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‘Summer In Winter’

By Daily Bruin Staff

Feb. 2, 1995 9:00 p.m.

‘Summer In Winter’

Humans and nature. East and West: Opposing seasons symbolize the
dramatic contrast of cultures that radiates from this weekend’s MFA
dance concert. In their performance, Iris Pell and Martinus Miroto
combine modern dance and Indonesian ritual movement.

By Rebecca Zell

Dance can force cultural traditions to merge, creating visual
fireworks and ultimate beauty.

This phenomena blossoms in the Master of Fine Arts’ performance,
"Summer In Winter," by two dancers who exhibit spiritual depth.
Both have the quiet desire to share some of their emotional wealth
with an audience. They are Iris Pell and Martinus Miroto, and their
upcoming program of original choreography expresses nature and
human emotion.

Pell and Miroto have extremely different training, which is one
reason why their collaboration in a duet will be exciting and
daring.

While Pell comes from a fairly strict modern dance background
and is highly influenced by Bella Lewitzky, Miroto’s style is
richly steeped in traditional Indonesian dance, especially that of
Java.

Talking with Miroto is like listening to the Wise Man of a
remote mountain village: He is shy and unassuming, but he seems to
know everything. His knowledge overflows from a formidable
background in dance and theater.

Miroto has lived and worked all over the world, as well as
teaching often and winning an enviable number of awards for
choreography and performance.

He has chosen to combine the modern dance he learned in Germany
and at UCLA with his native Javanese traditions. Here at UCLA,
dancer/instructor Dan Wagner has been most important to Miroto’s
development.

"Wagner’s technique is very natural for my body and my way of
moving," says Miroto. He describes his style as very quick, sharp
and exact. It is not like human motion, but is animalistic, "like a
squirrel, moving with fast, excited gestures."

The centering of weight in the body that is required for this
vivid dancing fits well with the technique of Javanese dance.

"Control is crucial, and that comes from the center of the body.
Javanese dance is like meditation, it is introspective and very
aware," explains Miroto.

Dancing in the Indonesian tradition is all about focusing on the
internal, on the emotions and center of oneself. Unlike in modern
dance, the fingers, toes and head are vital in this kind of
expression. Miroto’s first solo in the program will feature a
Javanese mask and costume, and movement that is influenced by the
traditional trance dance of Bali. It is very exciting dancing and
"people say it’s really good," he says shyly.

His second solo is a source of great pride and happiness for
Miroto. He describes it as, "a celebration of my life, a ceremony
for myself. It is about a very deep experience in my life having to
do with love and nature."

The 35-year-old dancer says with a smile, "I feel good every
time I perform this piece."

Miroto’s fellow dancer, Pell, has an impressive history as well.
She toured internationally as a soloist with the Bella Lewitzky
Dance Company for 12 years. Now she concentrates on her own
choreography.

Pell describes her pieces in the upcoming performance as
speaking with a new vocabulary. Although they have firm roots in
Lewitzky’s technique, Pell’s current work takes new steps and
often, a life of its own.

Pell will perform in two works choreographed by herself, as well
as a duet with Miroto. Her solo roles portray issues of magic and
dance as illusion, the surreal and the beautiful.

She also deals with concepts like human evolution, our
relationship with the earth, and "mankind’s struggle to go
forward."

Her pieces are set to original music by composer husband Peter
Davison. Many of the beautiful and ornate costumes in this
performance were created by Roxanne Steinberg, also a dancer.

The duet the two dancers created for themselves is about
constant discovery. The vastly different styles brought together,
modern dance and traditional Indonesian, are successful and
fascinating in this work.

DANCE: "Summer In Winter" will be performed Friday and Saturday,
Feb. 3 and 4 at 8 p.m. in the Dance Building. Admission is $8
general and $5 for students/seniors/children. For more info please
call (310) 825-2101.

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