10A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, October 30, 1995 The power of the unspoken, internal voice By Stephanie Glickman Daily Arts Writer "Breath, Cough," Dana Reitz (U-M, BA '69) told the viewing group after performing a new solo, "Private Col- lection," at a Lecture Demonstration Performance on Saturday night in the dance building. Twenty minutes of a silent perfor- mance is hard on an audience. Watch- ing movements without sound, espe- cially the very detailed, gestured ones of Reitz, challenges audiences who are not used to being so closely connected to a performer's breath and internal rhythms. Just like at a symphony con- cert, people struggled to muffle their sneezes, coughs and rustlings as Reitz transferred herself into a personal, ce- rebral realm, and, through dance, re- sponded to her internal sounds. As no two seconds are the same cere- brally, neither are they physically. Movements continually transformed as they responded to Reitz's mental dia- logue. Sometimes these internal sounds manifested themselves externally as Reitz burst into short fits of mumbling, tongue clicking or finger snapping. They appeared random but were actually care- fully conceived by Reitz's mood. Artists' temperaments differ with each show and Reitz explained that on some days her performances are more animated and lively, even erupting into words or songs. Because much of her movement is improvisation out of a set base and lighting cues, Reitz's pieces have the freedom to drastically change moods each time she performs. Like in "Private Collection," silence accompanies most of Reitz's pieces, placing emphasis on the movements themselves. Her movement, both cho- reographed and improvised, is some- times idiosyncratic and quirky, other times lyrically fluid. She explained her basic choreographic goal as starting with a simple movement and seeing how far her body can expand it and "find something else" in the gestures. Reitz has indeed found something else. Combining her knowledge of ballet and modern dance techniques with Tai Chi Chuan and Elaine Summer's concept of kinetic awareness, shehas createdaunique style of mesmerizing movement. Reitz's gestures, strongly echoing the weighted groundedness of Tai Chi, pre- sented bursts of sign language and pedes- trian motions such as face rubbing and hair smoothing. Reitz smoothly combined her influences into an enrapturing display as the eclectic movements bleed into one w Dana Reitz Dance Building October 281 another organically. When she took a lighting course in the Frieze Building's Arena Theater as a stu- dent at the University, Reitz could not understand the need for so many gels and fixtures. Only later in her dance career did light become a fascination for her and a major component ofherdances. "Light is not one particular mood. It comes into consciousness and than fades into some- thing else," Reitz explained. Unlike many dancers who have no part in the lighting design for their staged works, Reitz knows the visual impact of light and how to achieve dramatic effects with it. "Private Collection" occurs almost entirely on the central axis of the per- formance space, with Reitz stepping into and out of a center light. While in other dances music evokes the mood, here the endless possibilities of light created the continually changing ambi- ance of"Private Collection." The light's intensity and source varied each time Reitz reinhabited the space, emphasiz- ing different body parts. Reitz per- formed some sections of the piece in almost complete darkness in which only the rippling of her loose white outfit could be seen. With her flickering arm and torso movements contrasting the groundedness of Reitz's lower body and the impacting lighting, "Private Collection" induced a trance-like rap- ture. So taken in by Reitz's perfor- mance, the audience took several sec- onds to realize the piece had finished and to begin applauding. A performer in this year's U-M Dance Department's guest artist dance series and winner of the 1995 Alumna-in- Residence Award, Reitz is an indepen- dent choreographer among whose re- cent work, "Unspoken Territory," is a 20 minute solo in silence for Baryshinikov, presently being per- formed throughout Europe. Reitz's dance career began as an un- dergraduate at U-M. Not knowing which of her many academic interests to pur- sue, she got involved with dance when a counselor suggested to her, "Why don't you take a dance major then?" Reitz explained,"They didn't tell me it [dance] was addictive." Dancer Dana Re The laughter keeps on coming at the Homecoming By Eugene Bowen Daily Arts Writer If someone says Homecoming is a joke, it means one of two things: Homecoming really is ajoke, or (s)he attended the Homecoming Comedy Jam Friday. Sponsored by Black Folks Productions, UAC Laughtrack and the Caribbean Peoples Association, the Homecoming Comedy Jam was part of both Homecoming and Black Homecoming festivities. And, with few to no exceptions, it was off the hook thanks to comics Horace Sand- ers, Bruce Bruce and Montanna Tay- lor. University senior Horace Sanders, who emceed the event, has really grown and improved as a comic. Fri- day night he proved just how enhanced his skills have become. Few people in the first few rows of the Mendellsohn Theater were spared his barbs. Of one