush tickets the day of the concert for $10. MFA Dance Thesis Concert Betty Pease Studio Tomorrow through Saturday 8 p.m. rience. In their the- sis pieces, the students have a chance to con- vey a personal message. As a result, the four dances repre- sent a variety of styles. " M o d e r n dance can encompass so many different things," individual can "Elephant in the Dark" as a basis for her group piece. The poem describes five blindfolded people who have dif- ferent experiences while seeing an ele- phant for the first time. Langsner said this demonstrates how people need to come together to understand the whole truth. In comparison, three Matisse paint- ings gave Imberski the idea for her group dance. "I guess the message I want to get across is to look at Matisse's works again," she said. "It's kind of an homage to him." Following the paintings, the dance is split into three movements, ranging from meditative to tense to jubilant. The last movement illustrates the joy in Matisse's painting "The Dance.""I just wanted to show an appreciation for the form of dance," Imberski said. "I want the audience to feel the same love of movement I do" Imberski's style involved transfer- ring the distinctive forms in Matisse's work to the stage. "I'm very shape-ori- ented," she said. "I took certain shapes directly from Matisse." This approach to choreography dif- fers from Hobbs' unique movements, Langsner's flowing movements and Francesco's focus on characters. "It's definitely a good contrast from all aspects," Imberski said. The choreographers do share a more personal interest in the solo dances. Each one is performing their own cre- ation. "The solo is difficult because you have to create the solo yourself' Langsner said. "It was a lot of search- ing about what I wanted to express." After spending time considering their individual messages, the artists blended their own choreography and worked on publicity in order to create a show. "We learned all the nuts and bolts of putting a program on," Imberski said. Imberski said. "Each find their own niche in the modem dance world." At the concert, the dances differ as much as the personalities involved. The inspirations for the students' choreography range from Catholic Church communities to the literature of Milan Kundera. Langsner used the Rumi poem Do you have a BACHELOR'S DEGREE? We need you! Measurement Incorporated is an educational testing company that hires Hundreds of people each year to hand-score tests. Bachelor's degree in any field required. Paid training provided. Scorers are Fred per project. Projects usually last 3-6 weeks. By Ed Shoiinsky Daily Film Editor The future is now for comedian Phil LeMarr. LeMarr is voicing the character Hermies Conrad in the new animated series from Matt Groening, creator of "The Simpsons," "Futurama." Unlike the other strange humans, aliens and robots populating the year 3000 in "Futurama," LeMarr said, "He's in some way the normal one." Nevertheless, he was still a member of the Olympic Limbo Team. Despite his past athleticism, LeMarr's character serves a different function in the show. "Every business needs a beu- rocrat," LeMarr said of his recurring role. "(Hermies) is the closest thing to an internal authority ... the Futurama voice of the estab- lishment." FOX LeMarr is not new to voicing Sunday at 8:30 p.m. animated charac- ters. The "Mad TV" star started his career in high school doing a voice for the "Mr. T" cartoon. Though he has been doing live action work on TV and in films, LeMarr appreciates doing voic- es for animated series. "Obviously (doing a cartoon) you have to put on a lot less make up," LeMarr said. LeMarr said he also appreciates the fact that there aren't any physical boundaries and there's no rehearsal, not to mention that he doesn't have to memorize lines. Aso, LeMarr noted that working in animation is much quicker for the actors, despite the extraordinary amount of time it takes to actually produce one episode. Comparing his work on "Futurama" with his work on "Mad TV" LeMarr said "Futurama" "takes a full eight-hour dau at most, (whereas) a full episode of'M d TV' takes a full 40-hour week at least ' Despite his happiness with the work he's done on "Futurama," LeMarr said "Everyone is aware of how high the bar has been set," referring to the inevitable comparisions to "The Simpsons." This doesn't overly concern LeMarr, though. "I think the danger of that is offset by the positive (associations)" with "The Simpsons," he said. LeMarr said that even though there's a "weird sort of awe thing" surrounding Groening, LeMarr also noted that Groening "disarms that. There's no sort of boss thing" And now that LeMarr has finished with this season of both "Futurama" and "Mad TV" completed, "I'm in this weird sort of limbo," he said. Still, LeMarr has a smattering of upcoming film and TV work. In addition to the film "Kill the Man" from October Films, LeMarr is also working on a couple of episodes of "King of the Hill"'before getting to work on the second season of"Futurama. Of his future work, LeMarr is opti- mistic. With a long running late night show and a new primetime animated series, LeMarr hopes his work is remem- bered. "The majority of things are bad, but we only remember the good stuff," he said. We will help you get the interviews 4 have kept up their Originating from the Rajasthani desert in India, the Rroma people began their migration through the Caucuses, Turkey and North Africa into Europe about 1,000 years ago. Though most of the concert will focus on European groups, the special presence of Musafir, an ensemble fm Rajasthan will lend a taste of the 'ginal Indian area music, including the colorful Langas from the Thar desert, the knife-wielding Kalbelyas (female dancers) and the Saperas (Gypsy dancers and singers). Though the Rroma people often took the religion of the country they migrated to, they've kept up many old Lhdian traditions, including an entire As a reader/evaluator, you will work in a professional but relaxed atmosphere with many interesting people from around Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area. We employ a diverse group of individuals which often include new college graduates, retired persons, and teachers looking for supplemental income. Day shifts - 8:15 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday Evening shifts: 5-10:15 p.m. Monday - Friday $8.50 per hour AEASUREMENT INCORPORATED (, C ) 528-3468 YbaiV.MI Call For ApplicationJ j NOW We re Gridlocked Wd out Your h " G lp . 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