[Dixielandjazz] Another view of "Dixieland" and the Dance.

[Steve barbone]

And from Andover Massachusetts, comes this bit of dance improvisation.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

By Sonya Vartabedian  Staff writer

Like many people, Elaine Mawhinney got caught up in the exuberance of the
moment as she watched this year's Mardi Gras celebration parade down New
Orleans' Bourbon Street.

The color, the costumes were intoxicating, she said. But Mawhinney couldn't
get the rest of the picture ‹ the part she wasn't seeing on TV ‹ out of her
mind. Just six months after Hurricane Katrina tore a destructive path
through the Gulf Coast, she couldn't help but believe all the revelry was
fleeting.

"I thought, 'That's just one street. What about the other 95 percent that's
still suffering?' " she said.

Following the lead of artists in all genres ‹ from musicians to actors to
visual artists ‹ Mawhinney decided to draw on her own talents to express her
thoughts on Katrina's tragic toll.

The Newburyport dancer-choreographer has crafted "Beyond Katrina," a trilogy
dance piece incorporating classical ballet, Dixieland jazz and modern
movement that takes audiences through the eye of the storm.

The piece is one of the original dances that will debut during Still Point
XXXII, the annual spring production at Northern Essex Community College's
Dance Department in Haverhill. While Still Point Dance presents three
performances over the next two weekends, "Beyond Katrina" is on the program
as part of the April 28 and 29 shows only.