NEW DANCE GROUP

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 108, 3 November 1945, Page 12

NEW DANCE GROUP

EXPERIMENTAL THEMES PRESENTED

Recently at the Technical College Hall an interested audience- saw de monstrations of types of dances never before seen in Wellington. Those tak ing part were a group of enthusiastic young women, who since the begin ning of June have, been working in their leisure time on a programme of experimental dancing. The programme was divided'into two parts. The first was explanatory and showed the sort of training needed for a versatile dancer. It also showed the ' methods used in analysing and constructing dances. The compere, Mr. P. A. Smithells, explained each item in turn, and the audience was shown the strenuoushess of the training that is necessary before dancers can be considered fit for their work.

Although this part of the programme was explanatory and analytical, there was. intrinsic beauty in some of the themes shown. The opening item of arm sequences was done to the second movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony. After this came some dramatic falls, and then, to the exciting waltz rhythm of Johann Strauss, were a series of progressively more and more difficult waltz movements The first half of the programme finished with leaps and jumps which left the audience amazed at the versatility of the dancers. DRAMATIC INTERPRETATION. The second half consisted of a strangely impersonal theme called "Monotony." The dancers, in black tights, short wrap-around black skirts

and white short-sleeved jerseys, moved to a weird musical theme through interminable patterns of slow and heavy type. The music for this had been specially written by Erik De Mauny. The next dance was in a different vein, with just a scarf worn with the previous costume to symbolise a folk costume.

A dance in the American modern dance tradition, interpreted machines at work in a factory. Sabotage was committed by one of the workers and around this a dance theme revolves. The accompaniment for this was specially recorded by the group on an assortment of percussion instruments and gave a most realistic representation of the noises of a factory.

The dancers taking part were:—Jean Archibald, Rona Bailey, Valda Beck, Florence Davies, Lorna Geddes, Pauline Monkman, Aileen Ryan. Edith Sipos, Olive Smithells, and Margaret Steptoe.