Chinese culture comes to life when the Shanghai Dance Company takes the stage at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Splendid China III on October 10 & 11, 2008. The company's highly anticipated Houston debut features all-new dazzling and acrobatic choreography performed by China's top dancers.

A rising star in China, Shanghai Dance Company has captured the hearts of adoring audiences all over the world. The company has won numerous gold and silver medals at China's most prestigious dance competitions. Shanghai and Beijing's major newspapers report, "In the past few years, the Shanghai Dance Company has developed tremendously to become China's #1 in dance companies." The Company, led by nationally ranked #1 dancer Li Hai Xia, has recently toured France, Peru, Belgium, Netherlands, Columbia, Finland, Japan, Argentina, Chili, Germany, Singapore, and Thailand.

In Splendid China III, Shanghai Dance Company portrays new and exotic treasures from China. Travel back in time to witness the Qin Dynasty Emperor's fearless warriors in action and the Wei Dynasty's slim-waisted ladies. Tai Chi meets Kung Fu in the artistry of the sword, and the epitome of grace is inspired by calligraphy paintings of China's scenic rivers and mountains.

This concert is presented by Dance of Asian America, a Houston-based nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing top dancers from China to perform for American audiences. The heart of this mission is uniting cultures of the East and the West through dance. In Splendid China III, Dance of Asian America will perform three of its signature works including Flower in the Rain.

Performance Information:
Location: Miller Outdoor Theater, 100 Concert Drive, Houston, TX 77030
Concerts: Friday, October 10 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 11 - 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: Free!

Uptown Dance Centre announces the debut of its new company, Uptown Dance Company. On November 2, Dance Infusion will premiere at the Hobby Center featuring all new works in the styles of classical ballet, jazz and modern infused dance.

Led by Beth Gulledge-Brown, the company includes Paola Georgudis, Ray Dones, Phoebe Waggoner, Lindsay Cortner, Zac DeLoach, Caitlin Kinney, Chelsea Koenig, Phillip Rea.

Even though it is UDC's first concert as a professional company in Houston, the works and company members are by no means new to the scene. The pre- professional Company II with professional guest artists has performed nationally and internationally at the World Jazz Dance Congress in Chicago, Costa Rica, and Monterey, Mexico. In 2001, Gulledge- Brown's Company II performed in three cities in China and was broadcast nationally over Chinese television. The Company II also had the opportunity to perform in Austria at the Tanzsommer Festival. They've been dancing professionally for years - Gulledge-Brown is just now making it official on the Houston stage.

Performance Information:
Location: Zilkha Hall, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby, Houston, TX 77002
Concert: Sunday, November 2 at 6:00 p.m.
Tickets: $50 (includes On-Stage Champagne Reception), $42, $32 and $22 General admission. There is a $5 senior/student discount on all tickets. Hobby Center Box Office:  713-315-2525  or visit the Hobby Center's website at www.thehobbyc enter.org.

Prepare your five minutes for an all- natural, no additives evening of pure dance from the Houston community. Independent dancers and dance groups of all levels and genres will gather for this one-of-a-kind outdoor evening. Register at dan cehouston.org to jump on stage with your best foot forward. Space is limited - sign up today!

Home Grown Motion is a part of Fresh Arts Coalition's Fresh Fridays, a free monthly series at Discovery Green park introducing young and old alike to Houston's unique and thriving grassroots arts' scene. Each evening includes multiple performances from Fresh Arts' Coalition members, including exciting, one- of-a-kind collaborations only to be seen on Fresh Fridays.

Each piece presented by Houston Ballet in "Classically Modern" falls at a different point along the spectrum of dance between the labels "classical" and "modern". The portion of the spectrum of dance presented is small - eschewing the portrayal of many other forms of dance such as ballroom, hip-hop, and jazz - yet the journey along this narrow swath of dance styles is quite interesting to watch.

The concert was presented in a reverse chronological order, with the most recently choreographed piece "Mediæval Bæbes" by Stanton Welch presented first. Although "Mediæval Bæbes" was the most contemporary piece presented in terms of the date it was choreographed, it somewhat ironically reflects an epoch from six hundred years ago. The piece was set to music by the band also titled Mediæval Bæbes, which resurrects Medieval melodies and lyrics.

As the curtain opens, the audience sees a dark stage filled with the women of Houston Ballet dressed in long blue and black slit skirts. They sway rhythmically in front of a blue and black night sky dotted with somewhat incongruous red stars. The dancers' movements display Welch's usual impressive musicality. The choreography is always timed beautifully with the music and it fully reflects the music's detailed structure. Unfortunately, however, Welch's musicality, which is one of his greatest assets, is in this case a limitation. Welch's choreography seems almost to be nothing more than a direct representation of the music. For example, when the music is quiet, Welch choreographs a solo; when the music swells, Welch brings the corps onstage. When the music is simple, Welch makes his movements more classical and structured; when the music is complex; those movements are more modern and deconstructed. When the music trills, Welch uses very interesting hand flutters.

Though Welch's ability to "translate" music into dance is commendable; his inability to transcend the music and interpret it leaves the piece lacking. There is very little interaction between the dancers, no dramatic moments, and seemingly no intention behind the piece. Perhaps it is intended as an "art for art's sake" dance, but if so, the artwork that is most prominent is the music. Welch allows the music to take precedence over the dancing, not even titling the piece as anything other than the name of the musical band. It seems a pity to waste such talented choreography and innovative movements on such a vapid objective.

