Visions of joy

Young Chang

Choreographer David Allan’s attitude about his dance “Palladio” could

also characterize the attitude of UC Irvine’s annual dance extravaganza,

“Dance Visions.”

“It’s about exciting, entertaining dancing,” he said of his

neoclassical ballet, which originally premiered in Paris last spring.

“Sometimes my ballets are specifically about something, but this one’s

not. It’s just about the joy of dance, for the sake of it.”

A team of seven choreographers -- made up of UCI faculty members and

international choreographers -- will join Allan today and Saturday at

the Irvine Barclay Theatre to revel in the joy of almost every kind of

dance.

From flamenco to classical ballet, from modern ballet to jazz dance,

the variety of styles will reflect the curriculum offered by UCI’s dance

department, participating choreographers say.

“I think what the faculty hopes to accomplish is to give our dancers a

wide body of education in as many styles as possible,” said Allan,

associate professor of dance and director of ballet at UCI.

“Dance Visions” will include the world premieres of Colin Connor’s

“The Rose Garden,” Bob Boross’ “Where Beauty Lies,” Douglas Becker’s “A

Particular Presence” and the American premiere of “Palladio.”

William Forsythe’s “Steptext” will be staged by Becker, Jose Limon’s

“There is a Time” will be staged by Risa Steinberg and “Un Sabor a

Flamenco,” a suite of flamenco dances arranged by UCI dance professor

Nancy Lee Rutyer, will be performed by the UCI Spanish Dance Ensemble.

Becker’s two contributions to the show -- “A Particular Presence” and

the restaging of “Steptext” -- are highlights, Allan said.

Having danced for more than 10 years under Forsythe, Becker’s

reconstruction of Forsythe’s “Steptext” will be done in a contemporary

style but with classical dance idioms.

Becker’s original piece “Presence” was inspired by the Douglas Adams

book “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” The abstract piece of

contemporary ballet and modern dance has no real story line but includes

touches of comedy and science, said Becker, founding member of the

Frankfurt Ballet and resident of Brussels, Belgium.

“My inspiration was that I have loved this book for a long, long time

and had been looking for a chance to use it,” he said. “And that chance

arrived with UCI.”

The UCI Chamber Singers will accompany “The Rose Garden,” while the

UCI String Orchestra will perform for Allan’s “Palladio,” which was

originally created for the Junior Ballet Classique of the Conservatoire

de Paris. Eight dancers from the company who are part of the

UCI/Conservatoire de Paris International Dance Exchange Program will

perform Allan’s ballet.

“Each piece has such a distinct style, really there’s going to be

something for everybody at this concert,” Allan said.

FYI

* What: “Dance Visions”

* When: 8 p.m. today, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday.

* Where: The Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine

* Cost: $15 or $18

* Call: (949) 854-4646