November 10, 1994 Contact: Jennifer McNulty (408/459-2495)

TICKETS GO ON SALE NOVEMBER 23 FOR DANCETIME!, A GALA PERFORMANCE THAT BENEFITS UCSC'S LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CRUZ, CA--What does hip-hop have in common with the waltz? What about the watusi and the tango? All of these popular forms of social dance will be featured in Dancetime!, a unique theatrical performance that traverses 500 years of dance, complete with period costumes and music.

Across the centuries, social dance has figured prominently in the rituals of courtship between men and women. Dancetime! provides an entertaining look at the polka, the tango, the charleston, the jitterbug, the mambo, the mashed potato, the moonwalk--and many more popular dances that have stood the test of time. Artistic director Carol Teten has choreographed an evening that the New York Times called "a spring romp of a show!" Now on its third national tour, Dancetime! is a delightful blend of dance, theater, and comedy.

Dancetime! will be presented February 4, 1995, in the Cabrillo College Theater as a special benefit performance for the Leadership Opportunity Awards program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The event is the first annual fund-raiser for the LOA program, which enables students from thirteen regional community colleges to complete their undergraduate educations at UCSC by providing each student with a $20,000 scholarship over two years. Each year, up to thirteen recipients are selected from a pool of applicants who have shown exceptional achievement despite adverse socioeconomic conditions, have demonstrated their commitment to community service, and would otherwise not be able to attend UCSC because of financial need.

Tickets for Dancetime! go on sale November 23 at the UCSC Ticket Office. Patron tickets, which include premium seats, a listing in the program, refreshments, and reserved parking, are $75 each. General tickets provide reserved seating and refreshments and are $35 each. The Ticket Office is open Tuesday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are also available by phone; call (408) 459-2159 during business hours. A $2 handling fee is applied to phone orders.

"I was absolutely enthralled by the show," says Anne Levin, co- chair of the LOA Advisory Committee, which is coordinating the fund-raiser. "It was one of the most entertaining and educational presentations I've ever seen. The costumes are sensational, and the dancers are outstanding. I was sad when it ended."

The first act of Dancetime! showcases authentic historical dances from the fifteenth century through the late nineteenth century. The second act presents a lively decade-by-decade tour of this century's greatest dances, concluding with dirty dancing, vogue, hip-hop, and country western. The fast-paced show features elaborate costumes and wigs, and the eight dancers have perfected the art of the quick costume change.

Social dance styles reflect changes in society, says artistic director Teten. "Prior to the nineteenth century, couples danced at a distance, barely touching hands," she says. "In the nineteenth century, when couples started dancing arm in arm, it was considered lewd and in poor taste. But the waltz position came in with romanticism, and it allowed the man to hold his dream in his arms, literally.

"In my lifetime, we've seen dance change from the 1950s, when couples danced together with the woman following the man, to the 1960s and the twist, which became popular with the women's liberation movement," adds Teten. "We went from duet dancing to everybody doing their own thing. Social dance is an obvious mirror for what is happening in society."

Dancetime! is presented by Dance Through Time, a nonprofit cultural organization based in San Francisco. Incorporated in 1980, its mission is to research, preserve, and perform historical and contemporary social dances that are an important part of the American heritage.

"This show touches so many people because all of us have danced on the dance floor, whether at a wedding, a bar mitzvah, or a prom," says Sheila Baumgarten, a longtime supporter of the arts in Santa Cruz and former manager of Dance Through Time. "This show taps those memories, and it also shows the artistic value of social dance. You really see that there's art in social dance."

Dancetime! has been performed in more than 100 cities across the United States.

For more information about the Leadership Opportunity Awards program, call Dan Aldrich, assistant chancellor for University Advancement, at (408) 459-2501.

(This release is also available on UC NewsWire, the University of California's electronic news service. To access by modem, dial 1- 209-244-6971.)

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