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This unique collaboration results in a series of original modern pieces choreographed by Toni Pimble, Eloy Barragan and Matthew Hope. We're accustomed to seeing the dancers in traditional ballet programs subject to the art form's formal conventions, but here they cut loose to Salgado's sensual boogie blues. The music rocks, wails and thunders, while the dancers jump for joy! From the sinuous movements of dancer Matt Hope and Salgado on harmonica in the opening number to the full-out jitterbug finale, the dancers respond to the music with humor, athleticism and a liberating, earthy sexiness. The three choreographers employ the talents of the dancer's highly trained bodies in movements that we all wish we could do (and imagine we have done) on the dance floor. The blues has been Eugene's preferred music for years, and these dancers express the bittersweet yearning for love that is at the soul of the music. Hope's "my back ain't got no bone" gyrations open the program, and the audience howls in recognition. In one move he's on his back on the floor, holding his ankles and "walking" across the stage 4 hilarious. Salgado dances along with Hope briefly, snapping his fingers. The camaraderie between musicians and dancers adds to the audience's enjoyment. Pimble choreographs two pieces, one with the full company leaping, rolling, kicking. The women high-kick to the side and make wide arm sweeps; the men punch-kick to the front and all fall down at once. The boy/girl rumbles are reminiscent of West Side Story, but the movements are not Latin-flavored 4 they are distinctly Eugene funky chicken. This piece ends with Hope hopping up to sit on the stage. This crowd pleaser is as buoyant and light-hearted as Pimble's second piece 4 a smashing solo dance by Jennifer McNamara -- is sultry and mesmerizing. The dancer whips one arm in front of her body, slides both hands down the front of her thighs and sizzles as Salgado croons about the man she loves. In fluid movements, McNamara expresses the character's obsession by holding her head in her arms, tossing her hair, shrugging her shoulders, doing the splits. You couldn't take your eyes off McNamara's steamy performance if you wanted to, and you don't. In Barragan's first piece, everybody dresses down -- women in halters, men in short sleeves. Three couples get down, dancing slow and sexy sometimes, synchronizing movements at other times. Partners play-slap at each other, and the couples move together and apart. Between Barragan's selections, the band solos on Salgado's "I'd Rather Be Blind" from his latest CD, Soul Activated. On "Hit It 'N Quit It," from the same CD, Barragan goes for dirty dancing all the way. The women wear short red dresses, and they pair with the men for some spirited give-and-take dancing. I love one step that ends in a both-feet-off-the-floor jump. Hope's first ensemble piece is set to Curtis' searing "Voodo." It's down-and-dirty for five men and five women dancers. They indulge in individualistic, free-form movements even when couple-dancing. Although more refined and stylized, many of the basic moves are familiar from local dance venues. The work is also true in another sense 4 how natural it is to swap partners on the dance floor. In a segue into Curtis' second musical selection, one couple stays onstage, dancing slowly, glued together, hips grinding. When they've gone, a few dancers come to sit on the steps to the band's stage to listen to Curtis's solo piece, which blends into the fast rolling finale. Hope's final selection is choreographed to Salgado's "Lip Whippin." As the bluesman hits the harmonica, Hope dances center stage. Men dance in chorus, women dance together in synchronized moves and couples boogie down, making the jitterbug look easy. Dancers leap, and the music builds until all the dancers are onstage, forming a full-stage spectacle. Then it's over. The audience goes crazy, whooping and hollering. The dancers reprise the end of "Lip Whippin" once more. Fabulous! If and when this program comes around again, don't miss it. Thanks to the Eugene Ballet Company and its artistic director, Toni Pimble, for taking chances on a piece so different from the other works they perform. This collaboration swings!
