Karen Lee of Lewiston had just wanted to keep dancing while she was home from college. She’d just finished her junior year as a dance major at Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania and she didn’t want to get out of shape before going back. “I always come back at breaks and take class,” said Lee. “And I had this grand idea that I would choreograph over the summer.”
She applied for a summer dance intensive with the Paul Taylor Company in New York City. In case that fell through, she also applied to the Portland Ballet to participate in a showcase of local choreographers called “Portland Dances! – a Night of Surprises.”
She got them both.
Lee spent three weeks in New York in back-to-back dance classes and three weeks getting her Israeli folk dance-inspired work “Meshuga’as” ready for performance as part of the “Portland Dances!” program. Lee will join veteran choreographers Debi Irons of Bridgton and Joanna Patterson of Brunswick (Art Moves Dance Company), Karen Montanaro of Casco (Portland Ballet), and other Maine choreographers for the 8 p.m. performance tonight and Saturday, Aug. 20, at John Ford Theatre in Portland.
Lee is already familiar with the Portland Ballet, having been a student with its C.O.R.P.S. training program in high school, rushing from classes at Lewiston High School to ballet and pointe lessons in Portland.
At Mercyhurst, she maintains good grades, required if she wants to stay in its dance department. When not taking her daily technique classes there, she might be found in rehearsal, doing homework for her academic classes, or performing with the college’s Liturgical Dance Ensemble. With no time off for summer break, it has been a meshuggina schedule.
“Meshuga’as” (Yiddish for “craziness”), her piece for Portland dances!, started out for Lee as an attraction to the music and dance of “Fiddler on the Roof.” She thought it might be interesting to try to combine ballet and traditional Israeli dance steps.
For music, she searched the Internet and struck gold. She typed in “Tradition” and got a CD of Jewish music performed by Itzhak Perlman with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra. The choreography projects a sense of celebration after hard work.
The energetic “Meshuga’as” piece was first performed at a showcase at Mercyhurst. “It’s exhausting to do, so we were glad when it was over,” Lee said. Then she was asked to perform it again for a second show. Then again for a liturgical performance. And now she’ll bring it to Portland.
After the performance, will Lee finally take a little time off? No, she still has one more thing to stay in shape for, one more contact to explore. She will audition Aug. 28 in New York for the Paul Taylor Company.
Craziness, with perhaps a touch of success.
NOTE: Lee will also perform Sunday, Aug. 21, at the Buttermilk Old-Time Music Show in Belgrade (see story on page 12).
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