The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 98

4-F THE CINCINNATI ''ENQUIRER Sunday, August 10,1975 Despite Kelly And Astaire, Dance Film Still Developing hearsals and attention to such fac THE CURRENT GRANT hfle dance is likely to spur interest in 'THE KB in England, tor in light Dance Enquirer Contributor How many ticket buyers to dance events today first had their interest kindled by television or movies? Margot Fonteyn appearances on thel Ed Sullivan Show and Edward Vlltella's on Bell Telephone Hour areiprobably incalculable factors in the dance audience's 11-fold increase over the past decade. lowed Mueller to buy footage that has significant dance value. He'll reproduce" it in inexpen- sive prints, with royalties going to the artists. Among the rare footage he's; uncovered was some in his own backyard, at Eastman Kodak inrj-Rochester, "Flute of choreographed by a young Martha-! Graham in 1926 when she taught for J' a year at the Eastman School of' Music. Mueller is currently working on the release of a film, now in the" hands of the Danfsh government, of1 the late Mary Wigman, the tor of German modern dance here- '-tofbre known only through photo-f, stance, has a full-length "Sleeping Beauty" with Fonteyn unavailable." It even has a film of "Pe-trouchka," historically and aesthetically a pivotal work, yet there's no way I can show the ballet to my students.

No company even tours "Pe-" trouchka" live, because of Its elaborate cast and scenic requirements. The Canadian Broadcasting Corpo- ration also has a wealth of under restrictions similar to BBC's. ''There are certain areas where nothing at all is available. Jerome Robbins, for instancewhose ballets have been filmed for record purposes, refuses to allow his works to be seen in any form other than the Gene Kelly and-Fred Astaire have made manv converts, snrl who tors as lighting, even audience comfort." Last month at the Midstates Regional Ballet Festival in Canton, Mueller presented an excellent film, "Dance: New York City Ballet," fea- turing four Balanchine duets. The well attended showing demonstrated some of the film form's inherent advantages.

For historical and study purposes, it's the best record of a transitory art. It's also adaptable to an audience's need because films can be replayed and compared. For anyone who needs further proof that the age of the good dance film is upon us, Mueller has been included in the eminent panel (largely critics) which will advise WNET on its recently announced $3 million series devoted to American dance. (It will be carried on Channel 48, beginning sometime in '76.) A PROFESSOR of political science at the University of Rochester, N.Y., and author of the book "War, Presidents andiPublic Opinion," Mueller had virtually no interest in dance till the when he good dance films. "No one pretends dance on film looks exactly 'as it does onstage, but it's at least as close to the real thing as a play in print," says Mueller.

"Inevitably there's some loss in transferring a three-dimensional theatrical performance into the camera's two-dimensional world. Unfortunately, defensiveness on this issue often leads to desperately fancy camera work and gimmickry, which usually ends up destroying the choreography. "IN MY EXPERIENCE when the choreography and performance are strong, honest unpretentious camera work can pick it up and transmit it to the viewer. films have acquired a bad name, too, because they're frequently projected badly. Then, it's said films don't work.

"It's absolutely essential to present films under the best possible physical circumstances. No one would dream of presenting a live work under less than sensible theatrical conditions, meaning re was captivated by the New York City Ballet performing at it's summer home in Saratoga, Springs, N.Y. His connection with film evolved in 1971, during the planning stages of an introductory course in dance appreciation he now teaches, "nothing to do with poly sci. "In an English course, you would assign as many novels as possible, and I felt dance students should experience dance compositions in finished form, too. But in a quintessen-tially provincial place like Rochester, live performances could hardly be relied Thus began the search for good-films.

"I expected to find that many dances had never been filmed, but my frustration reached a level far more exquisite. I found that an enormous number of important dance works had been, filmed, but were tied up in red graphs and writings, live one. Mueller is the first to agree dance films can only get better. It's; "-can measure the influence of "The Red Shoes," the perennially popular ballet movie of 1948, starring Moira Shqarer? HOWEVER, when it comes to the serious dance film an attempt to capture a live performance on celluloid i-it's fashionable to downgrade theentire genre as "never capturing thejeal thing." Just not so, according to dance film historian John Mueller, who is in the vanguard of those who now say; that current enthusiasm for "But most of the frustrations'! have to do! with producers hanging on until some golden moment when supposedly they cart make a killing. Then there's the distributor who could show film's, but is uncon-r vinced that he'd make a profit; f.

