The Battalion
LIFESTYLES
Lifestyles Editor Lisa Ann Robertson 845-3313
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Thursday, October 11,1990
Ecstifall
Brazos Valley celebrates arts
By JOHN RIGHTER
The Arts Council of Brazos Valley is sponsoring a
two-day performance and visual arts festival in down
town Bryan this Saturday and Sunday.
Titled “Festifall ’90,” the first art extravaganza is a
celebration of the art council’s 20th anniversary and of
the growth and diversity in the area’s arts and enter
tainment.
Included in this growth is the council’s 20-group
membership, which includes the Aggie Players, Brazos
Valley Symphony Orchestra, Brazos Valley Museum,
StageCenter and MSC Opera and Performing Arts
Center.
FestiFall ’90 will cover over three blocks in downtown
Bryan: Main, Bryan and 26th, and the front lawn of the
Carnegie Library.
Two stages, the Plaza Stage at the 26th and Main and
the Carden Stage on the Carnegie Library lawn, will
feature performances that range from live jazz, rock
and choral to drama, dancing and juggling. Over 700
artists are scheduled to perform during the 13 hours of
scheduled entertainment.
On Bryan Avenue a demonstration area will include
bobbin and lacemaking, weaving, woodchip carving,
watercolor and pottery. FestiFall also has a special dem
onstration and activity section for children that involves
printmaking, clay sculpting, textile collage making and
paper crown decorating.
Visual artists booths will be stationed on Main Street
where art will be displayed and sold. Also, to promote
Bryan’s historical richness, the Citizens for Historic
Preservation will sponsor a bus tour of historic sites in
the downtown area, beginning at 10:30 at the Bryan li-
orary on Saturday morning.
FestiFall ’90 is scheduled, rain or shine, from 10 a.m.
to 7 p.m. on Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on
Sunday. Food, soft drinks, beer and wine will be avail
able.
Featured performers of the two-day festival include:
Roger Schultz, will perfoldrug k
professional e
• Voices of Praise — the Texas A&M gospelgri
that has performed locally since 1980.
• Texas A&M Jazz Ensemble —25-member pa
conducted by Jim McDaniel, that performs all kinJi
jazz from big band to fusion.
• Jack Houston — local singer who is classifitli
country, but extends into pop and adult contempoi
He has released. Jack Houston: Texas' A’ewbornis
which yielded the single, “Calico Christmas.”
• Aggie Players — Texas A&M’s theater
der the direction of Dr ~
Saturday morning.
• Don Pope and Friends — local
saxophonist and Christian jazz artist, Don Pope
been performing for more than 15 years, includ:
shows with the Temptations, Kool and the G;
Donna Summer and Smokey Robinson. He has
leased the album, Don Pope and Friends.
• StageCenter — StageCenter’s
ville Troupe will perform song and dance selection!!
reeled by Perry Norris and choreographed by W
Daisa. Over its 25 years, StageCenter has become
lure of the Brazos Valley arts community.
• DANZA — dance-art group that combines*
ern dance and ballet with the American formofs
dance
• Brazos Valley Symphonietta —selected memit
of the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra willperfs
two pieces. '' Ihe Capriol Suite" In Peter Warlodi
“Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus” by Ralph Vi
ban Williams. Franz Krager will conduct thesymp
nietta.
• Karen Chaviz — primarily a jazz singer whoi
has opened for jazz performers Kirk VVhalum
Wi
S2t
t^irry Carlton. She has released an album, Portnil
Dru Wilson
Wilson of popular local group,i
Kerouacs, will perform original acoustic rock, ranji n{ ] p a \
from ballads to straight rock.
Road Kings — local rockabilly band thathask ibout I
performing around B-CS since last spring
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“Funr
Ballet company
visits, performs
in glasnost spirit
By KRISTI LORSON
The fall of the iron curtain has given way
to the rise of Rudder Auditorium’s curtain
this weekend at The First International
Glasnost Ballet.
The performance will showcase the tal
ents of 10 international gold and silver
medalist dancers from four countries. The
Soviet Union, China, Czechoslovakia and
Hungary will be represented by a potpour-
riof works.
Highlights include a Russian couple’s
portrayal of the impassioned feelings of
first love in the classic “Romeo and Juliet,” a
Czechoslovakian’s performance in “The
Birds” which was specifically choreo
graphed for her flexible body and the
Chinese presentation of Pas de Deux from
Petipa’s “Don Quixote.”
MSC Opera and Performing Arts Society
Chairman Derek Moore, who has helped
organized the ballet, says other special
events are also planned for the visiting bal
let company and for students who want to
take part in “glasnost.”
Throughout the month, an exhibit of
over 100 artistic pictures by Russian photo
journalist Misha Medvedev will be on dis
play at the Brazos Stock Exchange on Main
Street in Br\ an, he said.
Students will also have an opportunity to
see a part of the Soviet Union and other
countries firsthand when the dancers visit
selected philosophy, sociology, history, mu
sic and Russian classes with their translators
today and Friday, he said. The dancers will
also teach advanced ballet classes to selected
Brazos County students during those days.
Bryan Mayor Marvin Tate will present
the dancers with the keys to the city to con
clude their stay here.
“We’re very excited that they’re coming
to A&M,” Moore said. “There’s been a real
openness and friendliness during all the
planning.
“Whenever they left the country before,
they had to have representatives of the
Communist party accompany them.
There’s a new freedom now that will allow
the Soviet Union to show what they have to
offer in performing arts.”
The dancers will “show what they have to
offer” during two performances, Friday
and Saturday nights at 8. Tickets are avail
able in the MSC Box Office and prices
range from $ 10 to $30.
For more information about tickets or
Glasnost Week events, contact the MSC Box
Office at 845-1234 or the Cindy Biek at
845-1661.
Louis Lucko (right) holds Stefani
Baker’s hand as she performs a ballet
move in front of the Chemistry Building
fountain.
Photo by Mike Mulvey