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Zodiaque's 30th anniversary dance concert to be broadcast on WNED-TV
By DAVID WEDEKINDT
Reporter Contributor
Western New Yorkers who missed the Zodiaque Dance Company's 30th anniversary concert last fall will get a chance to remedy that oversight.
A half-hour, multi-camera television show of the performance will be broadcast at 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 1 on WNED-TV. The program was produced by the Center for the Arts, in collaboration with the Department of Theatre and Dance.
The concert, entitled "Celebration 30," was captured with broadcast-quality television equipment by a professional video crew, as well as Center for the Arts' production staff and Theatre and Dance students and faculty.
The CFA staff was led by producer Jamie Enser, who also serves as director of operations and produced events for the CFA. Visiting professional director Boone Enser, the husband of Jaime Enser, edited the full performance last fall, as well as the version to be aired on WNED-TV.
Pieces selected for the Fall 2003 dance concert were choreographed and designed by company and Department of Theatre and Dance alumni, and performed by current company members. The concert was a "personally rewarding endeavor," notes Thomas Ralabate, associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance and Zodiaque director.
"This milestone anniversary performance represented the best of the UB Dance Program and the Zodiaque Dance Company as we celebrated the choreography and design of past Zodiaque Dance Company alumni, along with showcasing our current company members with their unique ability to perform dance in a tremendous range of techniques and styles," Ralabate says. "This performance further reflected our commitment to dance excellence as we continue to move forward as an integral part of the art scene at UB and a beloved source of quality dance performances in our Western New York community."
Thomas Burrows, director of the Center for the Arts, points out that not only is "Celebration 30" "a well-deserved and beautifully realized celebration of UB's excellent Zodiaque Dance Company, but it also is a milestone in the center's progress toward full, in-house TV production capability."
Adds Jamie Enser: "We believe that this project truly captures the essence of Zodiaque and will be an excellent addition to public television programming, while showcasing UB's talented students, faculty, staff and alumni."
Founded at UB in 1973 by Linda Swiniuch, now associate professor emeritus in the Department of Theatre and Dance, the Zodiaque Dance Company boasts a tradition of excellence by providing solid educational and performance experiences for its student members. Many of the company's alumni have gone on to lead successful careers as performers, directors, choreographers, designers and teachers.