READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Dance productions are sadly limited here in the tenderfooted pueblo. In anticipation of some of the spectacular touring productions that buzz through town, it's sometimes easy to forget that the University of Arizona's Dance Department lays claim to some of the nation's most promising dancers and choreographers.
Some of its brightest young talents highlighted the Spring Faculty Concert Celebrate Dance last May, featuring a demanding and diverse program of modern, ballet and jazz. While most Americans recognize the UA for its championship basketball team, it seems its fine arts athletes have to cross oceans to find their fans: UA dancers have been invited to festivals in Germany and Hong Kong, as well as the prestigious International Theatreschool Festival in Amsterdam, Holland--an honor usually reserved for arts schools like Juilliard, Tisch and Purchase. We congratulate their achievements of the past year, and look forward to their next moves.
A REAL SCREAM: The Tenth Street Danceworks' annual, free, open-air performance in Reid Park is a much-anticipated event drawing large crowds each year. Tenth Street is one of Tucson's finest modern companies, and their September performances were no exception. The show ran the gamut from solid, classic modern pieces to the playful crowd-pleaser A Little Night Music, which treated audiences to a frolicking water fight between Artistic Director Charlotte Adams and dancer Thom Lewis.
The performance was a delight to all, including many Tucsonans who may otherwise not have been able to see such a splendid performance. Tenth Street's park performances are special because they extend the joy and beauty of dance to a hungry and receptive audience, folks who may not want to buy tickets, pay a sitter, and sit in a closed theatre, but who'd be very happy to curl up on a picnic blanket and enjoy the show.
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1998 Winner: Orts Theatre of Dance 1996 Winner: Stepping Out 1995 Winner: Orts in The Park |
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