Dance meets Dracula

Our three children used to come home from trick-or-treating to dump bags filled with an odd assortment of fun sized candies on the kitchen table so they could pick through the contents looking for their favorites. Now that they’re in college, no one needs me to sew their costume, escort them through dark neighborhood streets or make treats for Halloween gatherings. It’s time I develop a new holiday tradition, and I’ve found just the thing.

Thursday night I witnessed a charming collection of dance performances which culminates in a dance meets dracula piece that’s one of the most stunning dance works I’ve ever experienced on Valley stages.

It’s a visual feast blending rich storytelling, music, lighting, set design and dance — and you can see it through Sunday at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix. The Center Dance Ensemble production is called “A Haunting We Will Go.”

Think haunting in the emotionally moving sense rather than haunting in the ghosts and goblins sense. Though several of the works have themes that resonate during Halloween or Dia de los Muertos season, it’s the music and dance that will haunt you.

How lovely to replace those nights spent combing through an odd assortment of candies with an evening of dance that feels like sampling deliciously diverse truffles or bon bons on an elegant silver platter or dessert tray.

“A Haunting We Will Go” includes two “Masquerade” works performed by Center Dance Ensemble, the resident modern dance company of the Herberger Theater Center, which is led by artistic director Frances Smith Cohen.

It opens with “Masquerade Part 1: Love Games,” choreographed by Cohen and Diane McNeal Hunt to music dubbed “Dead Can Dance.” The work features hard-driving drum beats, an elegant trio of hanging lanterns and dancers dressed in delightful black and white fashions.

“Masquerade Part 2: The Mask Within” includes three works featuring masks created by Valley artist Zarco Guerrero. “Calacas Encantadas” (Enchanted Skeletons) is choreographed by Hunt with music by Guerrero. It’s a whimsical piece that elicited lovely laughter from Thurday’s audience.

“Espiritu del Agua” (Water Spirit) is choreographed by Hunt with music by Gustavo Santaolalla that captures the sound of powerful waves. It features a sole dancer wearing an iridescent silver unitard and mask that reflects light in two beams streaming out across the audience.

“The Blue Box,” a take on the tale of Pandora’s box, is choreographed by Hunt, Marion Kirk Jones and Mark Vanek. It features music by Alston Neal and a pair of dancers whose masks and movement invite reflection on such things as earth and sky or human and animal instincts.

Scene from Dracula: The Legend. Photo courtesy of Center Dance Ensemble.

“A Haunting We Will Go” closes with “Dracula: The Legend,” choreographed by Cohen with music by David Byrne, Frederic Chopin and Camille Saint-Saens. Many know Byrne as co-founder of the Talking Heads, but his composing credits include a ballet score called “The Catherine Wheel” for choreographer Twyla Tharp.

Though elevated, Shaun Sites’ circular set piece for this work resembles a swirling pit. I was puzzled by the simplicity of Michael Eddy’s lighting design during the second masquerade piece until the majesty of Eddy’s “Dracula” lighting made me appreciate its value as a sort of visual palate cleanser.

“Dracula: The Legend” is set in 1897 London. It features seven scenes and eight characters that include Count Dracula, Jonathan Harker (the man responsible for Dracula’s move from London to Transylvania), a trio of female predators victimized by the Count, and a trio of women dubbed victims of repressive Victorian times.

Every sinew sings as Scott Bodily dances the role of Count Dracula. Movement throughout the piece is exquisite, and beautifully complimented by costumes rich in color and subtle texture — the work of Margret Emerson, Michele Hervey and Ruthe Ponturo — which capture the ethereal quality of the dance.

Those who attend “A Haunting We Will Go” this evening or Sunday will also see “Nightlife” performed by Terpsicore Dance Company, “Forbidden Love” performed by Andrea Hashim and Jose Soto, “Unsound Mind” performed by Kaleidoscape Dance and “Persist” performed by Glendale Community College’s Verve Dance Company.

Last night’s guest performances — “Ablaze” by Movement Source Dance Company,” “Last Supper at Sad Café” by Desert Dance Theatre and “Undercurrent” by Scottsdale Community College’s Instinct Dancecorps — will repeat on Oct. 27.

I especially enjoyed the Desert Dance Theatre piece, a humorous riff on waitresses gone wrong at a desolate cafe sporting a neon “Open” sign between bouts of mayhem. Dancers delightfully fold set pieces and props into clever phrases of movement set to Beethoven music, leaving folks to wonder whether the menu is laced with sadism rather than sadness.

“A Haunting We Will Go” beautifully blends the work of Valley dancers and musicians, plus theater and visual artists. Audiences hear music created by mask artist Guerrero, and see dance performed by Childsplay costuming and wardrobe director D. Daniel Hollingshead. Eddy, who is well known to Valley theater audiences, conjured a real masterpiece of light and shadow for this production.

