Dance program steps up for festival

Michael Chokr '01 came to the dance department at Princeton to search for the real meaning of dance.

"I felt that dance was so much more than looking pretty and entertaining people through a story," he recalls.

His search led him to the work of modern dance legends Merce Cunningham and Alwin Nikolais, who inspired Chokr in his most recent composition — one of seven student works to be performed when the Program in Theater and Dance presents its annual Spring Dance Festival Feb. 16 and 17 at 8 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium.

Chokr developed this piece, titled "Prism," this fall in DAN 319 under the direction of Pat Catterson and Diann Sichel. One of his many innovations involves using a different music score for each performance to explore the relationship between movement and music.

"Since there are no counts to the choreography, the three dancers must rely on their recollection of the movements and their awareness of each dancer's timing," Chokr points out. The smooth flow of movement showcases the flexibility and control of dancers Hana Ginsburg '04, Laura Johnson '04 and Rebecca Lemme '02, highlighting the beauty of the human body in motion.

The musical and visual focus of Chokr's "Prism" is a sharp contrast to Kimberli Wong '01's "I'll Pick Tomatoes If I Want To" — a piece highlighting the combination of spoken words and dance that she developed in AAS/THR 303, a performance seminar with Aleta Hayes. The movement was choreographed to a poem by the same name that Wong wrote two years ago. "The piece is about the emotions invoked when a grandfather is disabled by an accident," Wong says. "The movement was inspired by the poetry."

Wong recites her emotional verse as she dances, her limbs interpreting, mirroring and articulating her words. The only music is the dancer's own voice in conversation with the audience as she bares her soul.

"The program here is very supportive," Wong asserts. The Program in Theater and Dance, under the direction of Ze'eva Cohen, helps the dancers give voice to powerful statements and self-investigation through their choreography.

Particularly moving are Rebecca Lemme '02 and Christine Lee '02, who perform solo pieces — Lemme the semi-autobiographical "Nothing to Say" to Ani Difranco's "You Had Time" and Lee the wrenching "Want Me?" to "Small Flowers Crack Concrete" by Sonic Youth. Both contrast the fluidity and grace traditionally associated with dance with unusual body positions and more abrupt motion, showcasing the talent of both women as soloists and choreographers.

In addition to the student compositions, three pieces in the Festival are works by professionals. "Land-scape," by guest choreographer and former Paul Taylor dancer Karla Wolfangle, is a visually stunning interpretation of the natural world set to an original tape collage by Scott Marshall. Diane Coburn Bruning, also a guest choreographer, contributes "The Dawgs," a lighthearted, funky interpretation of music by Planet Drum and The Baha Men.

The final piece of the show, "Detroit Personals," comes from dance faculty member Diann Sichel, who originally choreographed it for Detroit's Harbinger Dance Company. The movements are set to and based upon a score of personal ads taken from Detroit and New York newspapers, and were re-staged for the Princeton dancers.

Sichel's work reveals an approach to human relationships that is fun, quirky and colorful. "We're all in this big field together, looking for the right person, and we need to do it with as much humor as possible," she says. Dancers juggle, roll more than 40 balls back and forth, and interact with one another to snippets of everything from songs by Elvis to "Someday My Prince Will Come," all interwoven with the spoken expectations of men and women from their personal ads.

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The diversity of people and interests explored in the studio at 185 Nassau Street is evident in the pieces, as is the search by each dancer for his or her own truths about dance. Chokr, who dances in both Sichel and Wolfangle's pieces, believes the diversity of the show is appropriate. "The show will give you a taste of what the department's about and what people are exploring," he comments. To explore for yourself, tickets are available at the Richardson box office. Admission is $10 for the general public, $6 for students, children, and seniors. For reservations, call (609) 258-5000.