| April 17, 2007 - Volume 16, No. 16 |
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Gem City Ballet stages five innovative dances Barbara Pontecorvo’s remarkable young charges, the Gem City Ballet, have done it again. Once we found the far-off location, Bellbrook High School, everything was serendipitous. The large audience was treated to a display of choreographic sparkle. As artistic director, Barbara has taken a page from the late and great Jeraldyne Blunden and challenged her young dancers with exciting and innovative dance. The five choreographers who presented their creations ranged from the fabled George Balanchine to Oakwood High School senior Callie Croom. What resulted was a festival of dance repertory, highly varied, highly innovative and exciting from start to finish. No choreographer can express his artistry without good dance. The very young dancers of Gem City Ballet are a marvel of fine technique and passion for their art. Over the years, we have seen true dance excellence and logarithmic development of individual dancers. Many have gone on to further training and careers in dance. Others are touched by the fire of their art which they carry on into many other pursuits. Each of the five ballets was fully staged. Dramatic lighting and eye-catching costumes are all in-house efforts by Barbara and her largely volunteer staff. The opening ballet was a pure gem of choreography and execution. Kiyon Gaines is a member of the Pacific Northwest Ballet. His work, Variable Speed, was selected from among many submissions. The results were certainly the right choice. A dozen ballerinas, in stunning yellow costumes, were all partnered by Evan Ewer dressed in contrasting orange. Evan’s development is another great success story as he has grown in size, strength and ability. The ballet was set to the string quartet of Romanian born contemporary composer Alexander Balanscue. The music grafted jazz with classical sounds and the choreographer grafted jazz movements onto classic ballet poses. The result was a ballet which must be seen again and music which must be heard again. Resident choreographer Rodney Veal chose music of another great composer, Ernst von Dohnányi for his ballet, Inside. Three soloists, Kaleigh Gorman, Evan Hewer and Amy Holihan, intertwined with a corps of six ballerinas. Veal’s many works are always fresh and exciting. In Inside, he concentrated on complex spins and kaleidoscopic movements of the dancers. Rodney is beginning graduate studies in choreography at OSU. He is destined to become a major force in modern ballet. Company member Callie Croom presented her ballet, One Last Recess. Three dancers, Kaliegh, Amy and Hannah Wagner used the most creative movements made even more challenging by classic pointe postures. This evoked a charming picture of young dancers having fun. Adam Hundt, now a principal with BalletMet Columbus, brought another of his creations, Idle Chatter, to the concert. Eight dancers in off-the-wall crinoline skirts spent a great deal of their time lying on the floor while one of their number soloed. Interestingly, those on the floor were moving to the music with compelling subtlety. DPO Young People’s Concert The Young People’s Concerts of the Dayton Philharmonic bring back memories of decades ago when we took our children to expose them to the joys of classical music. I wish we could roll the clock one direction or another to expose them to the wit of Maestro Neal Gittleman and the magnificence of the Schuster. The April Young People’s Concert was meant to be held in February but those paralyzing snow days kept the kids home. No matter, two packed houses of eager youngsters got a very eclectic taste of the concert repertoire . The orchestra played Turkish, Arabic, Australian, Native American and Japanese music. The combination was exciting and enlightening to an experienced concert goer and a revelation to the wildly applauding kids. What took me to the concert was more than curiosity. Maestro Neal had announced that one work, an all-percussion piece by Roush, would include the Mahler 6th hammer and anvil I had constructed for the orchestra in 2004. Like the podium and cello riser, the Mahler hammer was the work of the God Squad - Harold Prigozen, Dick Cummings and me. It was donated to the orchestra for the great Mahler symphony. We were eager to hear the great “whack” again and were not disappointed. Dayton Jewish International Film Festival The Dayton Jewish International Film Festival kicked off on April 12th with a remarkable film, The Rape of Europa. The film, a documentary, detailed the incredible theft of art works by the Nazis from Jews, Poles, Russians and French. It seems that the greed and obsession for conquest of the Nazi master-minds was insatiable even reaching to the great art works of Europe. The film was shown at the magnificent Renaissance Auditorium of the Dayton Art Institute. It was an ideal example of the collaboration of this important