(woman)     Good evening. My name is Pam Jones, and on behalf of the Modern Dance club, I'd like to welcome you to tonight's program. The club is pleased to present the TV version of The Catherine Wheel, Twyla Tharp's rock ballet. This video version of the ballet has been even more successful with audiences than the original theater production ---- it includes some animation, slow motion, and stop-action freezes that really help the audience understand the dance.

The title of the piece refers to Saint Catherine, who died on a wheel in 307 A.D. Nowadays, a Catherine wheel is also a kind of firework ---- it looks something like a pinwheel. Anyway, the dance is certainly full of fireworks! You'll see how Twyla Tharp explores one family's attempt to confront the violence in modern life. The central symbol of the work is a pineapple... but exactly what it represents has always created a lot of controversy. As you watch, see if you can figure it out.

The music for this piece is full of the rhythmic energy of rock music. It was composed by David Byrne... of the rock band Talking Heads? And the lead dancer in this version was Sara Rudner, who is perfectly suited to Tharp's adventurous choreography.

Following the video, dance teacher Mary Parker will lead a discussion about the symbolism Ms. Tharp used. We hope you can stay for that. So, enjoy tonight's video... and thank you for your support.