page 8
daily nebraskan
monday, april 21, 1980
Ballet master directs dancers with concentration
By Penelope Smith
"He always runs over, no matter what it is Ralph
Batman, manager of the Pennsylvania Ballet Company
said. These words, more of approval than of censure,
were said of Benjamin Harkarvy," artistic director and
sometimes ballet master of the Pennsylvania Ballet.
Harkarvy, director of the Pennsylvania since 1972,
is an internationally recognized and respected dance
coach, ballet master and choreographer. Before the
curtain rises, before any note from the orchestra, Har
karvy has ensured the quality of the dancers' work.
Before the interview, Batman spoke of Harkarvy,
who was handling the last rehearsal before Monday
night's performance at the UNL Kimball Recital
Hall. Harkarvy sat in a chair on stage, a picture of
total concentration as he called out commands to his
dancers.
Fine tuner
"1 love to watch his classes because he fine-tunes every
thing,' Batman said. "He's very exacting and very precise
in what he wants from a dancer but it's for the betterment
of the dancer and the company. He's the leadership of the
company and he's molded it into the versatile repertory
company it is," Batman said.
After last-minute attention to the technique of his
dancers, Harkarvy sat quietly smoking his cigarette and
talking about dance and his work.
Like many people in the world of art, Harkarvy said he
had a revelation as to where he belonged.
Band member says 'people like us,'
but 'right at the moment it's survival'
By Patti Wieser
The Jack Greer Band sports a repertoire that extends
from country to funk.
Vocalist and acoustic-guitarist Jack Greer describes
the band as a variety rock 'n' roll band that plays country
music.
( "It's a bar band," he said.
' Beth McBride, who also sings and plays acoustic
guitar, said the band plays folk and some fast blues-rock
too, adding that the band "really likes the funk. . .like
Little Feat funk."
"Mostly what it is is having fun," Green said. The band
does a Greer composition, "Chance Again."
McBride and Greer said the band is versatile and often
opens sets with solo feature spots.
The purpose of the band, Greer explained, is to feature
vocals.
Other members of the five-month-old Omaha band are
Jerry Steinke, lead guitar and slide; John Vergamini, key
boards; Neil Johnsen, guitar and vocals; and Buck Weyer
man, percussion.
Greer, a native of South Carolina, has been playing pro
fessionally for about 10 years. Five years ago he moved to
Omaha and started playing solos at the Steak and Ale
restaurant. Later he formed a duo with Doug Fackler.
After going to Minneapolis and Atlanta, he returned
to Omaha and joined the River City All Stars, which he
stayed with for two years.
He then joined Danser, a band that eventually evolved
into the Jack Greer Band.
Greer started playing drums when he was 12 and later
took up the guitar.
He said he is influenced by James Taylor, Steve Stills,
Lowell George and even Ray Charles for phrasing.
Greer said he finds it difficult to sing songs he doesn't
like or do commercials, explaining, "I have to be able to
believe it to sing real good."
McBride, who won the Last of the Singing Cowboys
Contest at The 20's, sponsored by KQ98, said getting
established and getting along with little money were prob
lems in starting out as a band.
"It takes a lot of persistence. . . there are expenses,"
she said, adding that they don't have any money now for
promotion.
Besides lack of money, getting six people with six
different ideas to agree is sometimes hard, McBride said.
But, she and Johnsen added, being in a band is a good
way to make a Uving and do something they enjoy.
Greer said the band would like to travel but will have
to wait.
"Right now we're. still building this thing," he said.
He said he and Weyerman have been considering releas
ing a recording regionally so they can get air play for
promotion.
However, Greer said, "Right at the moment, it's
survival."
Johnsen said the response to the band has been good,
"People like us," he said, "We are getting a steady
following."
The band has played in the Omaha area and is scheduK
ed to play April 29-May 4 at The 20's and May 6-1 1 at
Shenanigans there.
"I saw my first ballet performance when I was 12. It
was instant, as if I recognized this was the most exciting
and wonderful thing I'd ever seen, he said. "I went back
the next night and the next night and the next night until
I drove my parents crazy."
Silent expression
"I had the experience I think many young people have
had. The experience of dancing is so overwhelming, it's
like finding the other half of yourself," he said. "The world
of feeling that is revealed to you in dancing can make you
feel like you've found what is missing because it is a silent
way of expressing yourself other than words."
Harkarvy has seen many dancers come and go. He
talked of what a dancer needs, not just to succeed but to
survive.
"To be a professional means you are taking on a career
of extraordinary demands, both in time you devote to it,
the sheer physical endurance demanded and then the need
for emotional stability to sustain a career for a long time
with its highs and lows," he said.
