THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 29, 1994 TAG: 9407270146
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
You're a dance student in Chesapeake. After studying and dancing for years, where do you go to advance your career or studies?
No need to go to New York or other big cities with big-time professional dance companies; newly established Chesapeake resident Keith A. Dames hopes he has the solution.
And he's looking for a few good dancers, too.
The Miami native is in the process of starting the Dance Theatre of Chesapeake, hoping to make this company a lauded regional professional dance troupe.
``I hope to put Chesapeake on the dance theater map,'' Dames said. ``I hope with support and backing from the community we can make this work.''
When it comes to dance, Dames is no novice, either.
He's a performing artist, choreographer and instructor of dance, drama and gymnastics. He has been in the city for a few weeks and already has landed a teaching post at the Virginia Beach-based Ocean Tumblers. He said he also hopes to find a teaching position in either the Chesapeake Public School system or in one of the neighboring cities.
Dames graduated from Miami-Dade Community College North with an Associate Arts degree, having studied dance, theater and music. In New York City, he studied and trained at the world-famous Alvin Ailey Dance Center and with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. He has performed with New View Dance Theatre in Miami and with Shirley Rushing Dance Inc., the New York City Dance Ensemble, Ekstasis Dance Co. and Citidance at the City College of New York, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance.
In addition, Dames has performed in numerous theater productions, including ``The Ritz,'' ``Don't Bother Me I Can't Cope,'' ``Dames At Sea'' and ``Life's Too Short to Cry.'' He has appeared in various films and videos shot in Miami and New York City and has sung with the City Gospel Choir of New York City and the Miami-Dade North Gospel Choir.
Dames said his dance expertise is in modern dance with an emphasis on gymnastics.
``I'm very big on the Horton Technique, named after dancer, choreographer and teacher Lester Horton,'' he said. ``It's very linear with a lot of parallel work and natural turn-outs.''
Dames already has joined the Chesapeake branch of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and is in the process of incorporating his company.
Currently, he's looking for a co-director and board members from the Chesapeake community and arts scene. He hopes to start the company by Aug. 1.
``I want to start with a troupe of 15 dancers,'' he said. ``I need male as well as female dancers, who are proficient in ballet, jazz, tap and modern dance styles. Our emphasis will be on modern dance, like the Alvin Ailey company.''
Why come to Chesapeake after having studied and worked in Miami and New York City?
``Coming from New York, I like the slower pace here,'' he said. ``Plus I see an untapped resource of good, natural dance talent in the city and area. I think there's a excellent potential for artistic growth here. Eventually, I would like to develop the Dance Theatre of Chesapeake into a touring company, performing in the Southern and Northeastern sections of the country.'' ILLUSTRATION: Keith A. Dames hopes to make Dance Theatre of Chesapeake a
regional professional dance troupe.
AUDITIONS
Keith A. Dames needs dancers for his newly created Dance Theatre
of Chesapeake. He's looking for both male and female dancers, ages
18-25, proficient in ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance.
Open auditions take place at 9 a.m. Aug. 13 at the Academy of
Classical and Contemporary Dance, 927 N. Battlefield Blvd.
For more information, call 424-6177 or write to P.O. Box 13761,
Chesapeake, Va. 23325.
by CNB