Those who are children of the '80s grew up mesmerized by dance-charged films like "Fame" and "Flashdance." Some even dared to don leg warmers and sweatbands in an attempt to attain the ability that those movies showcased. They hurried excitedly into their first dance classes, eager to learn and even more eager to perform.

However, those who failed to even walk to the correct beat resigned themselves to the fact that dance was left only to those who possessed coordination. Dance became something that could only be appreciated by the elite: the dancers themselves. This misconception of dance as being only for the artists is what the "2002 Dance Spectrum" aims to move aside.

With a wide variety of dances ranging from ballet and modern to jazz, the audience is promised to find something it will appreciate. The mission of the "2002 Dance Spectrum" is to bring dance to the entire community.

"If you can make dance more accessible, that it's not something on a big, high pedestal, but something that they can see and want to see more frequently, they can incorporate it and say, `Oh, that was so neat, I want to see some more.' And there's such a variety that hopefully they'll each have a little sampler," Indi Dieckgrafe, artistic director and choreographer, said.

The dancers also want the audience to capture the versatility of the concert.

Otis Cortez-Hill, a senior Film, Television and Theatre major at Notre Dame and the company's only male member, believes that everyone will find a piece that appeals to them.

"I want the audience to gather the sense of eclecticism, a sense of universal dance. There's something for everybody and no matter what you like, if you like ballet you have the ["Silver Variation"], if you like pseudo-improv modern dance, there will be something for everyone," Cortez-Hill said.

Cortez-Hill is a vehicle of the eclectic nature of the concert, appearing in "At the River," "What to Do" and "References New."

Saint Mary's has always kept its dance performances from being restricted to just one genre of dance. The title of the concert, "2002 Dance Spectrum," reflects its wide span of movement styles.

"It seems like we have always been known for presenting an eclectic array of dances. We do have all those different techniques and styles that we teach. I don't know if I can really say thematically except that it will give you a range, because there isn't a certain thing that we're focusing on, that we're letting everyone have their individual expression," Dieckgrafe said.

With nearly 10 pieces being performed, an idea of what Dieckgrafe calls openness and acceptance arises. This concept has given Saint Mary's the opportunity to showcase diverse works and the diverse dancers of the Repertory/Performance Workshop: Otis Cortez-Hill, Therese Cullen, Katie DeCoste, Adrienne DeGraff, Emilie DesJardins, Emily Fagan, Erin Flynn, Emily Ford, Caitlin Gillen, Courtenay Lauer, Amy Lazzarotto, Sara Pendley, Eva Polizzi, Quinn Shern and Lisa Walton, with guest dancers Kathy Ornish and Justin Smith. The unseen, but necessary contributors to the concert are lighting designer Tom Boelman and costume designer Ginger Moritz.

The concert utilizes the creations of various choreographers from various disciplines. The show opens with a traditional piece entitled "Silver Variation and Coda from `The Sleeping Beauty,'" choreographed by faculty member Jill Tulchinsky and performed by soloist Emily Fagan.

Ballet is taken into another direction by Laurie Lowry, an adjunct professor of ballet and Pilates at Saint Mary's. She has danced professionally with multiple companies, including the California Ballet and Ballet Hawaii. She has taken her vast experience in dance to create "Vivaldi," a ballet that possesses both upbeat moments and serenely sophisticated ones.

"The beginning and ending are light and the middle section is quiet and elegant," Lowry said.

The piece exhibits a Spanish style, meant to be executed with both grace and precision.

"Collection/Essence" is a piece that not only utilizes dancers, but art as well. Donald Stikeleather, a professor in dance at Saint Mary's and Notre Dame and an experienced modern dancer, collaborated with artist Kathy Ornish for this work. Ornish was fascinated with the idea of boxes both constricting and protecting; she constructed movable sculpture to explore this concept. This piece is unique because it possesses qualities that are not typically associated with dance.

"It has sculpture that moves, dancers that stand still instead of moving, it has silence with no dancing," Stikeleather said.

Unlike dances that are a blur of constant motion, "Collection/Essence" has moments when nothing kinetic is happening.

"We have tried to make a balance so that it's not too much all the time," Stikeleather said.

The collaboration of the two art forms was a positive experience with a positive result for the artists.

"What we created was different than what the two of us could have created alone," Stikeleather said.

The second act opens with "At the River," by guest choreographer Kevin Magee. Magee is a renowned choreographer and currently dances with the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company in New York. He has devised a theme meant to captivate the audience while the dancers attempt an escape.

"His piece is a compelling work for nine dancers with an intriguing movement vocabulary that supports a ritualistic and tribal atmosphere," Dieckgrafe said.

"Psalm" is a piece of personal importance to Dieckgrafe.

"`Psalm' is 10 years old and it's kind of poignant that it's being done at this concert because my husband gave me the music for that ten years ago on Valentine's Day," Dieckgrafe said.

The religious content of the music and choreography is meant to convey an experience of spiritual elevation. Though this piece has been performed in many different arrangements, soloist Amy Lazzarotto ventures to capture the emotional, yet reverent message.

Dieckgrafe continues to innovate with the modern piece, "Emevese." Though most traditional modern pieces are danced barefoot, "Emevese" is performed in pointe shoes. Dieckgrafe's dancers led her to this variation.

"Just in working with them, I knew they weren't going to be happy in the modern genre. So I decided if these girls want to dance on pointe, they'll just do it on pointe … The piece became about them, about the three dancers that I had, and that's why I did "Emevese," a section of each of their names," Dieckgrafe said.

The concert continues with the presence of choreographic flexibility in "What to Do." It is a piece that is not dictated by strict choreography, but by vocal cues in the music.

"`What to Do' is my own question of what to do and so I didn't know where to go with that, and that led me to the fact that I kind of wanted to be told what to do and that became the substance for the piece. I'm really happy with the way it turned out with the input of the dancers and the fun idea that actually brought this piece to life," Dieckgrafe said.

The final piece, "References New" employed the input of another artist, sculptor Lanny Bergner. It has been performed previously this year at the installation of Bergner's sculpture at The South Bend Regional Museum of Art. To recreate the setting created by Bergner, screens similar to his will be hung, providing the background for slide projections of his actual work.

The focal point of the piece is a simulation of a nest constructed by Bergner that will house eggs containing windshield glass and pins. The collaboration with Bergner and sound designer Cloud Tiger will culminate into a work encompassing visual and auditory art forms.

The final piece, "Diamonds," was choreographed by Courtenay Lauer, a student company member. The piece showcases a contemporary jazz style with intended sassiness and finesse. Its music, from a blockbuster movie soundtrack, strives for mass appeal as well as sex appeal.

The "2002 Dance Spectrum" will provide the audience with grand vision of the shades of dance. Dieckgrafe believes that the audience will want to see more. Perhaps they'll want to do more: perhaps they'll want to dig out those leg warmers and dance.

The "2002 Dance Spectrum" opens tonight and runs to Sunday. Tonight and tomorrow nights shows begin at 7 p.m. and Sunday's show begins at 2:00 p.m. "2002 Dance Spectrum" will be presented in the O'Laughlin Auditorium in the Moreau Center for the Arts. Ticket are $4.50 for adults, $3.50 for senior citizens and Saint Mary's and Notre Dame community members and $2.50 for students.

Contact Emily Ford at ford6504@saintmarys.edu.

• FTT presents 'New Playwrights Workshop 2002'
  
• Repertory/Performance Workshop presents '2002 Dance Spectrum'