"There re the varied costs of renting films. Local public libraries usually have a few, dance films available at low rentals." (Cincin virtually virgin territory for aspiring filmakers. "Of the 200 or so available films, 1 are 'only about 30 I would-" spring on an uninitiated audience, Then there are perhaps 50 that can be effective if the audience is prepared. There are an incredible number of appalling dance but people seem to have a way of 'remembering the worst dance films and the best live There are legendary performances? on film, for instance Villella's lo solo or Nureyev's Corsaire. "4- nati main branch has about a dozen.) a popular film like "Plitset-skaya Dances," (featuring the Bol-shoi's superstar ballerina) rents for $60 from one source and 4.50 from another." I Ballet Troupe's Itinerary Is Virtual World Tour "THE BEST FILMS are the re-X cently made ones and the number! Balanchine Duet Given Sloppy Premiere By New York City Ballet Confronting these Mueller applied for and received of good films Is increasing.

I've ex- two grants from the National, panded my course syllabus from? cheering Sadler's. bunches by a Wells audience. Endowment on the Humanities. One resulted in a unique catalogue priced at 3.50 which has an annotated and evaluative directory of available dance; films, Inexpensive rental and extended notes developed front Mueller's Rochester course. He also made two originals films utilizing slides to "evoke Ni-jlnsky dancing "Afternoon of a Faun," arid an Interpretation of "The Dying the Fokine solo that Anna Pavlova turned into a household word.

one semester to a lull year, ana forgot to leave time for exams and j. Fred Astaire." Class enrollment! jumped as well, in a year, from 55 tof 102. Letters requesting nitty-gritty information arrive continually int Mueller's office. Many people are; organizing film festivals for locaH dance fund-raising. Mueller likes a r.

letter from halfway around the globe which began, "We don't get a lot of live dance here in Western Samoai still has his creativity, as well as the creativity of Jerome Robbins, to sustain it no matter what critics or, even more important, audiences may say. Yet, it is getting extremely sloppy in some of its performances. I love City Ballet, but a love that does not question is no love at all. By GREGORY JENSEN ONDON (UPI)-Galina Samso-va Juid Andre Prokovsky have a new slogan for dancers auditioning for their company join the New London Ballet and see the world. The 12-dancer troupe came back the last week in July for only the secjond time to the city whose name it bears.

The rest of its life is on the road. Not only on the road to well-known centers of the dance like Paris, New York and London. The New London goes everywhere1. Ballets In its current repertoire were first performed in Seattle, Calcutta, La Coruna, Spain, Cardiff, Wales, and Trieste, as well as Lon-. don and Birmingham, England, It has taken ballet to Baghdad, to South Africa's Pietermaritzburg Carcasonne, to Fresno an.

Kuala Lumpur and Cairo and Cadiz. JStalingrad-born Miss Samsova ami Prokovsky broke away three METROPOLITAN CINCINNATI'S ENTERTAINMENT SHOWPLACES ROUTE 4 1-275 INTERSTATE 75 NEAR THE TRI-COUNTY DONALDSON ROAD EXIT SHOPPING CENTER ERL ANGER, KENTUCKY 24HB.TEL.S71-e.8a4-' 24HR.TEL.342-6M WITH PROKOVSKY sidelined by a heart ailment, Miss Samsova is more than ever the company's star and chief asset. Once a soloist with the Kiev Ballet, she got permission during the' "liberal" Khruschchev era to emigrate to Canada. Of all the dancers who have left the Soviet Union, she is the only one who has not only gone back as a-visitor but gone back to dance as a star. The Kiev invited her to dance "Swan Lake" on a visit in 1962.

She danced with the Canadian National Ballet for some years, but sealed her fame in nine years as the, festival ballet's prima ballerina. Apart from Margot Fonteyn she is Britain's best known ballerina in After only two weeks at Sadler's Wells, it's back on the road again for her company." California Trees 'Bored To Death' BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) -Someone here hates trees. California Department of Transportation officials began noticing eucalyptus and carob trees planted a decade ago to, landscape Calif. 99 By CLIVE BARNES Times News Service NEW YORK I went to Saratoga the other day, not for the races but for New York City Ballet.

