Kerry Clawson | September 28, 2010
Lightly They Tread
Rolling tires, throwing them onstage and frolicking among them was the thing of the day for volunteers at Wednesday's rehearsal of Bolero Akron at Guzzetta Hall.
About 50 community volunteers this week have been building the dance that will celebrate Akron's past and present with choreographer Larry Keigwin and members of Keigwin + Company. On Wednesday, a group of 16 rehearsed a section to Ravel's Bolero, standing on top of their tires, miming driving race cars while standing inside them and skittering around while holding them at hip level.
Caris Collins, 6, cutely crawled through a tire and later, her mother, Crystle, boogied alone at center stage with a tire around her waist.
It will be 12 days of fun and hard work for the Akron-area volunteers - many of whom have no previous dance experience - before the premiere of the Akron-centric piece at 8 p.m. Oct. 2 at E.J. Thomas Hall.
Expect everything from Soap Box Derby cars to Harley-Davidson motorcycles onstage for this celebration of community.
Keigwin + Company is still actively recruiting volunteers to join a flash-mob
portion of the dance, which will segue into a choreographed bow set to Whip It by Akron's own Devo. All ages are invited, and no dance experience is necessary.
Flash mobbers will rehearse 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday at Guzzetta Hall, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Oct. 1 at E.J. Thomas Hall, and a dress rehearsal from 2 to 5:30 p.m. the day of the performance. For more information, see Bolero Akronon Facebook or send e-mail to BoleroAkron@gmail.com.
The rest of Keigwin + Company will arrive Sunday to conduct a week of dance classes at the University of Akron, plus company rehearsals and ongoing Bolero Akron rehearsals.
For UA dance students Sara Barbuto, Catie Huff and Lianne Zydowicz, serving as student dance captains for Bolero Akron has been a chance to work with a professional New York company. Longtime local actress Marci Paolucci was drawn to working on a dance that's ''all created in the moment.''
''It's E.J. Thomas Hall. When else am I gonna be on the E.J. Thomas stage?'' she asked.