institution with worthwhile projects in the community. The Festival continues with 15 carefully selected films to be shown at the Neon Movies and a few at The Little Art in Yellow Springs. I’ve pre-screened a number them. The ones I have seen are truly wonderful, artistic and meaningful. The festival is well admixed with comedy and a few off the wall films. For information, go to www.djfilmfest.org. You will love them. DVAC Art Auction slated for April 27 The Dayton Visual Arts Center announces its 14th Annual Art Auction, happening Friday, April 27, 2007 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Kettering Tower, downtown Dayton, located on Second Street between Main and Jefferson streets. The Silent Auction, cocktails and a buffet of finger foods will begin at 6:30 p.m.; the Live Auction will begin at 8 p.m.A spectacular array of more than 95 original works of art will be offered in live and silent auctions. All work has been donated by regional artists to support the Dayton Visual Arts Center (DVAC). Tickets are $60 in advance and $75 at the door; pre-sale tickets may be purchased until 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25 at the DVAC gallery, 118 N. Jefferson St., Dayton, Ohio, 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Auction attendees will be treated to a wide range of original art created in our community, and have the opportunity to bid on original paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints, blown glass, metalworks and jewelry by emerging and established artists, including Susan Cannon, Ron Hundt, Andy Snow, Louise Little, David Brand, John Emery, MB Hopkins, Edy Martin, Sandra Picciano and Migiwa Orimo. The Dayton Visual Arts Center invites the public to meet the participating artists and other art collectors in a lively, fun atmosphere, while enjoying a complimentary glass of champagne, provided by Heidelberg Distributing, grazing the buffet of interesting and delicious foods provided by Chantille’s Restaurant and listening to an eclectic mix of World music by Michael Bashaw’s Puzzle of Light. The auction items may be seen by visiting the DVAC gallery, 118 N. Jefferson Street, during the Auction Preview Exhibition, on display now through April 25. To view an online slide show depicting most of the auction art, visit www.daytonvisualarts.org. All proceeds from this event support DVAC’s exhibitions, which are free and open to the public. See related story about Oakwood artists including photos of their work > DTC’s ‘Speaking in Tongues’ April 20-May 6 On April 20, the Dayton Theatre Guild will open its’ season’s fiftth area premier of “Speaking in Tongues,” a psychological thriller by Andrew Bovell. Directed by Oakwood resident Barbara Coriell, most recently seen in Frozen and director of last seasons’ Other Peoples’ Money, the cast includes many other Guild veterans: Alex Carmichael (Bright Ideas), Teresa Connair (An Act of the Imagination), Paul Edwards (Beard of Avon), Cassandra Engber (Pride’s Crossing), Becky Lamb (Doll’s House), David Shough (Brooklyn Boy), and John Spitler (Christmas Belles). Molley Burgo and Kevin Rankin complete the cast in their Guild debut. Speaking in Tongues will run three weekends, April 20 – May 6 with a talk back session immediately following Sunday April 2’s performance. Friday performances are at 8 p.m., the first Saturday at 8 p.m., the second and third Saturdays at 5 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and $9 for students, and may be obtained by calling 937-278-5993 or visiting www.daytontheatreguild.org. Audition workshop May 7 & 14 New York Film Academy Acting, Voice/Speech and Movement and Audition Technique teacher Glenn Kalison will hold Audition Workshops while he is in The workshops, for adults and teens 16+, will be May 7 and 14 from 6-8 p.m. Fee for both sessions is $50, Contact Marilyn Klaben at mlk131&aol.com or 461-3823 ext. 3132 to sign up. DCDC2 - Dayton Contemporary Dance Second Company Presents
Nouveau Dances: New Faces, New Talent, New Energy
Sunday, April 29, 2007 @ 4:00 PM University of Dayton Boll Theatre $8 students/seniors $12 adults DSPS Spring Art Show April 15-May 6 The Dayton Society of Painters and Sculptors is holding their Annual Spring Open Juried Show from April 15 through May 6. The show will feature juried work from DSPS members and other Dayton area artists, presented in the newly renovated gallery space at 48 High Street near downtown Dayton. Opening Reception: Sunday, April 15, 1 - 5 p.m. Hours: Thursdays and Fridays 1 - 4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, 1 - 5 p.m. Free parking at the Bomberger Center. Call 866-5805 for information. 