HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-01-15, Page 8Page 8 Times -Advocate, January 15, 1997
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The Danny Grossman Dance Company:
A lesson In powerful movement
By Brenda Burke
T -A Reporter
LONDON'- Athletic, strong and sensual is the only
way to describe the vigorous January 4 performance
of the Danny Grossman Dance Company at the
Grand Theatre.
Despite program changes due to sudden
illness, dancers tumbled, balanced and
gracefully moved across the stage,
opening with Magneto Dynamo - a
vibrant, spontaneous dance set to a
frantic jazz pace and performed by
two couples dressed in athletic
spandex -like gear while
bathed in stark light. The
program describes this
piece as "human pinballs
set berserk in the game of
life."
Lynchtown, choreographed
by Charles Weidman, displays a
lynch mob's desire for killing.
Overwhelmed by a lynching he'd
seen in Nebraska as a child,
Weidman decided to focus the piece
on the violent crowd he'd witnessed. In
this work, a small group of dancers fully
dressed in casual solid colors move slowly
together in time to a rhythmic drumbeat, with
one member periodically breaking free from the
group to explode with physical emotion, only to
return to the bloody ritual.
The highlight of the entire dance performance is a
1975 piece narned Higher, which comes complete
with amazing balancing acts on chairs and ladder
rungs as well as the bodies of dancers Andrea Nann
and Bohdan Romaniw. Ray Charles tunes accompany
the couple as they preform a daring, erotic dance of
slow, intense movements that end in unusual
positions. The piece opens with Romaniw
hanging by his knees on a ladder and slowly
raising his torso to meet his legs, inch by
painstaking inch.
The costumes of the evening's
performance are very exciting, ranging from
abstract tights in the modern Equilibrist
dance to casual ballet whites and bare feet
for the classic Aureole.
Founded in 1975, the Danny Grossman
Dance Company has performed for
audiences in at least 17 countries and
gained a reputation for its bold, athletic
style. The company's associate artistic
director, Parr.z.la Grundy, recently told the
London Free Press that Grossman's programs
appeal to a wide variety of viewers due to their
"simple, but dynamic physicality."
The Toronto dance group is part of the
Grand Theatre's 1996/97 dance series that also
features the National Ballet of Canada and in March,
Marie Gillis.
Epiphany
theme at
UCW
EXETER- Doris Denham, leader,
opened the January meeting of the
afternoon U.C.W. Unit with a
prayer for the New Year. Routine -
business followed. It was decided
that a roll call and fun products
should be carried on this year and
that items for the food bank be
brought on designated months. This
part of the meeting ended with the
telling of the parable of the oyster
who turned his irritation into a
pearl.
Olive Thompson, Alma Langford,
Hazel Miller and Audrey McRo-
berts continued the program using
the Epiphany theme. The hymn "As
With Gladness" was sung and Mu-
riel Marshall led in prayer. Mar-
jorie Delbridge and Ruth Brock
both did a reading.
After the singing of "Gentle Mary
Laid Her Child", the members dis-
cussed quotations pertaining to the
gifts of Christmas of peace, hope,
joy and love. Langford summed up
the discussions by suggesting that
reflection on the gifts and prayer to
the giver are the key to keeping
Christmas in our hearts all year.
The benediction and lunch brought
the afternoon to a close.
Host families need for visit
By Barry Hilchey - special to
the St. Marys Journal Argus
ST. MARYS - In April 1986, the
Chernobyl Nuclear reactor explo-
sion contaminated vast areas of
farm land in Belarus, Russia and
Ukraine. While that accident was
almost 11 years ago, many children
are still affected by the explosion
and the subsequent radiation. In
1993, St. Marys for Children of
Chernobyl, a local volunteer group,
formed to \provide assistance to
some. of those children. Since that
time the group has helped to bring
more than 60 children from the Re-
public of Belarus into this area of
Southern Ontario for a six or seven
week summer visit. Families from
St. Marys, Stratford, London, Exet-
er, Zurich, Mitchell and the includ-
ed rural areas have hdsted children
in the four-year history of the or-
ganization. The visiting children,
ages 9 to 11 years, who have lived
in contaminated areas of
Belarus, enjoy a summer of clean
air, good food, and summer fun
with a local host family. They re-
turn to their families much healthi-
er and stronger, and are better able
to fight off the illnesses that keep
many of their classmates out of
school. Successful children's visit
programs are operating around the
world and continue to help thou-
sands of children each year. Once
again, St. Marys for children of
Chernobyl is asking for volunteer
,families to host a child for a sum-
mer visit. All travel expenses for
the visit are covered by local fund-
raising, but host families are re-
sponsible for keeping the children
while they are here.
Families hosting a child enjoy an
experience that is remembered for
years, and often develop very close
friendships with the children and
other host families. While the visit-
ing children are Russian speaking,
experiencehas shown that this is
only a temporary obstacle in devel-
oping relationships. Several host
families have become so close to
their guest that the families have
chosen to bring their new child
back for a second visit, at the fami-
lies' own expense. Families inter-
ested in participating in the chil-
dren's visit program in the summer
of 1997, or anyone interested in
more information should contact
St. Marys for Children of Cherno-
byl at the address below as soon as
possible. .
