Eugene Weekly : Arts Shorts : 5.15.08

Suite Stuff

Music and ballet go hand in hand, right? Yes, but this season, Ballet Fantastique has taken collaboration to new heights with pieces for the Oregon Mozart Players and the Eugene Symphony. In the chamber dance group’s upcoming Tour de Suites, the collaboration expanded as dancers and choreographer worked together to create new blends. From Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe to the pas de deux from Paquita and Le Corsaire, the early part of the program mixes traditional moves and novel partnerships, including “Four Novelettes,” the piece from the Mozart Players collaboration, and “Daybreak” from the Symphony’s Daphnis and Chloe festival. Then the entire company teams up for an original piece, choreographed just for this show: a performance to the score of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Composer Henry Mancini wrote a lot more than “Moon River” and the music for the Pink Panther movie series. Ballet Fantastique’s new piece requires mambo and jazz moves; the dancers say it’s technically challenging but also one of their favorite pieces. The young company should provide an afternoon of sweet suites all around. Tour de Suites takes flight at 2 pm Sunday, May 18, at the Hult Center. Tix, at $14-$25, available at www.hultcenter.orgor 682-5000. — Suzi Steffen

 

Sparkly Hult

We at the Weekly have long wondered what it would be like to E it up at the Hult some night. Actually, no, we haven’t wondered that. Because after all, that’s illegal. But we have definitely wondered what the Big Gray Center of Gravity downtown looks like at, say, 1 am. Now we have a chance to find out — although, since we’re older and uncool, we don’t exactly know what is happening. The thing-we’re-not-sure-about-though-we-suspect-it’s-a-rave is called Spring Into Music, and while that may sound like press release material from the Eugene Public Library’s next First Friday ARTWalk evening, it’s something a bit different: an all-night dance party with DJs Mr. Annand from L.A., Miles Maeda from Chicago, Manoj from Portland and Andrew Mataus, Miles Airon and Luke Mandala of Our Fair City. Perhaps that should be Our Fairy City because we expect to see some serious wings at this thing. There’s a bar for the over 21 crowd, and the party runs from 10 pm to 5 am. We wish we had more info, but we’re apparently not cool enough to know. It’s OK, people. Just leave us some unbroken glowsticks when you’re finished. Spring Into Music starts at 10 pm Saturday, May 17, at the Hult Center. Tix $15 now, $20 at the door, at www.hultcenter.orgor 682-5000.

 

Films You’ll Dig

Indiana Jones isn’t the only archaeologist swinging into theaters this May. The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival is dusting itself off for another year, too.

The festival, which is in its fifth year, features 18 juried films from around the globe that cover archaeological and indigenous topics. Films include Chocolate: Pathway to the Gods (U.S.), about the 3,000 year old history of a “divine substance” (you don’t have to tell me twice) and Unlocking Pharaoh’s Cellar (Germany), which documents a journey into the catacombs of the Egyptian museum in Cairo where thousands of artifacts have not been seen since their discovery.

Over the festival’s five days there will be more than just movies, including a visit from Donny George, this year’s keynote speaker. George was the former director-general of Iraqi Museums until death threats forced him to flee the country, but he has since found safety as a professor at State University of New York, Stony Brook.

Also included in the festivities are a guided trip to Cascadia Cave, Native American storytelling, a symposium on heritage film and an awards reception at DIVA.

The festival hopes to show “the diversity of human cultures past and present in the exploration of our place in history and the world.” So if you dig archaeology, check out TAC’s International Film Festival Tuesday, May 20, through Saturday, May 24, at the Hult Center (full schedule at www.archaeologychannel.org).Megan Udow