ARTS Page 8 Tuesday, June 7, 1983 The Michigan Daily Danse Orientale troupe triumphs 4 4 By Ellen Rieser S ATURDAY EVENING at Huron High School Auditorium, Troupe Ta'Amullat, Ann Arbor's resident Dan- se Orientale company, held its tenth annual Rites of Spring performance. To celebrate the gala occasion, the troupe performed some of its best group dan- ces from the past decade and presented premieres of three solos. Three nationally noted ethnic dance guest ar- tists also joined Troupe Ta'Amullat in this retrospective performance. As five African drummers and per- cussionists played and chanted a "Call to Celebration" melody from Mali, the members of Troupe Ta'Amullat danced through the audience to reach the stage and start the performance. A "Tunisian Scarf Dance" (choreography by Mary Weed) was the first dance on the program. The dance was a lively one featuring four dancers waving scarves and moving sideways with small kicks of their feet. "Yemenite" (adapted by Pauline Costianes) was the second dance on the program. To a lilting melody, six mem- bers of Troupe Ta'Amullat snapped their fingers, waved their arms above their heads, and skipped through this cheerful dance. The third dance on the program was a solo featuring Mary Weed, a principal dancer with Troupe Ta'Amullat. Coming out in a traditional belly dance costume, Weed fluidly rippled her way through "Lebanese Orientale," a dance she also choreographed. A gifted and natural performer, Weed looked as if she were enjoying her performance as much as the audience was. The breadth of what is encompassed by Danse Orientale was revealed by Troupe Ta'Amullat's fourth dance, "Moorish Gypsies," (choreography by K. McGowan and Nancy Goings). This dance to guitar music with its sultry arm and shoulder movements, foot stamping, and deep back bends showed a blend of Moorish and flamenco style dancing. Of the trio of dancers (Nancy Goings, Darcy Gayton, and Patricia Cranmer), Nancy Goings showed a special flair for this unusual type of dance. After "Moorish Gypsies" came what most of the audience (to judge by wild Arabian trills and cries of approval) had been waiting for. Ibrahim Farrah, guest artist from New York City, came out and strutted his stuff. Farrah, who ig also a noted dance ethnographer and teacher of Danse Orientale, revealed strong and exquisitely precise hip, stomach, and back control. After one series of particularly vigorous muscular contractions, he actually ap- peared to have foreshortened his torso. Alternately twirling a cane and using finger cymbals, Farrah, an ebullient performer to say the least, had the en- thusiastic audience clapping and shouting along to his dance. "Ya Abud Debke" (adapted by Pauline Costianes), a six woman line dance stressing stamping steps, followed Farrah's solo. The dance was done precisely and with considerable verve. "Danse Kallista" (choreography by Kathy Rude) with its slow movements, provided a change of pace from the breathlessness of "Ya Abud Debke." Rude's long arabasques and supple arms gave a stylish polish to her performance. It would help, however, if she smiled. "Ouled Nail," an Algerian-based dance drama (choreography by Cyn- thia Adams, Nancy Goings, and Mary Weed) followed. Goings and Weed were suitably "available" as the dowery seeking maidens. Cynthia Adams, dan- cing the role of the older "presenter" of the girls, danced an impressive sword dance with real swords. Commented Adams at a rehearsal about the rigors of the role, "I've lost some feathers off my head-dress, and some ferns at home, and a hole in the tablecloth - and I stabbed Mary." Nevertheless, in performance the dance went without a hitch as Adams twirled her weapons and forced her companions to dance between her blades. "Ahouch," an intricate line dance from Morocco (choreography by Nancy Goings) was next on the program. Although based on one step, the dance took its interest from the many geometric patterns created by the dan- cers. After the straight lines and simple rhythms of "Ahouch" came "Dance of Shiva," an Indian dance choreographed and danced by Malini Srirama, a locally-based classical Indian dancer. Dedicated to the god Shiva, the work featured delicate foot work and frequent rhythm changes. Srirama showed smoothness and control as she suddenly froze into gestures and poses from famous sculptural figures of In- dian temples. A cane dance, "Raqs Assaya" (choreography by Pauline Costianes) followed "Dance of Shiva." Despite being encumbered with canes balanced on shoulders and heads, Pauline Costianes, Connie Peltier, and Sharon Gordon managed to look relaxed and Nancy Goings, Mary Weed, and Cynthia Adams performed "zouled Nail" at Troupe Ta'Amullets 'Rites of Spring' festival. even bouncy in this quick moving piece. After the cane dance, Patricia Cranmer presented a lamp dance in Pharaonic style (choreography by Cranmer). Cranmer's stylized linear arm movements and her repeated sweeps of the floor created a series of profiles that had a powerful otherworldly effect. Following Cranmer's solo, Phaedra, a principal dancer in Ibrahim Farrah's Near Eastern Dance Group, presented "Dance Phaedra." Phaedra seemed technically adept; however, her dan- cing was a bit subdued - almost as if she were not dancing full out. After Phaedra's performance, Farrah returned for a long solo. Farrah proved that it is indeed possible to dan- ce gracefully while one's middle section is rhythmically quivering in a prescribed set of movements. It was a very impressive solo and was en- thusiastically received by the audience. After Farrah's solo there was a short finale featuring the drummers and all of the evening's performers. And then, all too soon, with one last clink of beads and tap of drum, the tenth annual Rites of Spring was over. 4 By the light of the silvery mean Bid a knight (errant: lanced a pig) swoon. Cried a streetperson, soused, "Why, sir, surely you jousti To the League with a fork, knife and spoon " Lunch 11:30 to 1:15 R. S. Dinner 5:00 to 7:15 SPtCIAL LOW PRICES FOR UFM STUDENTS c g Send your League Limerick to: The ichigaan1 7Manager, Michigan League 227 South Ingalls PL a(Jl Next to Hill Auditorium You will receive 2 free dinner Located in the heart of the campus. tickets if your limerick is used in It is the heart of the campus. one of our ads. 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