CCSN dancers Czeching in for performance

     By Tiffannie Bond
     View staff writer
      Fluid movement, style and dance chronicled the life of Joan of Arc when performers from the Community College of Southern Nevada appeared at the Prague Festival Dance and Theatre 2000 in the Czech Republic.
      Nine dancers performed "Archetype: Images of St. Joan" -- an original work by artistic director and CCSN dance department head Kelly Roth which examines the life of the 12-year-old French peasant girl who believed she was sent by God to free France from English rule and later led troops to victories against the English. Captured in 1430, the patron saint was tried for witchcraft and heresy and burned at the stake a year later at the age of 19.
      The CCSN troupe left April 20 as one of seven schools invited to represent the United States at the festival. Artists from dance schools, colleges and universities in Brazil, Africa, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States competed in categories such as ballet, modern, hip-hop, classical, contemporary, jazz and folk dancing.
      The 70-minute contemporary piece -- cut to 18 minutes for the festival -- was influenced by Richard Einhorn's "Voices of Light," which was inspired by "The Passion of Joan of Arc," a silent movie made in 1928. The emotion and adagio, or slow and graceful tempo, of the music lured Roth to create the modern dance. But it was his blood lineage to Joan of Arc that drove him forward and "gave me the courage to do so," he said.
      "I like the idea that she's a strong woman and a spiritual woman at the same time -- a real maverick of her time," Roth said.
      Roth chose to bring a portion of his work to Prague because of the world's familiarity with the history of Joan of Arc, played in Roth's piece by Jennifer Freeman. Her story has also been inspirational to feminists, lesbians and religious groups for various reasons.
      "She's an image to many different religions," Roth said. "She had so many associations for people. What I wanted to do was to get back to what she was before she was adopted by all these causes."
      Although the festival wasn't the piece's debut, Roth said showcasing his piece to a world audience was equally as educational to its viewers as it was for him and his dancers.
      "I think the European audience will respond better than the Las Vegas audience did because it's part of their history," Roth said prior to the trip.
      Watching the audience's reaction was the least of the dancers' worries. When they weren't performing, they were absorbing the ambience, scenery and culture.
      "One of the things I don't think we're realizing is the impact of the history and how important that is," said Leslie Roth, Kelly Roth's wife and a dancer in the group.
      Dominique Spurling and Jaime Velilla recently visited several European countries and have been preparing the other seven dancers for European people and their cultural etiquette. For fine art events such as the festival, many locals will dress elegantly and applaud in unison to show appreciation. Instead of standing for an ovation, the applause gradually becomes faster.
      "They love performing arts," Spurling said. "Whatever it is. They take it very seriously."
      While in Prague the dancers also attended an awards ball and a charity gala at the Theatre of the Estates -- also known as the Mozart Theatre -- where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart directed premiers of "Don Giovanni." The theater also served as the setting for the 1985 Academy Award-winning film "Amadeus."
      For the most part, the dancers, who returned Sunday, were interested in being audience members and watching the other performances. They tried to attain as much information as possible about styles of dance and choreography in other countries, said dancer Patricia Hernandez.
      Understanding the different styles, cultures and choreography weren't difficult despite the language barriers. Ballet terms, for instance, are spoken in French worldwide.
      "We are going to have the international language of dance," said dancer Ann Pogozelski.
      Those who weren't in Prague can see "Archetype: Images of St. Joan" at the CCSN spring dance concert Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens.
      Those interested can call 651-5483.