Thursday, June 11, 1998
Performers hope to receive rave review from audience
THEATER: Show connects music, dance styles, pays tribute to
dynamic genre
By Kate Herold
Daily Bruin Contributor
From the hippie movement of the ’60s to the punk scene of the
’80s, music has been associated with the search for ritual
experience, especially with the college-age bracket. This tradition
continues with the often controversial electronic movement,
according to the creators of "Betwixt ‘n’ Between," a multimedia
extravaganza taking place at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse tonight.
"Betwixt ‘n’ Between’s" varied format consists of two DJs and
drum circle, as well as slide projections, dancing and virtually no
speaking.
It will focus primarily on the six types of electronic music:
trance, house, techno, breakbeats, jungle and ambient.
The creators of the show, Valida Carrol and Terra Green Gold,
hope that "Betwixt ‘n’ Between" will draw more positive attention
and respect to the rave culture.
"A lot of people underestimate the complexity and the beauty of
it, because it’s such a new art form," says Carrol.
"But once you get acquainted with the music, there’s so much to
it."
The show will provide dancing, electronic music, a video portion
and a small amount of pantomime to help the audience understand the
rave scene and the roots from which the scene originally
stemmed.
While the 24-member cast is made up primarily of world arts and
cultures and ethnomusicology students, Valida and Carrol approached
several performers from other majors on campus simply because they
were wearing baggy pants, a style that is popular at raves.
The performers from the world arts and cultures department will
provide traditional world dances accompanied by electronic music,
while the other dancers will perform in the style one would be
likely to see at a rave.
By combining these different types of performance, the show
attempts to draw on ancient dance patterns and illustrate the
effects of these patterns on modern electronica dance.
The show will feature belly, West African and flamenco dancers,
to name a few.
"The roots of the music and the roots of the dance forms are a
combination of ancient dance forms," explains Gold. "So we are
featuring in the show world dancers."
In addition to drawing from ancient dance forms, the show is
based on a ritual format that was designed by cultural
anthropologist Victor Turner.
It was Turner’s ritual theory that became the original basis for
the show. The title, "Betwixt ‘n’ Between," means an in-between
state before a new state, what Carrol and Gold refer to as a
"liminal" period.
"The whole rave movement is in a betwixt ‘n’ between state,"
says Carrol. "That’s the beauty of the movement; it’s in constant
flux. It’s always open to new interpretations, to new people coming
in and adding to it."
Providing the multimedia aspect of the show are DJ Eli Star and
Los Angeles’ DJ Jun. Star specializes in breakbeats and house while
Jun focuses more on the jungle style, which features strong drum
beats and bass. Jun is a resident DJ who appears at The Pink on
Sunset Boulevard on Sunday nights. The video portion of the show
will be supplied by Londoner Madadd, who is creating a show of
visuals that, according to Carrol, "ties the old in with the new"
regarding the rave culture.
The rave scene gained a bad reputation about two years ago,
according to Carrol.
A drug known as "fx", which had negative side effects, was
distributed at a rave. This led to what Carrol refers to as a
full-on confrontation with the police and a break up of the
party.
"It’s akin to the time when rock ‘n’ roll was considered taboo,"
says Gold. "It’s prohibition also. That whole issue with alcohol
… it’s the same thing with modern drugs within the rave
movement."
"Betwixt ‘n’ Between" attempts to bring together all facets of
the electronic rave culture and illustrate the roots of the
movement, as well as the changes that have occurred in the
movement.
"The movement has so much potential to give people a means for
ritual experience," Gold says, "especially people our age."
THEATER/MUSIC: "Betwixt ‘n’ Between" takes place in the UCLA
Freud Playhouse Theater on June 11, at 8 p.m. Doors close at 8.
There will be an after party in the courtyard immediately following
the show. Tickets are $10 general admission and $7 for UCLA
students. For more information, call (310) 825-2101.Student
Commission for the Arts
(Left to right) Melanie Campbell, Claude Ciocan and Taembe
Orismekusa rehearse.