7th Annual Dayton Jewish International Film Festival underway The Seventh Annual Dayton Jewish International Film Festival is taking place through April 29, 2007, bringing the best Jewish international cinema to Dayton including an array of films from Germany, France, the United States, Israel and elsewhere. Festival venues include the Dayton Art Institute, the Neon Theatre (downtown Dayton) and the Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs. A screening of Blues by the Beach on April 26 features Jack Baxter, the film’s director. The film stunningly and unintentionally captures Baxter’s own involvement in Middle East politics when he was wounded in a suicide bomb attack during a film shoot in Israel. The featured speaker on April 29 is Kate Feiffer, daughter of famed illustrator and Village Voice cartoonist Jules Feiffer. Ms. Feiffer will discuss the film she wrote and directed, Matzo & Mistletoe, an exploration of identity, assimilation and what it means to be Jewish. This year’s Seventh Dayton Jewish International Film Festival schedule from April 18 is as follows: Wednesday, April 18th Saturday, April 21st Sunday, April 22nd Monday, April 23rd Wednesday, April 25th Thursday, April 26th Saturday, April 28th Sunday, April 29th The Dayton Jewish International Film Festival is presented by the Dayton Jewish Community Center (DJCC). The DJCC offers a diverse range of services and extensive programming as well as fitness and recreation facilities. It provides camps, after-school programs for children of all ages, services to seniors, and special cultural events. Single tickets are $8 and $5 for students. Season passes and group discounts for single events will be available in advance. For more information call the Dayton Jewish Community Center at 937-853-0372 or visit the Festival website at www.daytonjewishfilmfest.org. For more information about the Seventh Dayton Jewish International Film Festival contact either Seth Chalmer at 853-0372 or Caryl Segalewitz at 610-1555 ext. 114. MVSO announces concerto competition The Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra announces its fourth annual Clark J. Haines Memorial Concerto Competition, which will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2007 at Wright State University’s Creative Arts Center. The MVSO is offering the winner a $300 prize, plus a chance to perform with the orchestra on its 2007-08 season. The competition is open to all instruments and any performer who is not presently engaged as a full-time, professional musician. The competition has no age limits or residency requirements. Prospective contestants will perform a 10-minute piecc or excerpt from one movement of a concerto or other work with a published orchestral accompaniment (the competition performance will be with piano accompaniment). The winner will rehearse and perform the competition piece with the orchestra next season. Contestants are asked to submit an application by May 1, 2007. For application instructions or more information, applicants should call Felicia Bauman at 937-476-5043, or write to Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra at P.O. Box 164, Dayton, Ohio 45409-0164. Spring Choralfest April 22 The Music Series at Christ United Methodist Church, 3440 Shroyer Road, Kettering, will conclude this year’s concert series with The Spring Choralfest, on April 22 at 3 p.m. In addition to the Christ Church Festival Choir, there will be performances by baritone soloist William Caldwell and soprano, Andrea Chenoweth. Caldwell, Central State University’s vocal and choral director, will perform Five Mystical Songs by Vaughn Williams. Chenoweth, the daughter of well-known classical musicians Prof. Richard and Marianne Chenoweth, will perform Magnificat by Rutter. Chenoweth has appeared with vari ous orchestras and opera companies in Cleveland and Dayton. Caldwell has performed both nationally and internationally in a variety of musical venues. All Music Series performances are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Christ United Methodist Church at 293-3151. Call for Entries at Rosewood Gallery Rosewood Gallery in Kettering, Ohio, announces a Call for Entries for The View 2007, A Landscape Competition—a juried exhibition created as a showcase for Ohio artists presenting traditional or contemporary views of landscape or land imagery, environmental themes and world issues. Entries must be original works in any media (2-D or 3-D), completed within the last four years, and not exceeding 60 inches in width. Jurying will be done from slides and digital images. Work previously exhibited at Rosewood is not eligible. Completed entries (slides or CD, entry form and non-refundable check of $20 for up to 3 works), will be accepted through May 18, 2007. An entry form is required. The exhibit runs from June 25 through July 27, 2007. There will be an opening reception on Sunday, June 24, 2007, from 2 to 4 p.m. Rosewood Gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 9 pm; Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Gallery is programmed by the City of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department, with support from the Kettering Arts Council and the Ohio Arts Council. |
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