Arts House Dance impresses

Arts House Dance Company was successful in its opening production on Friday night as it drew much applause from the audience and caused others to dream of past aspirations. The production, which took a little over two hours, showcased 26 University students in 22 different dance numbers choreographed by past and present members of the company. Each dance piece contained its own concept, and the numbers jumped from theme to theme portraying an array of day-to-day experiences. The pieces were intriguing and well choreographed. While there were some slight delays between each number, the overall experience was an enjoyable one. The hard work of the members was evident and each individual talent was able to portray his or her own unique style. Pieces such as "May I Have This Dance," choreographed by College sophomores Cindy Codispoti, Sarah Gitchell and Meredith Goldwasser with music arranged by Richard Hayman; "Would I Lie to You?," choreographed by College junior Ruth Zakarin with music by Eurythmics; and "Mr. Monotony," choreographed by College senior Lori Horowitz with music by Irving Berlin portrayed lives of rejected lovers through dance. Of these pieces, "Mr. Monotony" was the most applauded. The piece was about a trombone player, played by College junior Doon Thanadabouth, who gets together with a woman who is an admirer of his music, but the woman is eventually taken away by a man who happens to visit the music hall. The ability of the dancers to combine different backgrounds into one effort was outstanding, and many of the pieces provoked thought and emotional release such as laughter. While "Showgirl Blues," choreographed by alumni Michael Lomotan and Carolyn Caulfield with music by Barbara Streisand was about the lives of showgirls observed as they mingle in the dressing room, "Odi et Amo," choreographed by alumna Jan Grebe with music by Lenny Kravitz was a story about two lovers who "break up" but cannot stay apart. "The Wave of the Future," choreograpghed by College senior Allison Rosenberg with music by Quadrophonia was an energetic modern dance piece including many robotic movements and ideas of futuristic phenomena. "Bare Souls," choreographed by College senior Lisa Wachtell and other dancers, was the only piece that was not accompanied by music. Instead, it included the voices of the dancers telling stories of their individual lives. It exemplified the dancers' ability were able to put speech, music and thought into motion convincingly. Tony Butler, a College junior and second year member of the company, believed the first performance of this year was a success. "It was good for a first appearance . . . I didn't think it would be so good the first time but it was," said Butler, "We were nervous . . . For many it was there first time out there. We worked really hard for this." The company will have three more performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Harold Prince Theatre. Tickets may be purchased on Locust Walk for $5.

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