Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 43

MILY AN LEVE For the Journal enyce Graves is a hot commodity in the opera world, known primarily for her rendition of classical arias. But when she presents recitals, she likes to treat herself to songs written in popular, jazz and American spiritual idioms. singing music that I Graves said by phone about the recital program presented by the Santa Fe Concert Association that is scheduled for Monday night at the Lensic. intention is to take audience members on a musical journey with Graves leaving out arias in her performance with pianist Warren Jones. But also introducing the vocal music of Ohio composer Robert Saari, whose song the Forsythia will be presented during the second half of the evening.

inundated with music from composers all the time, but I do look at everything I Graves said. sent me a ton of musical scores. I sat down and read through all his music. It was wonderful. It was hard to decide what to The program will open with John Again: Sweet Love Doth Now Henry for a while, Z.

583 no.2” and Georg Friedrich Iris, Hence Away from In addition to arias by Schubert, Graves sings from the opera by Francesco Cilea and dunque vero, oh ciel! mio from the opera by Gaetano Donizetti. Graves will complete the musical journey with a selection of American ARTS March 4, 2007 MOVIES F3 GALLERIES F5 BOOKS F6 THE SUNDAY JOURNAL ABQjournal.com Piano man Jon Nakamatsu plays Scarlatti sonatas next Sunday in Corrales F3 A URELIO ANCHEZ Journal Staff Writer herokee artist Jeanne Rorex-Bridges really want to illustrate a book. But the book was so good, she had to. Rorex-Bridges, who works primarily with acrylics and oils, has come to Albuquerque for eight years to be part of the Rio Grande Arts Crafts Festivals. She likes to do her own thing, and doing something for someone else on commission just her.

She met Tim Tingle, a Choctaw storyteller who authored Bok an inspiring book on slavery in pre-Civil War Mississippi. Tingle asked her to do the illustrations for the story about how a little girl helps a slave boy and his family escape using an ingenious plan. Rorex-Bridges created 18 paintings over seven or eight months that became full-page illustrations for the 40-page book, including for the cover. had other people ask me to illustrate, but hard for me to try to please other she said. they like it, they buy it, if they they when I read the book, it was so full of emotion, history and human relationships, that I felt like doing it.

The whole thing is about having The book won mention as a in the Caldecott Medal competition, which is one of the most prestigious awards in literature. Rorex-Bridges doubts that she ever would have illustrated a book had the story not been so compelling. Though unexpected, winning the notable mention was pleasant, she said. Caldecott Medal Books said of the illustrations, serve essentially as portraits, utterly mesmerizing, strong, solid figures gazing squarely out of the frame, beseeching readers to listen, empathize and shocked, but also very she said of the distinction. Rorex-Bridges sure Crafts fest like home for noted illustrator is the name of this creation by Jeanne Rorex- Bridges, an Oklahoma Cherokee artist who will be at the Rio Grande Arts Crafts Festival.

Ne wly honor ed Cherokee artist has come to Duke City ev ent for eight year If you go WHAT: 19th Annual Rio Grande Arts Crafts Festival WHEN: Friday, March9, through March11. Open 10a.m.-5p.m. each day WHERE: Manuel Lujan Exhibit Complex at Expo New Mexico HOW MUCH: Admission is $6 for adults, free for children under 12. A three-day pass is $3 for parking See VOCALIST on PAGE F3 Diverse forms from Africa and the U.S. highlight compressed Global DanceFest Global DanceFest 2007 Hafiz Dhaou and Aicha 8 p.m.

Wednesday, March 7, and Thursday, March 8, at the N4th Theater, 4904 Fourth NW. Stephen Petronio Company, 8 p.m. Friday, March 9, and Saturday, March 10, at South Broadway Cultural Center, 1025 Broadway SE. Association Vincent Mantsoe, 8 p.m. March 13 and March 14 at N4th Theater, 4904 Fourth NW.

Individual tickets are $20 general public, $12 students and seniors. Festival passes to all three performances are $45 general public, $25 students and seniors. Tickets and information are available in advance by calling 344-4542 or at the door. Information is also available online at www.vsartsnm.org AVID TEINBERG Journal Staff Writer ance of South Africa, Tunisia and the United States highlights the 2007 version of Global DanceFest. In past years, the festival presented dance performances spread out over many months.

This year, the festival instead will have three companies doing two performances each over one week. Why compress the schedule? of the touring said festival artistic coordinator Marge Neset. The opening group is the Tunisian duo of Hafiz Dhaou and Aicha They are on stage at the N4th Theater on Wednesday, March 7, and Thursday, March 8. They perform the duet which Neset described as very sensual slow and sexy in the beginning, then building momentum but still as though they are the only people in the they dance apart fairly briefly you can still feel their constant and total awareness of each Dhaou also dances a solo piece titled which he choreographed after an injury, trying to dance with a wounded knee. One French writer said the work is a cry of pain and liberation.

He is surprised by his strength and his The New York City-based Stephen Petronio Company will perform three works and Rite on Friday, March 9, and Saturday, March 10, at the South Broadway Cultural Center. Petronio, reached in Minneapolis, said all three works are thematically related. With he tries to reflect a sense of nature and growth. Because his choreography is abstract, the viewer will see the eight-member company show The New York City-based Stephen Petronio Company will perform three works at Global DanceFest. Vincent Mantsoe performs in his evening-length piece ABOVE: AT LEFT: See DIVERSE on PAGE F3 See CRAFTS on PAGE F2 Vo calist offers a Denyce Graves sings music she loves in her recital.

DANCEDISTILLED Mezzo-soprano enjoys xploring idioms be yond the classical aria.