The long awaited debut of Urban Souls Dance Company is upon us. For the past four years, we've caught glimpses of this rising star at Dance Houston as they confronted social issues with racially loaded perspectives-from incarceration and hate speech to HIV and genocide-all while displaying technical and artistic strength. They've left us wanting more, and alas, we're going to get it.

Led by Artistic Directors Harrison Guy and Walter Hull, the tight knit company has dreamed for years of producing their own full-length concert. This Saturday, they will premiere Deeply Rooted at Houston Baptist University's Morris Cultural Arts Center. As is their signature style, the concert will illuminate the depths of the African American experience.

Watch out for a few special new works. Choreographed by Mr. Guy, In the Shadow of their Wings, became the company favorite by offering the dancers' their biggest challenge. Indeed, this is a group of dancers who are determined to excel. Donnie Johnson will give a self-choreographed solo in a piece set to Temptations Pappa was a rolling stone. The solo points out the irony of fathers discouraging their sons about dancing without considering all the other negative habits they could pick up instead. You can rely on Rachael Eckroth to give a commanding performance whenever she hits the stage.

Urban Souls has touched our hearts time and time again. Deeply Rooted will be a special experience, perfect for sharing with friends or family.

Ticket Giveaway: Urban Souls is giving away tickets to Movers & Shakers subscribers. Be one of the first to respond to this email with your full name and you could win a ticket. Winners will be notified via email.

This May of 2008, Houston Ballet presented "Madame Butterfly" at Miller Outdoor. While the environmental conditions were unmistakably warm outside, and the Miller stage differs quite substantially from the Wortham, the dancers showed no sign of perturbance with their unfamiliar conditions. Rather, they presented a high quality performance consistent with Houston Ballet's usual professionalism.

The choice of the tale of "Madame Butterfly" was an excellent one, as this poignant story of an American sailor's disastrous temporary marriage to a young Japanese geisha lends itself beautifully to ballet format. Originally adapted from Puccini's opera to a ballet in 1955 by Sir Frederick Ashton of the Royal Ballet in London, Stanton Welch re-made the production for the Australian Ballet in 1995. Since its world premiere in Melbourne, various companies around the world have adopted the ballet, including Houston Ballet under Ben Stevenson's tenure as Artistic Director in 2002. This work is considered Welch's signature piece.

Opening with a gorgeous glimpse of Cio-Cio San (a.k.a. Butterfly) in long, flowing robes, a bejeweled headdress, and four giant wings, one can immediately see that the costuming will be spectacular. And it does live up to its promise, particularly those costumes made for the Japanese female characters comprised of airy chiffon, which highlights the dancers' ethereal forms and delicate grace as they move. Only once does the costuming detract from the piece: the entire audience held its breath during the wedding scene expecting San to trip over her long robes (though thankfully skilled artist Sara Webb did not).

The choreography for Madame Butterfly gave a clear depiction of the story and did not require any re-reads of the plot synopsis to understand the goings-on on stage. Stanton Welch particularly excelled at choreographing the pas de deux between San and the sailor Pinkerton following the wedding, demonstrating the transition from awkwardness to passion between the newlywed (and newly met) couple. Welch, in particular, created several spectacular lifts, including one where Pinkerton throws San into a double turn in the air and then, instead of catching her, allows her to almost hit the ground, until - at the last possible moment - he grabs her arm while her legs are in a stag position and swings her around him. The audience gasped with suspense during this lift.

Though Welch demonstrates proficiency in his choreography for duets, he, however, lacks a bit in his ability to manage choreography for a corps de ballet. He clearly hears and wants the audience to see several themes in the music, and, as such, often has his dancers move in canonical style or in complicated interweaving patterns. He might be able to pull off this complex choreography if his dancers were perfectly in sync, but unfortunately, they were not. (I recall as a young girl watching Ben Stevenson lining up his corps dancers on the Wortham stage and taking out a measuring tape to check their synchronicity and alignment. At the time, I thought it an extreme measure, but I see the benefit now.) By utilizing such complex patterns, Welch misses the beauty that can be found in the simplicity of having the dancers in sync - even if it is only for a few seconds here and there. An intelligent choreographer hears all the patterns in the music and puts his steps together accordingly; a genius choreographer hears the patters and finds the simplest means to show them to his or her audience. With that said, "Madame Butterfly" was Welch's first full-length ballet, so without a doubt he has gained more experience working with and choreographing for a stage full of people.

The two dancers of note during this performance were the female lead, Sara Webb, who played San, and Jessica Collado, who played Pinkerton's wife, Kate. Webb gave the role of the Japanese geisha the delicacy and vulnerability it required. She has a gorgeous smile - somewhat evocative of former Houston Ballet prima ballerina, Janie Parker - which endeared her greatly to the audience. There were times in the ballet, though, when her beaming smile was more than the role required, particularly at the beginning of the pas de deux with Pinkerton, when the choreography and music called for a more reserved persona.

Soloist Jaquel Andrews, however, stole the show as Kate, Pinkerton's American wife. Andrews, of all the dancers onstage - including the males - had by far the greatest vitality of movement. Her ability to contrast sharp and soft movements, all in perfect time with the music and excellent technical form, made her the stand-out performer of the evening. She is without a doubt a dancer whose career has the potential to take- off.

There may not be a better place to watch "Madame Butterfly" than at Miller Outdoor Theatre. The beautiful costumes and dancing onstage is only rivaled by the shining stars overhead. It would behoove Houston Ballet to continue its performances there for many years to come.

by Amanda Austin

Keeping the dream of an extraordinary man alive, the concert will feature many of Steven Boyd's original works, all of which will be taking the stage for the last time. Come witness the vision, artistry, as the Ensemble honors a legend, a friend, and a great man: Steven Boyd.

Tickets are $10 at the door. For ticket and show information please call 713-203-8817 or email boydensemble@aol.com.