Dance

Dancer and choreographer Jacques d'Amboise (dahm-bwasz). d'Amboise has done more than anyone alive to bring the joy of dance to the public. For over 30 years, he was principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, and a protege of choreographer George Balanchine. While still with NYCB, d'Ambrose founded the National Dance Institute (NDI) as a vehicle to teach dance and other arts to children. d'Amboise has more recently extended his classes to children with physical and emotional disabilities.

Dancer and choreographer Murray Louis. He's spent 40 years pioneering modern dance, and recently he merged his company with that of his mentor, Alwin Nikolais (nik-oh-lie).

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new recording of music originally written for The Ballets Russes. The five ballets featured in the recording all have music written by French composers, among them Erik Satie and François Poulenc.

Dancer and choreographer Marta Renzi. Typical of her work is "Mountainview," a half-hour dance narrative that premieres this Thursday, August 3 on the PBS program "Alive From Off Center." "Mountainview" is set at the bar of rundown resort run by three generations of the same family. The families loves and jealousies are played out to the sounds of the jukebox, which features the music of Bruce Springsteen, Tammy Wynette and Aretha Franklin. RENZI choreographed the dances and other movements and collaborated with filmmaker John Sayles on the camera work.

Hines started tap dancing at the age of five, and worked in clubs with his brother and father. He made a career on Broadway, and later appeared in movies like The Cotton Club and White Knights. His new movie is called Tap.

Lewitzky is based in Los Angeles where, early in her career, she danced in a number of motion pictures. Her choreography for the stage conveys simplicity of movement, divorced from any suggestion of narrative. Lewitzky performed until the age of 62.

Critic-at-large Laurie Stone recently saw performance artist Michael Moschen's newest act, Moschen in Motion, which features expert and sometimes improvisatory juggling, as well as homages to abstract expressionist painters. Stone says she was awed by the end.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews an all-star recording of Stravinsky's jazz-inspired theater piece, which features Sting, Ian McKellen, and Vanessa Redgrave.

Dance writer Deborah Jowitt. In her new book, Time and the Dancing Image, Jowitt approaches dance as an anthropologist, trying to reconnect dance to history by placing dance's major developments in the context of the culture that spawned it. Jowitt, a former dancer and choreographer, is the principal dance critic of The Village Voice.

Critic-at-Large Laurie Stone looks at the dance and choreography of Mark Morris, the young (31) Seattle dancer and choreographer who is one of the most commissioned and sought-after dancers in America and Europe.

Dancer and choreographer Mark Morris. Before forming his own company in 1980, Morris performed with a wide assortment of dance troupes, including the Lar Lubovich Dance Company, Laura Dean Dancers, and the Eliot Feld Ballet. He has choreographed for the Boston Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet, and recently completed the choreography for the opera "Nixon in China."

Singer Susannah McCorkle performs a tribute to composer Irving Berlin. McCorkle will perform tributes to Berlin each week at this time throughout the month.

New York based post-modern dancer and choreographer Bebe Miller. Her choreography stands out for its energetic, aggressive physicality and for its themes of family and relationships. Miller is the winner of the prestigious "Bessie" New York Dance and Performance Award. In 1984, Miller formed her own company, Bebe Miller and Company.

Pierre Dulaine and Yvonne Marceau, artistic directors of the American Ballroom Theater. In 1984, they formed the American Ballroom Theater to perform and preserve the tradition of ballroom dancing.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Hairspray," the latest film by director and writer John Waters. "Hairspray," a satire of the teen dance shows of the early 60s, follows a long line of wildly eccentric films like "Polyester," "Pink Flamingos," and "Female Trouble." The cast includes Divine, Debbie Harry, Pia Zadora and Sonny Bono.

The actor Divine. He's now starring in John Waters' new film "Hairspray." Divine is known for his roles as freaky, obese, gaudy women. He's become a pop star in Europe.

Part II of an interview with filmmaker and writer John Waters.

The first part of a two-part interview with filmmaker and writer John Waters. His new film - "Hairspray" - follows a long line of wildly eccentric films like "Polyester," "Pink Flamingos," and "Female Trouble." Like those films, the setting for "Hairspray" is Baltimore. The cast includes Divine, Debbie Harry, Pia Zadora and Sonny Bono.

Choreographer Alwin Nikolais. For over forty years he has been considered a revolutionary figure in modern dance. His choreographic vision included the use of visual arts and electronic music long before it became popular.

Accordionist William Schimmel will perform several tangos.