Eddy serves as lighting designer and production manager for “A Haunting We Will Go.” Katie Bitz is stage manager, and Bret Reese assistant stage manager. Center Dance Ensemble costumes are by Margret Emerson. Light board operator is Alexis Raetz, audio operator is Billy Lopez and Hannah Ruebbelke handles stage crew.

It’s a magnificent collaboration that left me hungry (or thirsting, perhaps, in the spirit of Count Dracula) for more. “That’s a good thing,” muses Hunt.

— Lynn

Note: Herberger Theater Center fans should “save the date” for the March 8, 2013 “Objects d’Art Auction” to benefit the venue’s art education and outreach programs for youth. Click here for information on Center Dance Ensemble’s 2012/13 season. Please note that “A Haunting We Will Go” is recommended for ages 12 & up.

Coming up: Try the priest

Beyond the black swan

Still trying to get those disturbing “Black Swan” film scenes out of your head? I know just the thing: children. Lots and lots of children, dancing in a whimsical take on “Swan Lake” performed with “a splash” to benefit at-risk kids served by Free Arts of Arizona.

Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona has partnered with Dance Theater West to present a free 45-minute dance performance dubbed “Swan Lake……The Big Splash” on Sun, Sept. 16 at 6pm at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

The “storybook” take on this classic tale features 14 youth who participate in programs developed and organized by Free Arts of Arizona. During rehearsals with Dance Theater West, they’ve been learning informal techniques with an emphasis on improvisation.

Families attending Sunday’s performance can arrive early to enjoy free arts and crafts activities taking place from 4:30-6pm in the lovely Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts lobby. A cookie reception follows, making the event sweeter still.

David Starry as Baron Von Rothbart and Hannah Cummiskey as Odette The Dying Swan. Photo by Jon Simpson. Courtesy of Dance Theater West.

Dance Theater West is the academy for Center Dance Ensemble, resident modern dance company at the Herberger Theater Center, and Storybook Ballet Theater. Guests artists appearing Sunday include David Starry (Baron Von Rothbart) of Scorpius Dance, plus Emilio Minto (Prince Siegfried) and Brad Speck (Bradley the Bad) of Center Dance Ensemble.

Arizona’s arts community is filled with all sorts of artists who regularly donate their time to shower our children with the riches of arts and culture, and taking a bit of time from our busy lives to watch such partnerships perform is one of many ways we can support their dedication — and bring smiles to the faces of youth who so appreciate having a big audience.

Sunday’s cast includes Hannah Cummiskey (Odette The Dying Swan), Taylor Brauer (Odette The Young Maiden), Rachel Bain (Magique), Jennifer Marcantonio (Odile The Evil Swan) and plenty of other dancers who’ll make you forget all about those darker Natalie Portman moments.

Folks not yet familiar with the story of “Swan Lake” can visit PBS to explore the work, which was first performed by the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow in 1877 and features music composed by Tchaikovsky. Sunday’s “with a splash” dancers will also perform to music by Moussorgsky.

Learn more by calling Free Arts of Arizona at 602-258-8100.

— Lynn

Note: Click here to learn more about photography by Jon Simpson, and here to explore offerings by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (including the young@art gallery located inside the performing arts center)

Coming up: TV offerings for art lovers

Lightning strikes

National Poetry Month strikes again in Arizona

Poet Eduardo C. Corral, a native of Casa Grande who holds degrees from Arizona State University and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, will read from his recently released collection “Slow Lightning,” Tues, April 10 at the Piper Writers House on the ASU Tempe campus.

“Slow Lightning,” Corral’s first collection of poems, was selected as winner of the 2011 Yale Series of Younger Poets competition — making Corral the first Latino to receive this honor. Next week’s reading, sponsored by the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, is free and open to the public.

There’s plenty of poetry around these parts nowadays because April is National Poetry Month. Tempe Center for the Arts, for example, is presenting four “Tempe Poetry in April” events this month — featuring Josh Rathkamp (April 4), Jeannine Savard (April 11), Margaret Holley (April 18) and Sherwin Bitsui (April 25). These TCA events are free, so you’ve really no good reason not to give poetry a whirl.

Center Dance Ensemble presents two performances of “American Voices,” featuring new choreography coupled with words by great American poets, Sun, April 15 at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix. And PVCC Dance at Paradise Valley Community College presents “Kinetic Poetry” — a “collection of dances reflecting the inner voice of the artist” that features “the voices and movement of PVCC dance students and guest artists” — April 27 & 28.

Art Intersection in Gilbert presents “Haibun: The Poetry of Walking” with instructor Mark Haunschild April 7 & 14 — noting that haibun is a classical Japanese form of travel writing combining prose and poetry, first popularized by Matsuo Basho during the 17th century.