Following Welch's world premiere was a short dance choreographed by Hans van Manen for the Netherlands Dance Theater in 1997 called "Solo". Of all the pieces of the evening, this one was the most dynamic - and not only because three exuberant male dancers performed it. The rapid fluidity of the men's movements was punctuated with spikes of energy and spins that stopped on a dime. The men seemed almost to finish each other's dances in an ever- upward-spiraling competition for whose solo was the most technically demanding. The competitive feel of the piece was augmented by the dancers humorously blasé attitude toward their challenging choreography, as if to cockily say "see how easily it I can do this!" Though there was no actual winner to the competition, Connor Walsh stood out next to the stockier Randy Herrera and Oliver Halkowich with his long lines, control, and virtuosity. His playful expressionism made the competition seem light-hearted and fun, not only for him, but also for the audience.

"Solo" pulled vocabulary from the modern school of dance. In contrast, "Afternoon of a Faun" encapsulated many of the elements of tradition ballet. Set in a dance studio, complete with ballet barres and harsh lighting, the piece centered on the relationship between two dance students. Their romance begins after the young man, played by principal dancer Ian Cassidy, awakens in the studio. When his female counterpart, played by Amy Fote, enters the studio, the two begin a cautious courtship, culminating in a chaste kiss planted on the cheek of the female student. Though clearly enamored by the kiss, the female student shyly backs away and leaves her suitor to daydream about their romance.

The coy, virtuous female character is reminiscent of the Sylph character in La Sylphide, one of classical ballet's oldest works. The studio setting is clearly as classical as can be; the costumes are the traditional practicewear of ballet students; the music - though Impressionist - is clearly well within the genre of classical. What makes "Afternoon of a Faun" modern, though, is its self-awareness. The audience is situated exactly where the mirror would be in a dance studio. So the dancers, rather than looking at each other, stare contemplatively into the "mirror", mesmerized by the erotic closeness of their bodies. They seem to be able to contrast the chasteness of what is with the eroticism of what could be. Jerome Robbins choreographed this piece in the 1950's, and it both subtly and directly challenges the sexually constrictive social mores of the time.

With "Afternoon of a Faun" originally choreographed for the New York City Ballet, Jerome Robbins used slow, minimalist movement. His stylistic choices also challenged those of the pre-eminent choreographer of his time, George Balanchine. During the 1950's, Balanchine was New York City Ballet's balletmaster and was known for his fast-paced, highly structured, and complicated choreography. Balanchine eschewed the storytelling aspect of classical ballet and preferred dance to be (as he put it) "the star of the show". "Symphony in C" is no exception to this rule. It is quintessentially Balanchine.

When the curtains opened for Houston Ballet's production of "Symphony in C", the audience gasped at the sheer elegance of the white tutus worn by the dancers. Their simplicity was stunning and accentuated by the dancers' movements in unison. Following this introduction, the male dancers entered and the piece followed a rigid format: four movements, each with 10-12 corps de ballet, 2 soloist couples, and one principle couple. Each movement was almost perfectly symmetrical - with equal numbers of dancers on each side of the stage. Only the principle dancers broke the symmetry.

The first set of principle dancers, Sara Webb and Connor Walsh, failed to attack the brisk choreography with the energy it merited. The second set of principle dancers, Mireille Hassenboehler and Simon Ball, adeptly performed a poignant adagio. The third set of principles, Hitomi Takeda and Randy Herrera, delivered the dynamism required by their allegro, but it was difficult to fully appreciate their work, since with their tiny statures, they appeared more like small children on stage than commanding principal dancers. The fourth set of principles, Amy Fote and Ian Cassady came the closest to mastering the attack required by Balanchine style.

All these principles, though, were upstaged by soloist Kelly Myernick - the only dancer in the entire company who actually executed Balanchine's choreography in its original style. She showed off the quick legwork, high leg extensions, and soft wrists that make the dance style Balanchine's. Houston Ballet is a company trained in the Royal Academy of Dance technique, which differs greatly from Balanchine technique. But this performance was the dancers' opportunity to demonstrate their stylistic versatility. Unfortunately, this important element of Balanchine's work - his style - was seemingly completely overlooked.

Balanchine has been so fully integrated into the ballet vocabulary, that it's difficult to consider it modern dance, though at the time of his choreography, it was certainly novel. 1947 "Symphony in C" seems much more classical than 1997 "Solo". Yet, in many ways, "Symphony in C" shares many similarities with the even more modern 2008 "Mediæval Bæbes" (i.e. the unison of the corps de ballet, the pointe shoes, and the lack of story). Perhaps considering classical and modern two dichotomous labels is too simplistic a perspective. Perhaps the seemingly linear spectrum from classical to modern is really more of a circle.

by Amanda Austin

America's Best Dance Crew is visiting Austin, TX for auditions on Monday October 13th, 2008.

This year ABDC is looking for great crews, groups, and troupes experienced in ALL STYLES of dance, not just hip hop. The groups must consist of 5-7 members and be 18 years of age and older.

Visit the casting agency on myspace for more information and to register.