Carter, Curtis

English

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Marquette Universitye-Publications@MarquettePhilosophy Faculty Research and Publications Philosophy, Department of7-1-1979Chelonia Dance Ensemble [Review of aperformance of the Chelonia Dance Ensemble]Curtis CarterMarquette University, curtis.carter@marquette.eduPublished version. Dance Dimensions, Vol. 7, No. 3/4 (Summer-Fall 1979): 28-29. Publisher Link. ©1979 Wisconsin Dance Council. Used with permission.CHELONIA DANCE ENSEMBLE March 23-25, 1979 A new company has joined the growing dance movement, thanks to the ef-forts of Geri Houlihan and her associates. The Che-lonia Dance Ensemble which performed at Beloit College on March 23-25, includes Ms. Houlihan, artistic di-rector; Lee McLeod and Rai-monda Pierce who also chor-eographed works for the concert; and other dancers from the Beloit area. The concert included "Baroque and Blue," "Night Watch," and "Suite Hungarian," all choreographed by Ms. Houli-han; "October Dance" by Ms. McLeod; and "Cosmic Mes-sage" by Ms. Pierce. Dance Dimensions "Baroque and Blue" plays on the division and reunification of modern dance and ballet. Two groups of performers begin dancing in their separate ways, apparently in the spirit of agon, or a con-test. As the dance pro-gresses, the group rivalry diminishes, and the two groups merge. The intent is to suggest the fusion of modern dance and ballet. While the treatment of the theme is somewhat simplis-tic, the piece does explain the current state of dance to an audience unfamiliar with its recent changes. Ms. Houlihan's choreography is unpretentious, well within the capabilities of the dancers. Each group, the modern and the ballet, demonstrated the respective styles with ea'se and clari-ty. The two styles are successfully integrated in the movement, but the con-ceptual basis for this 28 blending of styles is less clear. As I perceived the development, the reduction of the two styles was to-ward modern dance. The dance world at large has not decided how the two are to be integrated. There can be many solutions of which this piece is one. "Night Watch" was dan-ced by Anna Bergstrom, Geri Houlihan, and Lee McLeod. This four-part piece, set to the music of Alexander Scriabin, explores the moods of night, emphasizing the contrast of day and night. Ms. Houlihan convey-ed the depth of her in-sights and movement skills with understatement throughout the dance. The final piece,"Suite Hungarian," was based on folk dance, and incorporat-ed local folk dancers into the scheme of the dance. This dance was a fitting choice for the Beloit com-munity where there is con-siderable activity and in-terest in ethnic dancing. Summe~-FalZ 1979 The concert was well conceived, and maintained interest throughout. It succeeded in using the available resources in the Beloit area, to great ad-vantage, and with sensitiv-ity to the values of the community. Prior to coming to Wisconsin, Ms. Houlihan danced with major companies in New York and in Europe. She has danced with, for example, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Paul Sanasar-do, Manuel Alum, and Lar Bubovitch. She is current-ly artist in residence at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. By Curtis L. Carter 29 

Chelonia Dance Ensemble [Review of a performance of the Chelonia Dance Ensemble]

https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1099&amp;context=phil_fac

Chelonia Dance Ensemble [Review of a performance of the Chelonia Dance Ensemble]

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