The Tucson Poetry Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with participating poets that include Eduardo C. Corral, Karyna McGlynn, Ander Monson and Patricia Smith. All are offering free writing workshops, and taking part in a two-hour panel, Sat, April 7 at the University of Arizona Poetry Center in Tucson.

The Poetry Center presents “Poetry Off the Page” April 9-May 31 — which they describe as a gathering of poets “for whom the stage and all of its demands, such as voice, projection, sound effects, lighting, body movement, acting, props and image, all help create a new syntactic breadth for the poetic voice.”

Seems participating poets will be “pressing into new territories in theatre and song and film, performing, in many cases, original never-seen-before work for the Poetry Center.” The center is also offering exhibits featuring poets working in the visual arts. Think Cecilia Vicuna, Danielle Vogel and Jeff Clark. While you’re there, check out “Artistexts,” curated by Johanna Drucker, too.

The Arizona Humanities Council presents “Sharing Words, Changing Worlds” Thurs, April 12 at Tempe Mission Palms. The keynote speaker for the free 6:30pm-8:30pm event is Pulitzer Prize Winner and Poet Laureate Rita Dove — who’ll share poems from her recent book “Sonata Mulattica,” about a young mulatto violinist’s encounters with Beethooven.

Event organizers note that Dove will “reveal how she came to be uniquely suited to the task of rescuing the mixed race violinist George Augustus Polgreen from the shadows of history, and how history comes alive through art.” Dove, who taught creative writing at ASU from 1981 to 1989, and has been honored by both President Clinton (National Humanities Medal) and President Obama (National Medal of Arts). She served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 1993 to 1995.

Things are looking good at this point for a bill moving through the Arizona state legislature to create an Arizona Poet Laureate, according to Rusty Foley, executive director for Arizona Citizens Action for the Arts. Nothing’s a sure thing, of course, until the ink dries on a bill. But I like our chances, and there’s already good news to celebrate with the passage of a bill reauthorizing funding for the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

To find additonal poetry-related events in your area, check the calendars for your local libraries, museums and bookstores — plus performing arts venues and college/universities. Also the websites for organizations like the Arizona State Poetry Society and Arizona Authors Association.

Wanna trip out your kids? Just tell ’em you’re heading out with friends to play with words for a while. Then buy them a journal, watch for kid-friendly poetry programs in your community and inch them along towards the day they’ll be the ones making lightning.

— Lynn

Note: Click here to find family-friendly events any day of the year from Raising Arizona Kids magazine. If your April poetry event in Arizona isn’t listed above, you can comment below to let our readers know.

Coming up: Musings on “Dance Moms Miami,” Movie review: “Bully”

The poetry man

Poetry man Joshua Furtado, who hails from Tucson, won the 2012 Arizona Poetry Out Loud finals and will now compete in Washington, D.C.

You can’t make this stuff up. No sooner did I leave Phoenix Center for the Arts, site of Thursday night’s 2012 Arizona Poetry Out Loud finals, than the song “Poetry Man” by Phoebe Snow came blasting over my speakers — though I suppose “blasting” is a bit of an oversell. Weird considering how infrequently that baby wafts over the airwaves these days.

It felt a fitting homage to this year’s Arizona state champion, Joshua Furtado of Tucson High Magnet School, whose parents and younger sister were there to share the proud moment. Furtado was one of nine Arizona state finalists to recite two poems for judges including Robert Breunig, Jaime Dempsey, Carole FitzPatrick, David Mittel and Kelly Nelson.

Judges had to evaluate each student recitation on a scale of one to six using several criteria — physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, level of difficulty, evidence of understanding and overall performance.

Judges narrowed the finalists down to four students, who then performed their choice of a third piece. Furtado’s first recitation, of Eve Merriam’s “Catch a Little Rhyme,” was especially enchanting. Think whimsical, lyrical, lighthearted and sweet. His second poem was Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee,” and his third “Contraction” by Ravi Shankar.

Joshua Furtado is the 2012 Arizona Poetry Out Loud champion

I chatted with Furtado and his family after the competition, wondering whether his trip to Washington, D.C. to represent Arizona in the national finals will be his first journey to the nation’s Capitol. Yes, his mother told me — who suspects she’ll be the one to go along. Furtado was born and raised in Tucson, and his parents raved as we spoke about the quality and diversity of the city’s arts scene, though Furtado dreams of acting on the big screen in L.A.

I enjoyed meeting several of the finalists, and hope even those I didn’t get to connect with personally will consider this my open invitation to write a guest blog post for our readers — about whatever arts-related topic catches their fancy. A favorite poet. The value of arts in education. Ways poetry can change a life. A teacher who inspired them to transform words into art.