"The ego has to experience hard knocks. You want
terribly to dance a certain role and no one else wants you
to or not being cast for a part after you've worked so very
hard forit. You must build up a professional attitude."
Versatility
Though he is a ballet master, Harkarvy recognizes the
need for versatility.
"In addition to all of this, a contemporary dancer must
feel at home in many different kinds of movement. It is
not enough today to be a fine classical dancer-you must
be able to move in all the various idioms contemporary
choreographers use."
He said in the dance world, which demands such versa
tility, the American dancer has a better chance of surviv
ing than his foreign counterparts because of the exciting
American choreography.
As artistic director he also selects choreographers and
is able to give many new choreographers free rein to ex
periment. "It is my duty to aid the choreographer to find good
music of a good designer if he wants a score rewritten,"
he said. "When the choreographer comes to rehearse the
company or to create the dance, I am available for advice
about such things or about the dancers, but I try to leave
them very free."
Harkarvy said he has no obligation to put in the long
hours lie does rehearsing the company. He said he often
sacrifices his own artistic time as a choreographer to be
coach and teacher,
"I rehearse because I am a very gifted ballet master
this may not necessarily be so as an artistic director. I
have a lot to give as a teacher and a coach and it satisfies
something in me by giving my life a sense of direction-it
keeps me alive,' he said, "I do it to always be a part of
the development of the company."
Play extends effectiveness of strong foundation'
By Debra L. Miller
The production of For Colored Girls
Who Have Considered Suicidewhen the
rainbow is enuf, which opened Friday
night in the Gallery Theater of the Lincoln
Community Playhouse, is a glowing exam
ple of a basic concept-when the founda
tion is strong enough, there are no limits to
the possible height of the structure built
upon it.
and momentum of the play as it changes
from athletic exuberance to isolated des
pair. Movement and dance are an integral
element of the play, allowing the transi
tions in mood as well as theme. The variety
and vitality of movement achieved by
Davis and his cast is remarkable, especially
in view of the extremely limited space in
the Gallery Theater.
Members of the cast, identified in the
program, as "lady in blue, lady in green,
red, orange and purple, create warmly be
lievable and sympathetic characterizations.
Beyond the immense truthfulness and
believability of their portrayals, the cast
generates an infectious enthusiasm and vi
tality that catches up the audience and
never lets them down.
Cast members Donna Polk, Delores
Oham, Martha Florence, Sherral Russell
and Patricia West displayed a true and grat-
The "foundation," in this case, is the
brilliant script by author Ntozsake Shange,
and the heights attained by the production
based upon it are remarkable.
Shange'i script is an outstanding exam
ple of the use of prose poetry as a dramatic
form. In a short time, the play encompass
es and explores an amazing breadth and
depth of topics and emotions.
The language of the play is both poetic
and expressive. It soars to exquisitely mus
ical lyricism and then snaps back to the
jazz rhythms of "street-talkin jive with
pinpoint accuracy and truth.
' It ranges from delightful and amusing
light moments, as in a tale of a childhood
adventure, to an excruciatingly real de
scription of a horrifying incident, maintain
ing an admirable balance of optimism,
pragmatism, poetry and pain.
Bill Davis1 direction is sensitive to the
demands of the script and to the needs of
the audience. Hie pacing of the acting is
guperb throughout, controlling the flow
' ' -
ifying understanding of ensemble playing,
and the support and mutual esteem so
evident on stage is soon reflected by the
audience.
Although varying in training and exper
ience, each actress achieved at least one
memorable 'moment." Outstanding per
formances by Martha Florence and Delores
Oham were indicative of the overall high
quality of this fine cast.
The enforced intimacy of the small
Gallery Theater worked beautifully for this
show, enhancing audience identification
with the onstage action.
The set, by Tom Curtright, utilized a
raised platform inclined in a gentle rake.
Lights by Tim Jagielski, although too dark
at times, greatly aided in heightening the
dramatic effect.
Sound designer Marlin Petersen did a
fine job of handling the well-chosen music
which underscored and punctuated the
production.
The only unfortunate aspect of this out
standing production was the brevity of
its duration. For Colored Girls. . . ran for
five performances this past weekend, which
were marked by long waiting lists of people
trying to get in, and cannot be extended
due to conflicts with the next show open-
ing at the Playhouse.
Only rarely does a play come along that
reaches out so powerfully and meaning
fully to involve an audience. As tne charac
ters reach out to the audience to relate
their experiences and insights, the play re
veals new facets of understanding even as it
shows once again the universality of all
human experience.