Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 8, 1994 TAG: 9404080207
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By NICOLE PAGE CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Pegeen Albig and Mary Pat Balkous, both professors of dance at Radford, each have choreographed two new dances to create a four-part show that will include performances by the Radford University Baroque Chamber Orchestra and New River Valley musicians Caryl Conger and Linda Plaut.
Each dance routine will be performed by students who are in the undergraduate or graduate dance curriculum at Radford.
Albig collaborated with Ted McKoscky, associate director for the Center for Media Arts Technology, to create "Deep Time," the first dance in the series.
The idea for the dance came when "Pogo [Albig] and I were talking about some pieces I had and she was interested in choreographing it," McKoscky said. He used the university's new eight-track disk-based editing system to develop the score, featuring the music of Philip Glass, Toru Takenitsu, Richard D. James and Paul Horn.
Albig's choreography weaves imagery of the four universal elements of the ancients - water, earth, fire and air - into the fabric of the dance. Sound, movement and stage effects describe the progress of humanity from the birth of civilization it its collapse.
The second piece in the series, a ballet choreographed by Balkous, is called "L'estro Armonico." The music for this piece, Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto in G minor, Opus 3, No. 2, will be performed live by the Radford Baroque University Chamber Orchestra. Eugene Fellin, chairman of the Radford University Music Department, will be the conductor.
"From the Heart," the third performance, is a modern dance of atmosphere rather than a story, and reflects the shifting moods created by the composer and musicians. The mood of the dance ranges from melancholy to joyous. Albig worked with Conger of Radford's music department and Plaut of Tech's department to express the music of Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz, Sonata No. 5 in A minor for violin and piano.
The final number in the four-piece production is "Facets of Jazz - Part Deux" created by Balkous to a collection of music by Jabbo Smith, the Gypsy Kings, Al di Meola and Mingo Lewis.
The roots of jazz lie in Africa; the glides, shuffles, hops, slides and astonishing hip and foot movements of African dance have, in time, evolved into modern dance steps like the "buck," "wings snake hips," the "Juba" and the "mooche."
This number is a choreographed history of jazz dance steps. The new style of dance that emerged from jazz is infused with international and contemporary nuances.
"Dancers in Transit" will be performed April 14-16 at 8 p.m. in Preston Auditorium. Tickets for the show are available at Heth Information Center free with a Radford I.D. or $3 for adults and $1.50 for children.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***