I saw several familiar faces in the audience — and chatted while there with both Boyd Branch, who is doing some new and interesting work blending art and science (more on that in a future post), and Francis Smith Cohen. Cohen is artistic director for Center Dance Ensemble, a resident company at the Herberger Theater Center — where “American Voices” will celebrate National Poetry Month on April 15.

Cohen is also busy readying for the annual “Arizona Young Artists’ Competition,” an outreach program of the Herberger Theater Center that awards scholarships to winners in three categories — voice, acting and dance. Seems there’s no shortage of youth vocalists in the Valley, but dance participants can be harder to come by thanks to all those spring recitals. Interested youth in the dance, acting or voice category now have until midnight on Sun, April 1 to enter (click here for details). This year, says Cohen, dancers can perform a modern or lyrical jazz piece.

“American Voices” includes both dance and poetry recitation, and at least one of the young poets I met Thursday night will likely participate. He’s Garrett Pauli, an intern with the Arizona Commission on the Arts who’s been a spoken word artist and performance poet for about a year. Seems Pauli caught the bug after hearing a motivational speaker, then running with his own passion for tackling injustice.

Injustice felt top of mind as I listened to guest reader and judge Charles Jensen recite several of his own poems Thursday night — including two on the subject of health care. His work is poignant and funny, and worthy of a wide audience. Stephen Colbert, take note. This gentleman would rock a stint on your show. In the meantime, folks can follow Jensen’s work via LOCUSPOINT online, where he serves as founding editor and “explores creative work on a city-by-city basis.”

One of Jensen’s poems plays with words in the Miranda warning. Seems he was especially pleased about delivering his first “law poem” in the presence of a judge. Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch of the Supreme Court of Arizona served as emcee of the 2012 Arizona Poetry Out Loud finals. Turns out she holds both a J.D. and a Master’s degree in English. Perhaps one day we’ll hear her recite poetry as well.

For now all eyes, and ears, are on Joshua Furtado — the poetry man.

— Lynn

Coming up: Working miracles

Gaga for dance

Batsheva Dance of Israel performs March 22 in Scottsdale

Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company, founded in 1964 by Martha Graham and Baroness Batsheva De Rothschild, uses a little something called “Gaga” — the movement vocabulary of choreographer Ohad Naharin — to explore and perform “new movement possibilities.” Folks who go “gaga for dance” can enjoy their work Thurs, March 22 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

Come April, the center will present two companies from Australia — “Chunky Move: Connected” Fri, April 6 and Sat, April 7 and “Marrugeku: Buru” Sat, April 14. The latter features “stories of the indigenous people of Western Australia told through hip-hop music and stilt dancing.” They’ll present “Dance Brazil,” featuring “dazzling Afro-Brazilian music and dance” Thurs, April 26 and Fri, April 27 and Movement Source Dance Company brings their “Inspiration” to the venue Thurs, May 10 and Fri, May 11.

SambAZ performs March 24 at the MIM in Phoenix

The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix presents “Experience Brazil” Sat, March 24 — which includes SambAZ dancers performing works inspired by “Brazilian and Carnaval culture” with Grupo Liberdade from 11am to 12:30pm. The event also features live music, drum workshops and more.

If you’re truly “gaga for dance,” a couple of dance performances will never do. Hence, I’m happy to share a diverse assortment of additional offerings headed our way in coming weeks and months, including several taking place this month. Let other folks go “gaga” for shoes or chocolate or basketball. You know that dance is where it’s at.

Katey Koderik performs "I Believe" for American Voices 2011 (Photo: Tim Fuller)

Center Dance Ensemble performs “Dance AZ/100,” which honors the Arizona Centennial with the premiere of “Western Suite” to music by Aaron Copeland and “Concierto Madigral” music by Joaquin Rodrigo March 22-25 at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix. Come April they’ll perform “American Voices” featuring new choreography to the words of America’s great poets.

Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, which blends “African American cultural expression and the American modern dance tradition,” performs Sat, March 24 and Sun, March 25 at Mesa Arts Center. “Dancing with the Queen Creek Stars” hits the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center Sat, March 24 — featuring six “respected community leaders” partnered with the Utah Ballroom Dance Company for waltz, samba and such. MarioCo. Dance brings jazz dance to the Herberger Theater Center Thurs, March 15, with a performance dubbed “Propulsion.”

Alvin Ailey Dance Theater performs March 24 & 25 in Mesa

Ballet Arizona presents “Director’s Choice” March 29-April 1, a new Ib Andersen work titled “Topia” May 2-26 (in  collaboration with the Desert Botanical Garden) and “All Balanchine” May 31-June 3.

