BALLET LIMBERS UP - The Dance History Project of Southern

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BALLET LIMBERS UP
Continuerfl Jrom First pege
treeome the nueleus of the
and black knee- compaay to perform at the
wermersr gradually doing Greek next summer. And
by nexI winter, the hope is
a decorous strip in time to that Ballet of Los Anjeles
the traditional music. Sev- wili be ready 1o jumfinm
eral girls trembled as they a season of danc6 at The
pointed their 1egs, whether Music Center.
Dooli ttle, director
ou-t of nervollsness or ofJames
the Greek Theatre
numbness iL was impossr- Assn-,
was in the wrngs
ble to teli.
Ralanchjne, impassir-e watching.
H aving brnrrght Bain open-throat sport shil:t,
lanehine west to spur the
Stood off to the side and
studied eaeh group, com- Jocal forees, Dooliitle exmitting himself by occa- plained that this comDanv
sional asides to aideg Mir- has been a dream lor neaiiam Zeigler and Francia lv a_deeade. 0nh- ls6nlng
on the prestige and pasi
: ilussell.
Thefe urere angular performanee of a Balangirls end eircular girls, chine, claimed Doolittle,
reed-tall girls and shrug- could a Los Angeles com.
small girls, mature girls pany soar into business, its
feet firmlv off the grnunrJ.
and awkwarrl-age girls. The
idea h to draw from
The ones who impressed
New
York what is necessaBalanchine were askeri to
s,tay and work out their ry until Bailet of Los Angoose pimples once more geles can groom jts own
own choreograin the afternoon" The slars,'its
others were free lo go phers, jls own productions.
home: but such is the pow- Meanwhile, Balanchine
er of his name that many has promised to be a moof them pu.lled on parkai, llile master, commuting
between here and there as
zipped up their prides and
He was looking for ndtural
form as much as teeh-
14,'rapper
wenl out front to watch
from the benches in the
ilique.
After r,vatching the girls
b;. Baianchine took a
break before inspeeting
the male applicants. He
str:od sipping eoffee near
the main entrance, talking
dance to Doolittle" Several
girls, their hair swept into
sophisticated buns, eame
up ungophisticatedly and
asked for the master's auEo
tograph. He eomplied, gra,
ciously thanked them for
audilioning.
On a stingi:ng Februarl
morning, many 'were
culled, ali were frozen.
schedule-< demand.
Live 0rehestra
fhere u,iil he a live tos
Only Goose Pimples Angeles orchestra, mean_
"Ile likes the tall ones,,, ing that the troupe dnes
tr'hispered one short loser not have to dance out to a
to anolher, !'but what an speaker system. There
wjll be a schooi; applving
experienee.'
"'W'h a t
experience?'t 59me of a $6 million F''ord
wondered her fiiend. 'All I'oundation grant for hallet education, Balanchine
I got out of this was goose
"
pimples."
is seJeeting loeal dancers
But they slayed. Ba- for now anrl for fulure seaJanchine selected 40 before sons, There will be an atthe day was done. The for- tempL to support the pretunate danceru will be sent, Los AngeieS teachers
rrained for the one_nieht of ballet. Balanchine is
stand" in March. Costumts, here to push, not power
seenery, Balsnehine's play.
choreography will be imAnd he djcln,t nick the
ported from New l'ork, tall ones but, maintv. tfre
"'en"s
llong wrtL4 eouple of srar iong-Iegged i i t tr e
dancers. 't'hen the locals with lrbible collar bonds.
amphitheater"
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