As it turned out, I had a better' time at the races. The company was giving the Supposed world premiere of a duet by Balanchine, to Bizet music from the suite "Jeux d' Enfants," which he has used twice before and was inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," from which it took its By the end, I felt rather a steadfast tin soldier myself. The company was in its 'most' casual, off-hand mood, dropping bits out of and performing what was left with a sloppy enthusiasm and with those paralyzing bursts of speed that City Ballet sometimes uses as a substitute for style. Oh God, I found myself thinking, as one modest disaster followed the 1 last, each before the vast, unflinching Saratoga undience of summer-bedazzled thousands, am I becom-ing one of those dreadful City Ballet a future you'll probably live to see. (' yers ago from the London Festival Balfet, got married and formed the Nejw London.

THEY'VE BEEN on the go ever since. Their idea has been to build a new- group of dances with a small company of soloists, unencumbered by a-corps de ballet or a massive and uneconomic company. The company premiered two nett works rinrtnor Its la test London CITY BALLET NEEDS to get itself in better shape. Its actions are providing fuel for Philistines. When Gelsey Klrkland left New York City Ballet a year ago, to some it seemed she was slightly crazy.

A golden girl of the company, slowly but surely being given every opportunity, plus the priceless advantage of working with two magnificent choreographers a Verdi and a Puccinin in ballet, terms and of ranging through an enormous modern repertory, it may have seemed folly to switch. But it wasn't. Kirkland's decision to join the non-paternalistic American Ballet Theater was a brilliant career mpve, because she is a dancer who needs to make up her own mind. New' York City Ballet, despite a roster that includes some of the finest dancers in the world, is a company about choreography, American Ballet Theater, despite the presence' of a tough, and re-activated Antony Tudor, is a company about dancers. This is ther basic difference between the two troupes, and it explains the fierce devotions and enmities each company arouses in its various adherents and also ex-, plains their respective artistic diffi-.

culties. City Ballet has a style absolutely of its own. Ballet Theater has a manner absolutely of its own. Dancers can be happy In either compafiy, It depends on how they see themselves as artists. through the city were beginning to lose their lush green color.

An inspection showed holes one inch or bigger in diameter had been" ri anti-bodies who gasp and groan at every manifestation of the company's genius and are to be matched drilled in 19 trees and an oily sub- stance injected to poison them, offi- in the despicablemess of their na- appearance at Sadler's Wells: Pro-. koysky's "Simorgh," based on Per- siah myths and danced to music of traditional Iranian instruments by Lorjs Tjeknovorian, and "Valses Nctbles et Sentimentales," Ronald. Hyfld's languid dances to the music of Maurice Ravel. At the end the stage was buried lnjlowers, hurled in ture Dy Ballet Theater's own cials reported. They said it will cost $1100 to remove the dying trees and another $3100 to purchase and plant replacements.

a' G5xsy mMi (p an rated, rather kinky tale of survival! Mm LQ Jaf BOY AND HIS DOG DON JOHNSON SUSANNE BENTON ALVV MOORE Sports In The Enquirer 1 I. .1, HELfNE WINSTON CHARLES Me OR AW vociferous and dowdy batch of anti-fans? Could it be true? AFTER THE TRIUMPHANT apogee of the Stravinsky Festival, the company has lost something of its verve. Balanchine is still Balanchine still capable of a masterpiece, and indeed still turning out works with the skill and craftsmanship of carefully balanced and controlled genius. He has never waited around for inspiration and this has been his blessing. And the company 1, 1:30, 5, 8:35, 1:15, 10 rjy AL MOORE Wnritm lor in f.rw anfl Directed Dy LO JONES ti iu illrjii h.

Ba on th award Ainiunq novella by HARLAN ELLISON JR. RESTnlCTtD'Si Ov TiM MctNtmf. air) JAIME MENDOM-NAVA nntcoW -J Now Showing GEORGE SEGAL RUSSIAN ROurrTTF MO ONE ADMITTED AFTER PERFORMANCE IT HAS TO BE SEEN FROM THE ReCMMtvMMO I Ssufehcuo 2 JB. lBiMMHMMHH CIO, IUSIO" IIIB.I D. I II.