State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara performs “Jungle Book” — an original production by Rodney Gustafson set in the fabled jungles of Rudyard Kipling’s Africa — Fri, March 30 at the Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts in Wickenburg. A lovely option for those of you who go “gaga” for both dance and exploring other parts of our fair state.

Scorpius Dance Theatre performs May 3-5 in Phoenix

Scorpius Dance Theatre presents “The Kick-A Dance Showcase” featuring the work of Arizona choreographers plus those from other fab places May 3-5 at the Phoenix Theatre Little Theatre. Let your little ones think the “A” stands for “arabesque.”

Finally, I leave you with a trio of dance events coming to Tempe Center for the Arts. Flamenco and belly dance artists Yumi LaRosa and Ava Fleming present “cultural music and dance” Sat, March 31 at TCA. CONDER/dance presents “inextricably linked” — “a performance inspired by flight and costumed entirely in vintage clothing” — Sat, April 14. The CONDER/dance performance also includes dance films from Belgium and NYC.

A Ludwig Dance Theatre performs April 19-22 in Tempe

A Ludwig Dance Theatre presents “Project 2012: Looking Back; Moving Forward” April 19-22 at Tempe Center for the Arts — which continues the company’s collaboration with choreographers Babs Case, Mary Fitzgerald, Kelly Roth, Karen Schupp. Look for a reprise of past works, an examination of issues facing contemporary society, audience involvement via text messaging and a little something that’ll have Valley theater buffs going “gaga” — the performance of a Daniel Nagrin improvisational piece titled “Someone” by actor, fight choreographer and ASU professor David Barker. That, my friends, will be a “gaga” moment in all its glory.

— Lynn

Note: I’m working on a roundup of spring recitals and performances being presented by youth dance companies and dance schools in the Valley. If your group is presenting a spring recital or performance, please send details (and photos if you like) to rakstagemom@gmail.com.

Coming up: Dance meets dirt?, From Brooklyn to Japan

Arizona’s got talent

As NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” conducts auditions this weekend in Austin, a freelance casting producer is searching for the best of the best in Phoenix. Although there’s no open call audition in Phoenix for the show’s upcoming season, Sarah Furlong is busy reviewing video submissions — inviting select performers to a producers showcase for America’s Got Talent taking place Sat., Jan. 21 in Phoenix.

Prince Poppycock meets Americana

I chatted with Furlong yesterday about what they’re looking for — mainly variety acts and performers with an unusual or over-the-top vibe. Seems they’d “love to find a killer hip hop dance group” or another “Prince Poppycock type.” Fans of the show know Prince Popppycock as an uber-over the top performer with a Baroque persona and set list.

Furlong shared other examples of acts they’d love to locate during their time in Phoenix — from ropers to ventriloquists, and drag queens too. Folks who think they’re a good match need to create a video Furlong can screen before the middle of next week. Invites to the producers showcase will follow for those she selects.

I’ve encounted plenty of talented groups of young performers here in the Valley — ballet folklorico and Irish step dancers, circus and acrobat performers, twirling and martial arts athletes, and more. Also adults with diverse talents like animated storytelling with hand-crafted masks.

We’ve got lots of talented young singers, as well as bands, though Furlong says these aren’t the types of acts she’s looking for here in the Valley. But don’t feel disappointed if you’re the proud parent of a young actor, dancer or singer — because there’s another competition coming our way.

The Arizona Young Artists’ Competition offers aspiring young artists ages 15-19 the opportunity to compete in the areas of acting, dance and voice. The competition showcases diverse emerging artists, introduces young artists to the audition process and gives young artists a chance to interact with arts-professionals.

Preliminary auditions by category take place April 17-19 at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix, which presents the competition each year in collaboration with Center Dance Ensemble, the venue’s resident modern dance company led by Frances Smith Cohen.

Four finalists from each category are then selected to participate in the final competition on Sat, April 21. Judges select a winner in each category to receive a $1,000 scholarship to help further their education in the arts. Audience members participate as well, selecting a “People’s Choice Winner” in each category to receive a $100 award.

Registration for the Arizona Young Artists’ Competition is open through March 25, and the registration fee is $25 per discipline. Visit www.herbergertheater.org for event details and registration information.

— Lynn

Note: America’s Got Talent is accepting video auditions online through Feb. 15. Click here to learn more. Parents of youth who’d like to be considered for the show’s producers showcase in Phoenix can contact Sarah Furlong at 310-857-8575.

Coming up: A vision of loveliness, Art meets angst

Update: Click here for a comprehensive audition notice from Durant Communications about talent of all ages being sought for “America’s Got Talent.”

Holiday dance memories

Jennifer backstage at The Nutcracker with Ballet Arizona

Both my daughters, now college age, danced in local holiday dance productions as children. Jennifer performed in “Frances Smith Cohen’s Snow Queen” and Ballet Arizona’s “The Nutcracker.” Lizabeth performed for many years in the Ballet Arizona production of “The Nutcracker” — in the roles of Mother Ginger’s child, grandfather mouse and party girl.