thin lady in the audience, he said: "when she stands up, she looks like six o'clock." And the funky-fresh fade (betcha ain't heard that in awhile) worn by the guy a few rows down, it "looks like two different people cut b $W Homecoming Comedy Jam Lydia Mendelssohn Theater October 27 his hair." The lady who kept heckling Sanders should've shut up while she was ahead because "thick as her glasses are I bet she can look at the yellow pages and see the stores." Sanders wasn't the only one to let crowd members have it. Headliner Bruce Bruce, an Atlanta native whose routines have already garnered na- tional exposure on shows like "Def Comedy Jam," also let a few good ones out. Most notably was his re- buke of University senior Roderick Beard whose big mouth led Bruce Bruce to inform him "I was about to demonstrate being a jackass, but you beat me to it." Bruce Bruce is no small man, which explains why he has two first names -to fit him. Actually his name should be Bruce Bruce Bruce, and this he knows. "People pick on you 'cause you fat," he lamented recalling when a smiling little girl followed him around in a store saying "Hey fat daddy." He especially hates family reunions where his grandmother and aunts would greet him with motherly statements like "Hi baby. How ya doing? Big as a butterball, fat as you wanna be." Yet he loves the fact that "old women have cakes and shit in their pocketbook. That's the only rea- son I go to church." Bruce Bruce wasn't the only comic with family-reunion stories. Comedi- enne Montanna Taylor, a Texas na- tive who has also appeared on "Def Comedy Jam," had a few things to say about her uncle who "got so drunk he took some charcoal, put three sixes on his head and went knocking on the doors of Jehovahs Witnesses saying 'You going to Hell?"' Taylor, petite as she wanna be, opened her act com- plaining about the service she got flying here from Texas on Southwest Airlinpc Chp n w;trn't tnnI keen with the limo ride Sanders' Black' Folks Productions arranged. "There was a coat hanger in the antenna thing," she said. "Ol' limo driver had a jehri curl saying 'We gotta stop by K-Mart. I need some activator."' But, Taylor should be used to less- than-first-class accommodations. She admits "My whole family's poor. I traced my roots and it led to a pawn shop." In case you were wondering if you were poor or not, she has some hints for you. "If you ever finish with the ketchup bottle and fill it with wa- ter ... If you ride in a cab, get out and walk the rest of the way home.... If you're almost finished with a tube of toothpaste and have to squeeze it from the bottom and roll it up, you're po'." Bruce Bruce gave some advice that Taylor would probably do good to follow. "Wanna know how to get rich?," he asked. "Watch what poor people do, and don't do it." Bruce Bruce's complaints were equally grassroots. He especially hates nosy neighbors saying, "Every time your door opens, their door opens." He's also not too fond of smokers. "Ever talk to a smo entire sente smoke's abo Bruce also th with stuff we Like Luke (C Taylor agre woman rap gr Problems. Wh Bunions?" Ta going to startr the PMS Poss and DJ Bloat.' Taylor first h son getting ma just a rumor." Michael Jacks woman, I said a rich, white v Taylor als weird experie you ever be opened you ey right at you? ( to make youre don't know?' plates more ab cies calledv people are th Comedy Jam ker, but he can't get an who can fire you and keep smiling." nce out because the In the end, Bruce Bruce admits"Ilike ut to kill him?" Bruce white people 'cause they're always inks "rappers get away on time." 'd never get away with. The Homecoming Comedy Ja r :ampbell) Oh my God!" started 40 minutes late. es. "There's even an all- Other memorable routines included oup out called Ho's with Bruce Bruce's thoughts on church, hat's next? Bitches with illiterateministersandbusdriversign .ylor has a solution. "I'm language and Taylor's thoughts on my own rap group called sex with young men versus older ones se featuring MC Cramps and her opinions of bad kids. Sanders, 'Speakingofmusic,when with the help of University seniors eard about Michael Jack- William "Nookie" Du Bose and Ian arried, she thought it was Crick, performed a song to the tune o "When they first told me Mary J. Blige's "I Remember" that son married a rich, white should be required listening for all 'No. Michael Jackson is women. woman."' There was rarely a break from o ponders some of the laughter. Craziness, zaniness and the ences of her life. "Have fun the audience had watching the en kissing somebody, comics have fun on-stage made the yes, and they're looking event a spectacular success. The )r, has anyone ever tried Homecoming Comedy Jam brought emember somebody you with it a laid-back atmosphere where " Bruce Bruce contem- no one was self-conscious or trying out that interesting spe- to impress anyone. It was different, white people. "White almost un-University of Michigan- he only people I know like. It was beautiful. ol.n us0 Lehman Brothers cordially invites undergraduates to attend an information session on career opportunities in Corporate Finance Monday, November 6,1995 4:30 p.m. Wolverine Room Assembly Hall Building If you would like to be considered for our closed schedule, please send a cover letter, resume and transcript to: m