OAK THEATRE PROJECT

There were dancers all over the place–onstage, of course, but also at the little round tables in front of the stage, at the bar, along the back, in the lobby, and filling up the balcony. An acquaintance estimated that 50 percent of the near-capacity audience were dancers. With its comfortable cabaret atmosphere and live jazz by the Ensemble of Non-Thought, the Oak Theatre that night was a very happening scene.

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Once righted, Rossen tries some ballet steps. A dainty pique, in and out at the ankles, is sadly awkward in these shoes. Lifting her leg in arabesque is ugly and next to impossible. None of her movements are genuinely graceful until the very last minute of the dance, after she calmly removes her dress and unbuckles her shoes and steps out of them. Then she walks offstage, simply and naturally.

Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Tony Cifani.