Afternoons spent together at holiday dance productions create wonderful family memories, like those I still cherish decades after seeing “The Nutcracker” performed in Colorado with my mother during many a holiday season. So I’m delighted to share news of options for Arizona families eager to create similar snapshots in time.

Your first opportunity to see “The Nutcracker” in the Valley this year will be the Ballet Etudes production, performed by youth dancers, opening Nov. 25. It runs through Dec. 11 at Chandler Center for the Arts. www.balletetudes.net.

Ballet and Friends performs “The Nutcracker”  Nov. 25-27 at the Orpheum Theater in Phoenix. It’s choreographed by artistic director Slawomir Wozniak. www.balletandfriends.org.

Another production of “The Nutcracker” featuring Valley youth will be performed by Southwest Youth Ballet Dec. 16 & 17 at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts. The production features music performed by the Chandler Symphony Orchestra. www.southwestyouthballettheatre.org.

“An Irish Nutcracker,” also featuring youth performers, is being presented by the Arizona Irish Dance Association in conjunction with Maguire Academy of Irish Dance. It’s coming to the Herberger Theater Center Dec. 17 and the Mesa Arts Center Dec. 18 — and features an Irish twist in both music and dance. www.maguireacademy.com.

Girls waiting their turn to audition for The Nutcracker with Ballet Arizona

The Ballet Arizona production of “The Nutcracker,” featuring choreography by artistic director Ib Andersen, is being performed at Symphony Hall in Phoenix Dec. 9-24. The cast includes both Ballet Arizona dancers and youth, some from the School of Ballet Arizona, selected through an audition process. Music will be performed by the Phoenix Symphony. www.balletaz.org.

A touring production featuring the Moscow Ballet, titled “Great Russian Nutcracker,” comes to the Comerica Theatre in Phoenix for just a single performance on Dec. 20. www.livenation.com.

A longtime Valley favorite, “Frances Smith Cohen’s Snow Queen,” is being performed Dec, 3-18 at the Herberger Theater Center. Cohen serves as artistic director for Center Dance Ensemble, the resident modern dance company of the Herberger Theater Center. This production, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” features both company dancers and youth (many  from Dance Theater West) selected through an audition process. www.centerdance.com.

The Arizona Dance Coalition presents “A Joyous Christmas” at various Valley locations Dec. 1, 3 and 4. It features guest artists Jeffrey Polston, formerly with Complexions Contemporary Ballet in NYC, and Astrit Zejnati, principal dancer with Ballet Arizona. Also AZDance’s professional dance roster, their “Children’s Christmas” company and dancers from “Movement E-Motion” — a dance program for “individuals with different abilities.”  www.azdancecoalition.org.

Make time for dance this holiday season  — because the rush of retail fades far too quickly, but shared experiences with on-stage magic last a lifetime.

— Lynn

Note: If your dance company is presenting a holiday dance production not noted above, please comment below to let our readers know.

Coming up: Thanksgiving fun — NYC style

Christmas concerts

Normally we follow a strict “no talk of Christmas until after Thanksgiving” rule at our house. It’s a reflection of the philosophy we embrace year round — First, give thanks.

But I discovered, while researching Christmas concert options, that several are fast approaching — and decided to run with the Christmas music vibe a bit early this year.

The Phoenix Children's Chorus performs Dec 3 in Higley

The Irish Cultural Center in Phoenix presents “An Irish Christmas” with song, dance and more Nov. 27. www.azirish.org.

The Phoenix Symphony presents “Holiday Pops” Dec. 2-4 and “Family Holiday Concert” Dec. 3 at Phoenix Symphony Hall. Valley Youth Theatre performers are taking part in the pops concert. www.phoenixsymphony.org.

Mesa Arts Center presents a Heritage Academy Performing Arts Dept. holiday concert Dec. 2, the “Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour” Dec. 14 and “Holiday Pops: Salt River Brass” Dec. 18. www.mesaartscenter.com.

The Phoenix Children’s Chorus presents “Start the Season with Song” Dec. 3 at Higley Center for the Performing Arts. www.higleyarts.org.

Chandler-Gilbert Community College presents a “Christmas Concert” Dec. 4 at Velda Rose United Methodist Church. www.cgc.maricopa.edu.

The Orpheus Male Chorus presents “Holidays with Orpheus” Dec. 4, 11 and 13 at various Valley locations. www.orpheus.org.

The Sonoran Desert Chorale presents “Passage of Joy! Noel!” Dec. 10 (Mesa) and 11 (Paradise Valley). www.sonorandesertchorale.com.

