Also this issue: Blair Brown -Interview by Toby Zinman First Friday Focus -Lori Hill Signs of the Times -Susan Hagen Rising to the Challenge -Robin Rice James Wyeth -Interview by Lewis Whittington Artsbeat -Debra Auspitz Doug Varone and Dancers -Janet Anderson Trapeta B. Mayson -Ainé Ardron-Doley

February 6-12, 2003

artpicks

Group Motion Inside Dance Workshop

For a fair number of people, modern dance reads like a foreign language. And while there is no Berlitz course in dance, there is a way to get the skinny on what all that movement is about, thanks to Group Motion's Inside Dance Performance Workshop. The two-day program provides a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making a dance piece.

Here's how it works: Group Motion members perform, then break the piece apart, demonstrating the elements that make up the work. This includes discussion of why the dancers do what they do and what they're trying to communicate. For those who wish to gain firsthand experience with the process, you can even join in the proceedings. No dance background is required -- all you need is enough nerve to get out there and try something new. Lastly, there's a question-and-answer period along with an opportunity for viewers to share thoughts on what they've just seen. As GM's artistic director Manfred Fischbeck explains, "We felt we could and should offer the chance for people to see more than the finished product."

Group Motion Inside Dance Workshop, Sat., Feb. 8, 8 p.m. and Sun., Feb. 9, 7 p.m., $15 (single day), $25 (both days), Kumquat Dance Center, 3500 Lancaster Ave., 215-387-9895.

—Deni Kasrel