Host families are the key to the
visit program, and an early commit-
ment is required to allow time to ar-
range visas and'to raise the money
required. The committee of volun-
teers and former host families pro-
vide plenty of information, assis-
tance, and back-up support for
families before, during and after the
visit. Successful host families ideal-
ly have one adult who doesn't work
outside the home during the visit
period, which is expected to he
Vestry meeting planned
The ' annual meeting
will be held after this
Sunday's service at
Saintsbury.
By H. Davis
Saintsbury correspondent
SAINTSBURY - There was no
service at St. Patrick's on January
12 due to the cold and stormy
weather.
On January 19, Rev. Stanley Jay
will be at St. Patrick's to celebrate
the Holy Eucharist followed by the
annual vestry meeting.
Syinpathy gocs to the Carroll
families this week in the death of
Harry Carroll, a resident of Craig-
wiel Gardens and formerly of
Saintsbury. He was in his 93rd year
and was buried from the C. Haskett
and Son Funeral home on Satur-
day.
Suzanne Davis accompanied her
sister Linda Foran on Sunday for
lunch with sister Donna Martin of
London.
A correction from last week: Ca-
leb and Corbin MacGillivray were
overnight visitors with cousins
Harley and Travis Davis. On the
weekend Harley Davis accompa-
nied by dad Michael attended Moto
Cross Practice at Gopher Dunes
Raccway, Courtland, Ontario.
Stop Smoking Program
for Women
in Huron County
• Quit or Reduce Smoking
• Leam to Cope with Stress
• Improve your Health
• Meet New Friends
• Gain Support
• Feel Good About Yourself
Childcare and Transportation Provided
Exeter Sessions
Start January 21st, 7:00 p.m
Call: Ruth Cooper
Clinton - 482-3416
( long distance 1-800-265-5184)
, Sponsored byfNaRhCanada end
Meson Cony Action Group on WAomsn and Smoking
June 27 through August 11, and of-
ten have children in the same age
range as the visitors. Even though
the accident happened 11 years
ago, the contamination and medical
problems continue.
The need for this type of assis-
tance is expected to become even
greater in the future. The President
of Belarus, Mr. Lukashenko, who
has been consolidating his power
and has essentially taken democra-
cy away from the country, has been
quoted as saying that in 1997 "
Chernobyl will not exist." State fi-
nancial aid for victims of the radia-
tion will likely stop as Belarus con-
tinues its economic struggle. St.
Marys for Children of Chernobyl
P.O. Box 3001, St. Marys, Ontario
N4X 1A6 St. Marys for Children of
Chernobyl is a secular organization
(no religious affiliation) and wel-
comes any opportunity to speak to
your service club, school or church
group.
Please contact any committee
member. Chairman - Peter Fedyk
284-3448 Host Family Chair - Hel-
en Brockman 284-1634 Past Chair
- Barry Hilchey 284-2987 Vice
Chair - Gerry Brockman 284-1634
Secretary - Rita DeBrabandere 229-
6286 Treasurer - Luke DeBraban-
dere 229-6722 Members - Joanne
DeBrabandere 229-6722 Cal &
Deb Strathdee 393-6443 Sherry Fe-
dyk 284-3448 Loys Fawcett 349-
2459
Exeter UCW
EXETER - The evening unit of
Exeter United Church UCW met in
the ladies' parlor January 6. Marion
Kerslake welcomed everyone and •
opened with a poem, "Throughout
the Coning Year". She introduced
the speaker, Marnie Sanders, a di-
rector from Anago Resources Inc.
Sanders explained her philosophy
based on control theory and reality
therapy and how she and her staff
try to develop this in the residence.
Following a question period Mary
Fisher thanked Sanders . and pre-
sented her with a donation. ,
Sanders and her group of Agnes
Aunger, Vera Armstrong, Mary
Fisher, Marg Consitt and Norma
Cockwill conducted the worship
service using "gentleness" as their
theme.
During the business, the roll call
was answered by paying the annual
'dues. An orientation luncheon for
new hoard inembers will be held in
February and a pancake supper is
being planned for February 11. Hel-
en Coates announced that the Pres-
byterial Annual will he held in Ful-
larton February 10. The next
executive meeting is January 20 at
7:30 p.m. and the next general
meeting January 27 at 8 p.m. The
business closed with the Mizpah
Benediction and everyone gathered
for a tasty lunch served by Jean
Goffs group.
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• Tenth Insight • Calvin & Hobbes
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We bave bad two new sbipments arrive.
Come in and browse
1.
Like a pro
Katrina
Zaranik
tests her
snowboardi
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a hill in
Grand Bend
Sunday af-
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fternoon.
Stopovers as
comfortable as
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• FREE parking, 14 days
• FREE airport shuttle
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• Children under 18 stay FREE if
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' )UCii1l
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1-800-668-1444 (Canada & U.S.)
Terms N Conditions:
• Guests must show valid airline ticket at time of check-in • Maximum one night
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per additional adult, per room. per night (maximum 4 adults per room)
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