‘Dance Visions’ takes flight

In a concert that combines ballet, modern dance, live music, video and other disciplines, faculty and students from the dance department in UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts will present “UCI Dance Visions 2006” Feb. 9 to 12 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre.

“Dance Visions” will premiere and reprise works by the university’s distinguished dance faculty and guest choreographers. A show highlight will be the world premier of “The Masque of the Red Death,” a one-act multimedia production conceived by director of dance Donald McKayle.

“It’s a huge work,” said McKayle, who based “Masque” on Edgar Allan Poe’s gothic tale of Prince Prospero, who barricades himself and 1,000 of his friends in his castle to escape a plague.

McKayle’s lengthy credits for choreography and direction include Broadway musicals, feature films, concerts and television. He has five Tony nominations and two Emmy nominations. He recently received the American Dance Legacy Institute’s distinguished and innovative leadership award and the 2005 Dance Magazine award -- the journal’s highest honor.

“I’ve been proclaimed, cited and declared,” McKayle jokes. He also has received the UCI Medal, the campus’ highest honor, and published an award-winning autobiography, “Transcending Boundaries: My Dancing Life.” He joined UCI in 1989 and is a Donald Bren Professor, teaching advanced modern dance and graduate choreography.

“I could retire, but this is so exciting,” he said. “I just keep doing it.”

Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $9 to $15. For information, call (949) 824-2787 or (949) 845-4646.

Support for UCI keeps climbing

Outside funding to UCI continues to rise at a record pace, a trend that reflects the campus’ growing stature as a major research university.

Grants, contracts and private gifts to UCI for the first six months of the 2005-06 academic year totaled $208 million, compared to $155 million for the same period in 2004-05, an increase of 34%.

“Extramural support is essential for our innovative research and educational activities,” said William Parker, vice chancellor for research. “Financial resources are necessary to be successful in many disciplines, particularly in the natural sciences, engineering and computer science.”

For four consecutive years, UCI has set a record for research funding and grants. Over the same period, private giving to the campus has doubled -- another sign of the university’s growing prestige.

Alumni welcomed back to campus

The UCI Alumni Assn. invites alumni and the community to campus for homecoming on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Bren Events Center.

Festivities include a barbecue and fun zone for families at 4 p.m., followed by a basketball doubleheader. The women’s team plays Cal State Northridge at 4 p.m., followed by the men’s game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at 7 p.m.

Alumni can reserve up to four free tickets to the barbecue and basketball games. Basketball tickets (good for both men’s and women’s games) are available to the public for $10; barbecue tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for children. For information or reservations, call (949) 824-2586 or visit www.alumni.uci.edu.

* SUSAN MENNING is assistant vice chancellor of communications at UC Irvine. She can be reached at uciconnect@uci.edu.

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