OCU'S "HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS"
QUITE A SHOW

By Nancy Condit

March of the Toy Soldiers, choreographed by Diana Brooks.

Photo provided

What's new this year at the American Spirit Dance Company's "Home for the Holidays" dance performance is a higher level of dancing, especially in the tap and high kick numbers.  Equally visible are the markedly increased number of men, who complement the wonderful women in a company that is chosen by audition from the dance majors at Oklahoma City University.  The performance took place Thursday night in the Kirkpatrick Fine Arts Auditorium, and runs through Sunday, December 11.
Diana Brooks' choreography of the rapid tap number of "March of the Toy Soldiers," new this year, was the best of the show with its precision tapping and loose challenge dances by the toy officers. Their tapping was on the money.  They rotated in small groups, and came back together again, tapping rapidly all the time, reflecting the Busby Berkeley style of the previous  "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers," choreographed by Page Porter and restaged by Kari Shaw. 
For "Parade" a long line of soldiers wore red satin shirts crossed by impossibly glittery bands of silver with black pants also striped in silver.  The costumes were designed by Melanie Shelley.  The soldiers were straight legged and oval mouthed during the entire number, as they changed from three lines of tapping soldiers into one, and rotated through Berkeley style patterns.  The only thing missing was the camera shot from above to show the dancing patterns.
The opening number to Jerry Herman's "We Need a Little Christmas," choreographed by Jo Rowan, show director and chair of the School of Music, was another big number that started as the curtains opened to "a bevy of beautiful gals that go on forever," Rowan wrote for the press, with a felt rope of holly.  The women crossed the stage back and forth four lines deep, two alternating lines dancing in one direction and two dancing in the other, settled into high kicks, and ended up forming a Christmas tree that filled the stage.

"Mr. Snow Miser," new this year, and choreographed by Patricia Oplotnick, featured tap dancers in a traditional routine, until one gangly tapper appeared to throw himself all over the stage in a completely shaggy fringed white costume, dropped to a one-legged squat and circled the floor with the other.  The tappers celebrated winter with a some break dancing, too. 
Tall reindeer with high antlers danced with their '50 clad drivers to choreographer Alana Martin's "Jingle Bells," and dancers swirled in a lyrical ballet "Song for a Winter's Night," choreographed by Kari Shaw.

Other good numbers include choreographer Oplotnick's "How Lucky Can You Get" done by tap dancing men of the streets.  A ritzy lady -- we know by her fur coat, falls one of the guys, disappears to change her coat to one of cloth, and the group taps in great syncopation.  "Zat You Santa Claus?" has good Fosse, very jazzy feel to Brian Marcum's choreography, as they're joined by a gingerbread man, Uncle Sam, and a horse.

The lovely costumes were designed by Melanie Shelley, and the lighting and set designs, particularly effective in "Mr. Snow Miser" and "Hot Chocolate," by Steve Estes, with the caveat that the decorative lights on the front of the stage floor cut off the dancers' feet.  Pavoratti's singing of "Adeste Fideles" gave chills during the adoration of the Christ child.  The sound was good for the first act, but needed more bass in the second.
All in all, it was quite a show.
Remaining show times are 8 p.m. Dec. 9 and 10, and 2 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11.The show is recommended for audience members ages 6 and up.
All seats are reserved and cost $28 each, with group rates available. For tickets or more information, call (405) 208-5227 or visit www.okcu.edu/ticketoffice.

c. by Nancy Condit

See my article at http://www.ion.com/ magazine.