Center Dance Ensemble presents “Spirit of the Season” with Jeffrey Hatrick and Nicole Pesce Dec. 12 at the Herberger Theater Center. www.herbergertheater.org.

The Blind Boys of Alabma perform Dec 10 in Scottsdale

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts presents “Go Tell It On The Mountain: The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show” Dec. 10 and “Big Voodoo Daddy’s Wild and Swinging Holiday Party” Dec. 21.  ww.scottsdaleperformingarts.com.

Rosie’s House presents their “Holiday Concert” Dec. 12 at Central United Methodist Church in Phoenix. www.rosieshouse.org.

Tempe Center for the Arts presents “Performance with a View: SaxMas Morning” featuring the ASU Saxophone Studio Dec. 13 and “Lakeshore Jazz Series: Phoenix Boys Choir Christmas Tour” Dec. 23. www.tempe.gov/tca.

Mesa Community College presents a “Songs of the Season” concert and reception Dec. 16 at MCC’s Red Mountain campus. www.mesacc.edu.

The Phoenix Boys Choir presents “Spirit of the Holidays” Dec. 16 at the Virginia G. Piper Performing Arts Center at Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix. www.boyschoir.org.

Actors Theatre of Phoenix performs a concert version of “A Christmas Carol” Dec. 24 at the Herberger Theater Center. www.actorstheatrephx.org.

Several Valley groups are performing at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix — click here to read a post featuring their holiday concert options.

If your Valley arts organization is presenting a Christmas concert not noted here, please comment below to let our readers know — thanks!

— Lynn

Note: For a comprehensive list of family events for the holiday season, check out the December issue of Raising Arizona Kids magazine and click here to visit their online calendar.

Coming up: Holiday dance delights, Three nights in Bangkok, Circle time

Neanderthals making nice?

Cast of Arizona Theatre Company production of God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza

There’s a point in the play “God of Carnage” where things take a decided turn, but making it that far into the Arizona Theatre Company production, which I saw on opening night, took some doing. I found myself thinking, “I can’t take any more of these plays about people whining on pristine sofas.”

Soon slurs, swearing and something best left unnamed before the uninitiated start spewing forth — and the story develops at a quickening pace. Still, theater afficianonado Alan Handelsman, who was part of the first class of ASU Gammage Goer reviewers, felt “there was something missing” in the opening night performance.

Handelsman and his wife Anita saw the play a couple of years ago in New York City, and he’s got a clear preference for the NYC version’s vibe — feeling it had more “energy, commitment, rhythm, flow, surprise, pacing, abandon, arc and continuity.” Even simple prop choices, he recalls, gave the NYC production “a much greater sense of impending danger.”

Clockwise: Joey Parsons, Bob Sorenson, Amy Resnick and Benjamin Evett in the ATC production of God of Carnage

The Arizona Theatre Company production was good, says Handelsman, but not great. Despite being surrounded at the Herberger Theater Center by people laughing loud and proud, I’m afraid I have to concur. “God of Carnage” felt a bit of a letdown — perhaps because I went into it expecting so much. “God of Carnage” won the 2009 Tony Award for best play.

Other people whose opinions I respect felt differently. I saw Frances Smith Cohen, artistic director for Center Dance Ensemble, and her daughter Rachel Cohen in the theater foyer after the show, and both praised its artistry. Rachel loved “the writing and directing” and Frances “the contrast in characters.” My own theater baby Lizabeth, who has studied dance with both, would likely take their side.

We talked via “Skype” after I got home from the theater Saturday night, and Lizabeth was shocked when I shared my tepid response to the show. She saw “God of Carnage” in Chicago last year while touring colleges with my husband James. Both remember it being fabulously funny.

Lizabeth described it as “well written and well acted” — and shared that she loved watching the different characters evolve during the course of the story. Seems she was amused by just how “quickly the adults became the children.”

“God of Carnage” centers on two couples’ attempts at a civilized conversation after their sons spar on a playground. “You just don’t expect it to go as far as it does,” reflects Lizabeth. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen dad laugh that much,” she recalls. “He totally let loose.”

“Maybe.” she says, “it was his way of letting off steam after all the things that happened when we were little.” Seems she’s observed that the things we sometimes took too much to heart as young parents now fall into more perspective. “You used to take it all so seriously,” she told me. “You guys have learned to let go since then.”

The journey from kindergarden to college does effect profound changes. But the parents in “God of Carnage” have survived only grade school, and the perils of middle school are proving a bit more daunting. After meeting to discuss one boy’s use of a stick and another’s missing teeth, they demonstrate that words are perhaps the worst weapons of all.

The parents who seem so perfectly civilized to begin with soon dissolve into shreiking narcissism and nihilism, something that feels more believable once alcohol enters the picture. I hate to think any of us could trade “nice” for “Neanderthal” so quickly in its absence.