Alone in Community: Journeys Into Monastic Life Around the Wrld by William Claassen. Forest of Peace Publishing, 2000. Paperback, $13.95 Thomas Merton wrote: "Contemplation is the perfection of love and knowledge." Reading Merton nearly 30 years ago, William Claassen was intrigued with the Trappist monk's zealous commitment to the contemplative life. Later Claassen became curious about religious and spiritual community, which he called a "mystery to explore." In 1973 he made his first retreat to Merton's monastery in rural Kentucky. The experience was pivotal. "I felt very comfortable in the silence," Claassen said. "It was a whole different way of relating to people and the world. I knew right away that islands of quiet and places for prayer and meditation were going to be integrated into my life." Monastic communities "honor silence and recognize the power of silence, and the fact that you can get to know people in silence," he said. "When I need time for reflection and want to be in a spiritual community ... that is where I go." After visiting various Catholic monasteries, Claassen wanted to learn about other religious traditions. In 1994 he set out to explore Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain and Sufi monastic communities. Making three extended trips in two-and-a-half years, he visited more than 40 communities of monks in 11 countries. Claassen will read from and sign Alone in Community, the story of his journey, at 7 pm Saturday, March 10 in Hungry Head Books. Alan Siporin will interview Claassen for KLCC's "Critical Mass" at noon Sunday, March 11. In this self-described "monastic travelogue," Claassen portrays exotic locales, investigates intriguing cultures and describes wild bus rides. The title reflects the symbolic threeness that he notes among the various beliefs as well as the discovery within himself of "three active players 4 pilgrim, traveler and writer." The pilgrim is evident in Claassen's thoughtful exploration of beliefs and practices of a diverse range of faiths. The journalist emerges in his careful research and honest reporting of his struggles with unfamiliar cultural standards. He was severely reprimanded for whistling on Mount Athos, the "Monk's Republic," he writes. Another time he realized that he had polluted the community's meal in Sringini, India by thoughtlessly following an inviting aroma into the sacred cooking area. Each chapter describes life in one religious community. Some groups are familiar 4 the Whirling Dervishes (Sufi dancers) of Istanbul, the Spanish Benedictines of the ethereal CD Chant, and the Hindu Ramakrishnas, unique among their faith for their commitment to social work. The Ramakrishnas believe that "every culture has created its own way of finding and expressing God, a way that must be honored, respected, and recognized as true," Claassen writes. He considers this an essential truth and the underlying theme of his book. Heart, soul and mind all play a part in Claassen's story. His engagement in each moment of the journey draws the reader in and invites us to seek answers to questions we didn't know we had. While my Catholic girlhood instructed me in the constant presence of mystery in life and faith, reading Alone in Community and speaking with its author reminded me that I feel most alive when I challenge myself and seek to understand life's mysteries. To prepare for Claassen's visit this Saturday, you can go to the publisher's website at www.forestofpeace.com. And when you read Alone in Community, look for the purple flower.
Feiffer uses gothic humor in this satire that explores these dark and disturbing issues. While occasional gunshots are heard outside their window, Marjorie Newquist (Peg Major), Carol Newquist (Hank Wilson) and their son, Kenny Newquist (Jake Robinson) live a typical life in a small apartment in the city. The older daughter, Patsy Newquist (Elizabeth Davis), brings home her boyfriend, Alfred Chamberlain (Benjamin Newman), to meet the family. Alfred is a photographer who chronicles the tough life of the streets. He constantly gets beat up and mugged and doesn't fight back. He and Patsy decide to marry. But, they want a marriage ceremony without the mention of God. Three characters enter the scene to offer monologues on the breakdown of society. Judge Stern (Ken Hof) rails against the couple for not believing in God; Reverend Dupas (Jesse Lally) from First Existentialist Church explains away the need for any tradition; and Lieutenant Practice (Bruce McArthur) examines the importance of laws. The family is searching for freedom from oppression: the father from crime and victimization, his son from sexual oppression, and Alfred from military oppression. (Mother hasn't figured out she's oppressed yet.) The closing scene takes the war mentality and brings it home, straight into the apartment, and ultimately the audience is left solving the wave of random shootings and is disturbingly able to understand them. Ken Hof and Jesse Lally steal the show. They are the bright spots in a play that still needed a lot of tightening opening night. Foil to the chaotic feel of the family's tension, Benjamin Newman (Alfred) quickly changes the beat; setting a somber tone for the serious aspect of the play. The tension created by not knowing the true motive of his character until the opening second act works quite well, although the pacing of that scene needs to be picked up. Elizabeth Davis offers a strong performance throughout, but why her costuming, hair and makeup were ignored in a play set in the 1960s is unclear. The men look fine. It's not that hard to get a '60s look; and when not done, it stands out as a major flaw. The set design is well done. Peaceful blue- green walls with Asian art depicting outdoor nature scenes of calm and beauty is nicely juxtaposed to the fiery tension going on inside the apartment. Little Murders continues through March 24.
Triumph of Love, currently showing at the UO Arena Theatre. It is certainly not food for thought, but it is a good old campy excuse to spread the arms and sing. The garden is the intellectual sanctuary of tweedy Hermocrates (Curtis Williams) and his sister Hesione (Corina Gomez), the only woman allowed inside. They are stewards to their nephew Agis (Connor Dudley), Sparta's true prince in exile -- picture Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors. He's been groomed to reclaim the throne from Princess Leonide (Kimberly Bates) and establish a dominion of rational thought. Little do they know that Leonide's become smitten with Agis. She and her maid Corine (Kirsten Schmieding) doff their go-go skirts for pastel Yentl duds, and infiltrate the garden. Their cause is abetted by insiders Harlequin (Matthew Woodburn) and Dimas, the Gardener (Sam Super). Of course love triumphs, but not before making everyone act silly. The score contains plenty of musical jokes, including rhymes like "myopia/Ethiopia" and a couple instances of "Agis interruptus." The performance starts unevenly, but hits a high point with "Mr. Right": Woodburn is over the top and Schmieding is the cat's meow. Bates and Dudley are strong in their leads. Among slower songs, "What Have I Done?" offers a memorable Streisandish refrain, but others are ponderous or forgettable. Still, watching the UO's theater majors have fun at their craft is attraction enough if you're willing to check your intellect at the door.
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