Warm-Ups
Sarah Gianetto azcentral.com

Whenever I attend a dance performance, my body unconsciously follows the movements of the performers until I end up in a state of deep longing for the feel of the actual twists and turns, the sensation of their dancing. And when I see a dance performance that tells an interesting story, I also get lost in the emotion of it and wish to play with that, as well. Scorpius Dance Theatre's A Vampire Tale has produced both results in me. As I sit in its tiny theatre in the Phoenix Art Museum complex, I watch the story unfold and wish that I were part of it.

The vampire - a Titan of a man, and the choreographer's husband - spends the entire program seemingly seducing and toying with the lost girl, a blonde with flowing hair and dress. The characters are, as you can imagine, starkly contrasted. The girl is curious for the most part of the story, until she gets too far into it, ending up at a banquet with many other vampires, witnessing the death of other lost girls. The head female vampire gets jealous of the young girl the male vampire has brought along, and some scenes are devoted to the vampire couple's aggressive, yet sensual dancing. The soundtrack for the show consists of several dark, brooding songs, such as Nine Inch Nails' "Something I Can Never Have," which adds more narrative to the aforementioned scene, danced on and around a grand piano.

Even though the dance has no dialogue (of course), the characters speak with their eyes, facial expressions, and bodies. It's just so beautiful; I can't help but get caught up in it. (Maybe I'll join some classes offered at the studio, taught by Lisa Starry, the creator and choreographer of the studio's productions.) The next Scorpius Dance Theatre production will be Intimate in May 2005.

There are so many options to nightlife; even I forget that it's not always about the clubs. What I find, though, is that a performance of some sort - like A Vampire Tale - is a great starting point to a night on the town. It gets me warmed up, energizes me, inspires me to have a more interesting evening. I will dance with more vigor at the club once I have watched dancers on a stage (Otherwise, I may spend a good two hours watching people on the club's dance floor before I feel ready myself).

The Scottsdale Center for the Arts has apparently picked up on this with its Ignite program, catered to twenty and thirty-somethings. Membership is free for those falling within the demographic, and rewards include discounted tickets to shows and lectures like The History of Hip-Hop, Rennie Harris Puremovement, Artistic Freedom in China, Rear Light, Cookin', and Danny Hoch, all coming within the next few months. Lounge and after-hours events will also be planned for Ignite members only, giving them a chance to "meet the artists, dance and mingle." Sign up for Ignite online by visiting www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org/ignite

Source: AZ Central