Handelsman, a highly-trained hypnotherapist, says the play reveals “how many different layers humans live in” — showing “the difference between the person we show, and the person we are, and the person we may be afraid we are.” Confronted with the final image in this production, we realize that humans haven’t evolved nearly as far as they imagine.

— Lynn

Note: This original production, directed by Rick Lombardo, is a co-production of Arizona Theatre Company and San Jose Repertory Theatre (which performs it next spring). Yasmina Reza has teamed with Roman Polanski to write the screenplay for a movie titled “Carnage,” directed by Polanski and scheduled for mid-December release. It stars Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly. Click here to learn about another opportunity to see the play performed live. Please note that “God of Carnage” contains “mature content.”

Coming up: Advice for young filmmakers, Handelsman shares his “Wicked” ways, Holiday shopping “arts and culture” style, The fine “Art” of Yasmina Reza

Photos: Tim Fuller for Arizona Theatre Company

Dance meets diary

Amber Robins as Anne Frank in The Attic, being performed by Center Dance Ensemble Oct 13-16 at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix (Photo: Tim Fuller)

Frances Smith Cohen, artistic director for Center Dance Ensemble of Phoenix, remembers a “rumor” she found especially chilling. It was the mid-1990s, and some people were actually speculating that the Holocaust never happened.

Cohen knew better, and she took action — fueled in part by her observation that young people in junior high school had no concept of the Holocaust. “It was outside of their whole experience,” she says.

In 1996, Cohen created a dance work titled “The Attic,” which Center Dance Ensemble will be performing Oct. 13-16 at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix as part of a program titled “A Time to Dance,” which also features the work of other Valley dance groups.

Cohen recalls reading “The Diary of Anne Frank” during 8th grade and wants to be sure today’s youth don’t forget the story of Anne, her family and those who hid them from the Nazis. She recommends “The Attic” for junior high age students and above (best not to bring elementary age children along).

“How would it feel,” wondered Cohen, “if eight people were confined to a small space.” That’s exactly how Anne Frank and those around her lived while in hiding. Cohen recognized, from reading Frank’s diary, that the experience of confinement and hiding grew worse over time — and it’s reflected in the work.

Still, says Cohen, the dance “isn’t all grim and grimy.” Frank went from being 13 years old to 15 years old while in hiding, so her diary includes some experiences not uncommon for other girls her age — including her very first kiss.

D. Daniel Hollingshead and Sally Hogan as Otto and Edith Frank in The Attic by Frances Smith Cohen (Photo: Tim Fuller for Center Dance Ensemble)

Cohen says that Frank’s own words convey “a clear preference for her father” and frustration with “her mother nagging to her.” Cohen credits Frank with describing those in the space “beautifully,” and says she created dance movements to reflect the idosyncracies of each person.

“The Attic,” a 38-minute ballet, comprises the second part of “There is a Time to Dance.” The first includes a piece danced to the music of Vivaldi, plus performances by several guest artists (which alternate for different performances).

Before “The Attic” begins, audience members see a two to three minute film featuring footage graciously offered by the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. It’s a collage of snapshots showing Adolf Hitler and members of his Third Reich.

The film clip shows cheering crowds, the shattered glass of Kristallnacht and more. There’s reporting by Edward R. Murrow and a newspaper headline about Nazis invading Poland. Then, the dance.

As “The Attic” begins, audience members see a staircase leading to a loft where Frank used to look outside. A dancer portraying Frank’s spirit comes down that staircase to the main room, straightening papers that are strewn across the floor. It’s the diary of Anne Frank.

The program for “A Time to Dance” features a chronology to help viewers understand what was happening in the world while Frank and seven others were holed up inside the attic undiscovered until the day members of the Gestapo entered the home of her protectors and moved a piece of furniture that revealed light streaming down from the attic.

“It’s a hard sell,” admits Cohen. In “The Attic,” she says, “art approximates reality and truth.” Those who’ve seen the work performed often get teary-eyed, experiencing what Cohen calls a “total catharsis.” Cohen shares that “teens have really connected with it.”

Throughout the dance, there are readings of Frank’s own words from her diary. It’s powerful, and important. I’ll be visiting the Anne Frank Center, which moved just this week to a new location, when I am in NYC next week and hope to share pictures in a future post.

The following resources can help you learn more about Anne Frank:

• Anne Frank House in Amsterdam — www.annefrank.org
• Anne Frank Center in New York City — www.annefrank.com.
• The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum — www.ushmm.org

To learn more about “A Time to Dance” or other offerings in the 2011-12 Center Dance Ensemble season, click here.

— Lynn

Coming up: A dangerous fashion statement?, Women finding their own goodness and power