OCC faculty to face the music and dance

Jennifer K Mahal

Two days before the premiere of his latest piece of choreography and

Jose Costas has changed its name.

What was “Deseo de Una Caricia” will now be “Deseo Humano.” The first

title means, roughly, the desire for touch or caress, Costas said. The

new title equals human desire.

“Like human nature. Almost like it is human to do this,” said Costas,

who will take the stage tonight alongside other Orange Coast College

dance instructors at the annual Faculty Dance Concert.

The dance concert will feature works by Linda Sohl-Donnell, Amelie

Hunter, Christine Baltes, Ramaa Bharadvaj and Lilia Llorens. New pieces

will be debuted by Costas, Maria de la Palme, Shana Menaker and Angelika

Nemeth. Among the dance styles to be performed are flamenco, classic

Indian dance, ballet, jazz dance and Middle Eastern dance.

Costas’ 12-minute modern dance piece, set to tango music by Buenos

Aires composer Astor Piazzolla, explores relationships -- the

relationship between a man and a woman, between a man and a man and

between a woman and two men.

“Why is it that we look for that, always?” asked Costas, a former

principal dancer for Ballet Hispanico of New York. “I think relationships

make us feel better. Give us comfort and support.”

Costas, who hails from Puerto Rico, said that some of the images in

his piece might be controversial, but that is not his intention. Instead,

he wants to highlight the power of touch, of a caress, of feeling, of

connection.

The Latin-influenced piece “can be seen as someone’s experience,” said

the instructor who teaches advanced ballet, intermediate jazz and social

dances. “Everyone can relate to it somehow. My wish is to touch the

people out there.”

In his third year of teaching at OCC, Costas said the Faculty Dance

Concert gives the teachers a chance to stretch some of their artistic and

performing muscles.

“It allows us another opportunity to be creative,” he said. “We love

to teach, but as artists we need to express ourselves.”

Lilia Llorens, who has taught dance at OCC for about 13 years, agrees,

but adds, “It’s important that we show the students our commitment to

what can be done.”

Llorens has rechoreographed her flamenco piece “La Cana” to be

performed by three dancers, rather than the 10 to 12 it originally required three years ago.

“La Cana,” translating to “sugar cane,” is a traditional flamenco from

Southern Spain, she said. A guitarist and a singer will accompany the

dancers, playing the slow, haunting music.

“It’s a great expression of flamenco,” said Llorens, who will not be

performing because of leg and knee surgery last year. “Many people think

of flamenco as a happy dance with castanets. This shows the other side of

flamenco.”

Llorens teaches flamenco and world dance at the school. She said that

she hopes the audience will be open minded to the many kinds of dance

that will be performed.

Amelie Hunter, who teaches ballet, said that OCC’s dance diversity is

one of the “exceptional things about the college.”

“I think [the concert] gives an opportunity to the students and the

community to see what our college is really all about,” said Hunter,

whose “Two for Three” will be performed by students from Mount St.

Antonio College. “We are showing the diversity of our department by this

faculty concert, and we’re also showing the expertise of the faculty.”

FYI

WHAT: Orange Coast College Faculty Dance Concert

WHERE: Robert B. Moore Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa

WHEN: 8 tonight

COST: $9 in advance, $12 at the door. Discounts available.

CALL: (714) 432-5880