Texas Tech University - La Ventana Yearbook (Lubbock, TX)

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Lead dancers Jerry Wo k1s and Lacey Moore perform in Don Quixote pas de Deux. Both dancers are Tech graduate students. (Photo hy Buddy Mverst In The Texas Pas de Deux, Angeli- que Cox and Jerr. ' Woods perform on the dance company ' s tour of Kn land in .June 1987. (Photo by Buddy Mvers) IVlembers of the Willis Ballet Com- pany toured Bumburgh Castle in Eng- land. Pictured are dancers Tracy McCarter. Kenneth McChler, Jerry Woods, Leslie Burk. Kim Traeger. Denise Scott, Alice Boman. Lacy Moore, Angel Cox. Denise Matsu- mura. Peggy Willis and Jaime Willis. (Photo by Buddy Mvers) Dttigned by Yvonne Salce Ballet World Premiere — 29

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Texas Tech takes England by the toes Under the Hyde Park Coli- seum in London, England, the Willis Ballet Company of Tex- as Tech made its world pre- miere in June. The dancers performed for the Queen of England and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, in honor of the 100th anni% ' ersary of St. John ' s Ambulance Brigade. Performing in England was a great experience, said Lacey Moore, a Tech graduate and lead dancer in the com- pany. Tech students and gradu- ates primarily made up the body of the company. Jerry Woods, also a graduate and lead dancer, said, The per- forming conditions in Eng- land were so different that I no longer fear performing on a stage I ' ve never seen before. Being a member of the Con- servatory Classical Ballet, Tech is home of one of the few American companies that per- forms true classical ballet. How did a small ballet com- pany from Lubbock manage to make its way to England? I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, said the director of the com- pany, Peggy Willis. In fall 1986, Willis visited the British American Arts As- sociation, where she met Peter Galanders, the press and pro- motions officer for a program called the AU-American Mar- di Gras. He wanted to bring over American entertainment, said Willis. I sent him a video tape of my company, and he liked what he saw. She ac- cepted the invitation to par- ticipate in the AU-American Mardi Gras and began the ex- tensive preparation for the world premiere. Later, the Willis Ballet Company was invited to par- ticipate in the St. John ' s Am- bulance Brigade ' s 100th anni- versary, which benefited dis- advantaged children. We were received well by the British, said Willis. At one point in a parade for the AU-American Mardi Gras, people in the crowd were actu- ally yelling how much they en- joyed our performance. I ' ll never forget the Fourth of July party in South Tyne- side when the Norwegian band next to us began playing the (American) national an- them, said Moore. They didn ' t have to; they just did it for us. I was very proud of my company, Willis remarked. They had a very professional attitude throughout the entire trip. —Robin Storey In an arabesque position, ballerina Lacev Moore performs in Esmeralda Pas Deux. The Willis Ballet Com- pany presented its world premiere in June. (Photo by Buddy Myers) 28 — Ballet World Premiere

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A cultural experience From Bach to Bayanihan and from comedy to tragedy, cul- tural events provided entertainment for everyone ' s tastes. The Special Events program was sponsored by University Center Programs and by University Cultural Events. The enter- tainers were brought in to satisfy both college students and the general public. It ' s about half and half, said Helen Ramos, ticket booth operator. There ' s about an equal amount of college students and people from the general public. Not only did special events satisfy different age groups, but they also brought specialized performers to the diversified audi- ences. The Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company, Jose Feghali and Aman brought musical flavor to the Allen Theatre in the University Center. The American folk ensemble and the Philippine company presented original music and dances in elaborate costumes. Feghali, considered to be a musical genius, eloquently played works from Beethoven, Ravel, Prokofieff and Brahms. Classical, jazz and pop music also were provided, offering different music for different tastes. Dizzy Gillespie, Tina Turner, the St. Paul Chamber Orches- tra, the Vienna Choir Boys, the Borodin String Quartet and the Alvin Alley Repertory Ensemble performed for music lovers. Gillespie offered a jazzy style, while Turner provided pop music with her original sound. More relaxed classical music was played by the Borodin String Quartet and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. For those who enjoy drama, The Ballad Of Baby Doe and the National Theatre of the Deaf ' s Dybbuk were ones to see. The Ballad Of Baby Doe created a fun, romantic plot in an opera. The characters in the story are gathered from people in America ' s history. Dybbuk attracted a specialized audience. The play enter- tained both those who were deaf and those who were not. Actors used sign language and their voices while acting. At the beginning it was difficult because I didn ' t know sign language, said Connie Standlee, a junior nursing major. Once they started .speaking and signing, I caught on. Comedians Eddie Murphy and Mark Russell provided the humor for the cultural events. They also attracted the most ticket buyers. Murphy appeared on Halloween at Lubbock Municipal Coli- seum and carried out his normal foul-mouthed routine, giving audience members exactly what they came for. Russell, a political satirist, joked in front of a sold-out audi- ence in the Allen Theatre. The latest political jargon was the basis of his act, along with a few comments about the city of Lubbock. All joking aside, cultural events gave everyone a chance to be entertained by a wide variety of performers. — Tracy Hoffman Jeffrey Clonts and Lindsay Dyett act out a scene frum Cats. the international award- winning musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The play, which made its way to Lubbock in April, is based on T.S. Eliot ' s Old Possum ' s Book of Practical Cats. (Shubert Organization Photo by Martha Swope) The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, with guest conductor Eduardo Mata, performed in Lubbock on Feb. 9. 1988. (Photo Courtesy of UC Pro- grams) Renowned jazz figure John Birks Dizzy Gillespie performed his style of music in Lubbock in November. (Photo Courtesy of UC Programs) 30 — Cultural Events Deiigned hy Tbnv Rpnteria