1U! nmmmmmmmmmmmm AY p)l nJtCf rviTffwc II aC I rn AVJ5 wrt, pn METROPOLITAN CINCINNATI'S ENTERTAINMENT SHOWPLACES Cincinnati Weaver In Renwick Exhibit mt. vm teES25S 'NOW SHOWING CVwIiTj i Exclusive! First Run! vrar 1a action- II i ROUTE 4 4 1-273 INTERSTATE 75 NEAR THE TRI-COUNTY DONALDSON ROAD EXIT SHOPPING CENTER ERLANGER. KENTUCKY CINEMA 1 HH.TEL.671-68B4 24 MR IR.TEL. 342-M66 lAf 1L nn vriiy nas me inovit? A Cincinnati artist, Jane Busse, is one of the 126 craftsmen whose work has been selected for the recently-opened exhibit, "Craft at the Renwick Gallery of the National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution. "THE HEART IS LCXELT ISHTER" (G) Starrir.9 Alan Arltin $1.50.7:30 Art Classics Nitfly "THE CONFORMIST" (R) tl.50.9i40- 421-9344 become an International cause celebre? 1 BiHUHAl CIWtlWACOWP ItVtllY DAY 'Til till Her exhibited work is a fiber rug with bold geometric pattern and firm beat weave.

It is one of the 133 useful objects, ranging from hand-carved cattlebone crochet hooks to a 15-foot birchfeark canoe, which will be featured in the exhibition through February 16. FIVE DAYS OF THE MOST INTENSIVE 4, STREISiNn MANHUNT EVER MOUNTED TUNNY LADY 130. 4 30. 7:10 30" tPB! -For The Most Dangerous BOX OFFICt OPENS AT 7 CO SHOW STARTS AT DUSK Alan 4live! Mrs. Busse's interest in.

weaving originated at Kansas University, where she majored in art history as an undergraduate. Rugs became her prime weaving medium following her participation in a workshop with the reknowned English rug weaver, Peter Collingwood. sbBBSaaBaEt VETER FONDA. IN in in -w tor Semuel I Afhott P'essnls WITH ESESnrJESSY Jill OUT-BLAIiriG BLAZING SADDLES THIS YEAR'S MAD, MAD WORLD OF SHEER LUNACY AND COMPLETE INSANITY THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN ALIVE! Iee Richard Remiclx Johnson Her work has been exhibited in numerous crafts exhibitions throughout the midwest; she won a cash award in the 1972 Marietta College Craft regional, and had a one-woman show in Cincinnati last year. starring Rod Steiger American Inlernational PiGture -1 andSpaci Ti-evor llowardfj also starring Crio Porter NDS I gHSr figHII Gueslblar Wui Dismay Mrs.

Busse is 'Coordinator of 'the Weavers Guild classes at the Fairview Art Center, part of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission. PitWucdrSamufflZ Arkolf Musifrbv John SCnih JOhn Gay ftflSffd on-an Qfigirtel atO'yOv fl'Chffl JO' tjy Don 5fa'C COLOR O'pnHOyWovielab AAmfirar PfOduHO" "1 flssOc-jHio" vvd Polrr gnaw II I Arkolf Musifrby JOhn SCnih SCfep(vby JOhn Gay fynttf) on-an Qfigirtel atO'yOv fl'Chffl WW I I it POduf.ed Dy P'dRf SnBii Don 5fa'D OLOB print? Oy Wovelati An Ajnrarjninali6'nat PfOduHO" "1 flssOc-jHio" Polrr gnaw I I ViVff j' Vv-t Jig ii i vi jn 'i. Vi Jim 'Tvxx-xy I A'J .1 5 1 "fWT1 1 1 in BOX OFFICE OPENS AT 7:45 SHOW STARTS AT DUSK box office opens at 7:45 lf box office opens at 7: lf box office opens 'at 7. 5 A 1 ILL I li II 1 1 ill ii i in i irrpriMMmr ji -i show starts at duski show starts at duski I show starts at duski jJ jRmm-. MM I 3' i a AWUft SMCRMAN Dfn4ra YVONNi 9E CARLO BOS LIVINGSTON DON 'RIO' BARRY 0off'V tan STIWABOISSfS HoPmoi.

B.gint Cn-ol A Kr( RITZ BROS. -HARRY I JIMWY RIU p.odut. AAc p-odotB, RifftSTRICTEQ- APBMSON DAN KENNIS IHWIN ftZOB rjiiiTE mi mm IN MITOCOlO an INDCBfNDINT.INTilNAriONAl Ptctura FONDA HOPPER, JV. lVmsX1 iijZ PjlJlBF) Mi A COLUMBIA PCIUBES ooa INtERNAIlONAl'dNEMEOIA CEWEP PRESENIAIION 3fS 9.