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June 03, 1981 - Image 6

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Text
Publication:
Michigan Daily, 1981-06-03

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Page 6-Wednesday, June 3, 1981-The Michigan Daily
Charms of A2 Ballet Theatre

4

By ELLEN RIESER
Saturday night at the Michigan
Theatre, Ann Arbor Ballet Theatre
preaented a program compoaed ofa
story ballet and five miniaturea. The
performance, which was the second in
the life of Ann Arbor's newest ballet
troupe, showed how far the company
has improved since its premiere per
formance last December. Some rough
edges still show, but in general the
company is performing up to fully
professional standards.
"Nightingale," set to the music of
Igor Stravinsky and choreographed by
Carol Scharp, was the first ballet of the
evening. Based on the famous fairy tale
by Hans Christian Andersen, the ballet
tells the story of a simple fores
nightingale that saves the life of the
emperor of China.
The Ann Arbor Ballet Theatre gave a
completely charming performance of
this ballet. The backdrops were splen
did, the costumes were richly exotic -
glistening with jewels and shiny silks
Most importantly, the dancing was
fully up to the calibre of the rest of the
production.
ALIDA SCHAT brought a sense of
vyonder to 'the part of the bewildered
nightingale who is captured and
brought to sing for the emperor of al]
China. Schat danced the difficult
choreography for the nightingale well,
smoothly sailing through numerous
quick turns in attitude.
Kristine Konz was delightful in the
role of the mechanical jeweled bird.
From her first appearance, in which
she was carried across the stage by a
courtier only to be plunked down un-
ceremoniously, she made the produc-
tion truly magical. Turned on, she wob-
bled and jerked across the stage in well-
oiled mechanical splendor.
However, it was in the third and final
scene of the ballet that the company
really shone. As the emperor (Lindsay
Henderson) lay deathly ill in his bed, a
mist drifted, into his bed chamber
followed by death and the spirits of
avarice, vanity, gluttony, cruelty, and

their companions. With their white
makeup, frizzed hair, and dark
costumes, the spirits made the most
ghoulish collection of monstrosities ever
seen in a ballet. Eventually, as ii any
proper fairy tale, good in the form of
t the nightingale triumphs over the evil
represented by the spirits. The emperor
is healed and the nightingale returns to
the forest from whence she came.
e"GYMNOPEDIE," which followed
"Nightingale," proved to be the only
weak point of the evening's program.
f Set to the music of Eric Satie, with
choreography by Carol Scharp, "Gym-
nopedie" was a small ensemble piece
for six female dancers. The ballet
t began with the dancers lying on the
stage using slow and flowing
movements to emphasize the wave-like
quality of the music itself. The
choreography for "Gymnopedie" was
f excellent, but the dancing, unfor-
tunately, wasn't up to its challenge. The
six members of the ensemble were
frequently off in their timing and one
' member was conspicuously unsteady
throughout.
Set to the music of Scott Joplin (with
choreography by Kathryn Scharp,
Kristine Konz, and Carol Scharp)
" Magnetic Rag" was a 1920s barroom
vignette complete with flappers and a
vamp. Lisa Wolf (as the vamp) bumped
and grinded her way into the hearts and
pockets of the men at the bar, much to
the dismay of the other women present.
The choreography was extremely in-
ventive, including several souped-up
ballroom dances and a pas de quatre
for the-vamp and three admirers with
wandering hands.
After the campiness of "Magnetic
Rag," the mood abruptly changed to
"Opulence," a pas de deux set .to the
music of David Munrow with
choreography by Carol Scharp. James
Przeslawski and Kathryn Scharp dan-
ced this difficult ballet number which
required that they hardly ever be apart
as they danced. The lifts were
especially daring. At one point, Scharp
cartwheeled over Przeslawski's
shoulders and into his arms.
THE FIFTH'PIECE on the program
was "Dying Swan," with music by
Saint-Saens and choreography by
Michael Fokine. One usually dreads
seeing this old chestnut of the ballet
world dragged out on stage for a per-
formance by a small local ballet com-
MICHIGAN
REPERTORY
Misalliance
JUNE 3, 4, 5, 6,
By George Bernard Shaw
OPENS TONIGHT!
POWER CENTER
PTP Ticket Office, MI League
M-F, Noon-4:30 p.m.-764-0450
Power Center Ticket Office
opens at 6:00 p.m.-763-3333

0

Alida Schat delivered a stunning performance Saturday night as the title
character of Ann Arbor Ballet Theatre's production of "Nightingale,"
featured along with five shorter works at the Michigan Theatre.

1:30-3:15-5:15-
7:30-9:151
THE
BLUES
BROTHERS
Cheech & Chong glues Bro 1
1;155309:45 3007:15 L J'~'
oil
A UNIVERSAL PICTURE
SHOWTIMS 1: 30,3:30
5:20, 7:30,9:30

pany. Nevertheless, Kristine Konz per-
formed admirably in the role of the ill -
fated swan. Konz's head and arm
movements were good, her back was
suitably supple. However, one would
have liked to have seen slightly more
clarity in her positions and more for-
cefulness in her movements.
- "Four Plus Two," with choreography
by Carol Scharp, was the last work on
the program. Set to four short pieces by
Chopin, the ballet featured four
couples, a different pair in each of its
four movements. Amy Copperman and
Thomas Ward danced their roles as the
first couple extremely lyrically.
The second movement of "Four Plus
Two" was equally as romantic as the
first, except that the boy (danced by
James Przeslawski) spent half the
variation futilely waiting for the girl
(Kristine Konz) to take his proffered
hand and make the variation a true pas
de deux. Konz danced by him and
around him, but - despite Mr. Pr-
zeslawski's despairing looks - rarely
danced with him.
The last two movements of "Four
Plus Two" continued in the romantic

vein of the first pas de deux. The
ballet was a bit of fluff that the dancers
seemed to enjoy as much as the audien-
ce.
A final word should be said about one
thing that really sets the performances
by the Ann Arbor Ballet Theatre apart
from those by other local dance com-
panies: The music was live for four of
the six works presented by the com-
pany. This is unique in Ann Arbor
where other dance companies regularly
perform to taped music. Live music,
however, makes a huge difference in
the quality and enjoyability of a per-
formance. Moreover, a ballet as
delicate as "Dying Swan" seems
tawdry when performed to a taped ac-
companiment. While I am not sure that
the company had to go as far as to place
their harpist and violinist on stage for
"Dying Swan" (this makes the
musicians part of the ballet and thus
detracts from the pathos of the dying
swan), Ann Arbor Ballet Theatre is to
be commended for their attempt to
make their performance as
professional as possible in every sense
of the word.

I
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