THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 14, 1996 TAG: 9606120109
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 77 lines
MasterWorks Inc. will tap into centuries-old traditions next week to offer expressions of praise and inspiration through dance.
This fealty through feet will be on display when MasterWorks presents its annual production, ``Praise Him All Ye People'' at the Wells Theater in downtown Norfolk on June 21-22.
MasterWorks Inc. is a non-profit Christian performing arts group based in Chesapeake out of the Academie de Ballet on Kempsville Road.
The production will feature 37 dancers who will perform a variety of dances based on choreography created by the group's founder and director, Arnora D. Hummel.
Past MasterWorks productions, such as ``Lily and the Gypsies,'' have included lively and intricate story lines embellished with lavish costumes and scenery.
The production will still include lavish and colorful costumes, most designed by Hummel herself, but no story line. This year's program will feature praise for the Almighty through various dance styles and techniques.
``The dances are based on ballet, folk dances and modern techniques,'' Hummel said. ``And then I threw in an extra dance or two, simply because I liked them and wanted them in the show.''
The ``thing or two'' Hummel mentioned are two special numbers: a tap dance routine set to Fred Astaire songs and the pas de deux from Marius Petipa's ``Don Quixote.''
This year's annual dance production has been streamlined for a couple of reasons.
``We wanted to do something a little different and we needed to create dances and routines we could take with us when we perform at various Hampton Roads locations,'' Hummel said. ``That was impossible to do with a lavish production. But these different routines can be performed almost anywhere. But I'm already planning a new production for next year with a story line and lots of scenery.''
Hummel said the praise dances are based on Irish, Spanish, Brazilian and Israeli styles.
``I found in my research that different cultures offer different types of praise to God,'' she said. ``We want to include those in this program. The dances are all based on various forms of praise music, using each country or culture's unique music and instrumentation. I found that all over the world, different cultures basically praise the Almighty in similar ways.''
In addition, Hummel said she and Elbert Watson, a teacher at MasterWorks who once worked with the Alvin Ailey dance company, have created praise dances based on gospel/spiritual works.
Dance teacher Carol Hinman, who trained under the late Gene Hammett and worked with the Cincinnati Ballet, also helped choreograph several of the dance routines in the production.
The gospel portion of the program will include the hymns ``Amazing Grace,'' ``He's Got the Whole World in His Hands'' and ``I Shall Not Be Moved.''
Another unique dance in the production will be a solo dance performed by Janna Ridley based on the life of Anne Frank and set to the tune of ``Remembrances'' from the film ``Schindler's List.''
``The dance will bring out her confinement and sorrow,'' Hummel said. ``She (Janna Ridley) does a beautiful job of dancing and acting. When I saw it during a rehearsal it almost made me cry. We included this in a program of praise because when you go through a situation like Anne Frank did, your only hope is in God.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by CARL ANDERSON
Members of MasterWorks Inc., a Christian performing arts group based
in Chesapeake, perform ``Gospel'' from ``Praise Him All Ye People.''
AT A GLANCE
What: ``Praise Him All Ye People,'' a series of inspirational
dances
Who: Presented by MasterWorks Inc.
Where: Wells Theater, downtown Norfolk
When: Friday, June 21, and Saturday, June 22. Both performances
are at 7 p.m.
Cost: Tickets cost $6
Call: For ticket or dance class information, call Academie de
Ballet at 548-2122. by CNB