1996_10 Insight October 1996

              IifeStyie
OCTOBER 2, 1996 I
Irish steppers learning to dance
to beat of a different bagpiper
■ National
Champion dancer
is teaching step
classes
by Dinorah Jenness
Staff Writer
Despite thc fact that her first
baby is due in two weeks, Christina DeGracia is still teaching Irish
step dance.
DeGracia, 23. looked tired but
satisfied as she observed her students rehearsing for their first performance as a team after four
months of intense practice. Her
long black hair swung around her
5'8 frame as she quickly stood and
raised her voice to direct their
steps.
DeGracia is a five-time Western
Regional Champion of Irish step
dancing and she has competed on
national and international levels
with the McTeggart Irish Dancers.
"Irish Dance is very competitive
and difficult to perform. I took
jazz, tap and ballet classes since I
was 3 years old. but Irish rhythm
really got my eye and heart,"
DeGracia said.
Different forms
There arc different kinds of Irish
step dance. There is solo, figure
dance and ceili dance, which is
comparable to line dancing or
square dancing.
The moves are classified as hard
shoe, quick and precise moves;
soft shoe, very delicate, elegant
steps; and step dance, which is
used in more difficult compcti-
Insiglit Photo by Svea Peterson
"Doing dance is fun," says Caitlin Ryan, 8, as she and sister, Quinn, study the Irish Step Dancers.
"Irish step dance is one ofthe most
stalled dance forms, and it requires a
lot of practice," said Cherylin Crill. a
history major who has been dancing
for almost 3 years.
in step dancing are
:d in the legs and feet.
Stiff competition
In the past, students wore Scoliosis
braces, a belt around their arms or a
metal figure-8 brace, to leam to keep
a straight upper body wiih shoulders
and arms back and stiff.
"I started Irish dance lessons because it helped me to get rid of stress,"
said Sherry Louie. 23, a sixth year
engineering major. "I am 100 percent
Chinese, 2 percent Scottish and 1 percent Irish, although. I think I am moving Scottish up to 3 percent now," said
Louie.
Classes forming
Classes are forming for short term
and on-going classes, beginning and
advanced levels. The classes are open
to all ages. The price is $4 per class
depending on the availability ofthe
South Gym, where the rehearsals
have been held lately.
The group will be performing at
the Harvest Festival at Fresno State
in October.
Meeting the challenge
"Starting this school of dance is a
big challenge, but I am driven to do
it because I have the potential and
knowledge to pass on to my students," DeGracia said. "I want them
to experience how wonderful it is."
Town Hall Lecture series bringing
national speakers, issues to Valley
■ Valley volunteer
group hosts six
lectures this fall
by Brian A. Matthews
Staff Writer
The San Joaquin Valley Town Hall
Lecture Scries begins its 60th season
in October with a series of lectures
by writers, TV personalities and an
urban preservation expert.
The upcoming lectures, which will
beheld in downtown Fresno's William Saroyan Theatre, will include a
diverse lineup of six speakers whose
areas of interest will indulge the curiosities of the well-rounded.
Contemporary issues
This season's speakers will include
esteemed international journalist and
newly appointed dean of the graduate program at University of California at Berkeley, Orville Schell;
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and
scientist Deborah Bloom and Paul
Solman, an Emmy and Peabody
Award winning business journalist
and NewsHour with Jim Leher business correspondent.
The annual lectures cover a variety
of contemporary issues that arc on thc
consciousness of American society.
Issues like community revitaliza-
tion. gender differences and the social climate of the United States are
being explored this season.
Valley volunteers
The lecture series is the product of
the volunteer group. San Joaquin Valley Town Hall. Inc.
It is composed of central valley
women from six surrounding coun-
The non-profit group finances the
speaking engagements with proceeds
from admission fees to the lectures
and also with private sponsoring by
group members.
Why not here?
The group, established in 1937,
was the brainchild of Hanford resident, Cleo Ayde Loll, who, after attending a lecture in San Francisco was
motivated to bring lectures to the San
Joaquin Valley.
Initially consisting of Wednesday
morning and evening lectures, the series adopted its current 10:30 a.m. format in 1945 because of low attendance during the United States' involvement in World War II.
Past speakers
In its 60-year existence the series
has hosted many prominent lecturers
who have helped shape American culture.
Past speakers include political
players such as former Nixon administration Secretary of State. Henry
Kissinger and former Governor of
Washington, Dixie Lee Ray.
Authors Maya Angelou, Ray
Bradbury and Gore Vidal and television personalities like CBS Sunday
Morning host Charles Osgood and
Wild World of Animals host Jack
Perkins have also been speakers.
Popular event
Judie Pierot, a Town Hall, Inc.
member for 15 years and head of the
group's publicity, said the morning
lectures that take place on the third
Dogs and owners
have a lot to learn
about each other
Wednesday of each month from October through April are not modest
gatherings.
"Around 1.600 people attend each
lecture," said Pierot.
The Town Hall lecture series begins its 60th season with Orville
Schell Oct. 16.
On the way
Schell will be followed by urban
preservationist Richard Moe Nov. 24,
Deborah Blum Jan. 15. Paul Solman
Feb. 19, pioneering newswomen Susan Stamberg March 19. and syndicated national columnist Clearance
Page April 16.
Student Discount
Individual lecture tickets for students are discounted to 50 cents and
the general public can purchase a season membership pa.ss for S30 to see
all six lectures.
Tickets and season passes can repurchased at the William Saroyan
Theatre Box Office or by mail.
For more information about this
season's lectures or about Town Hall
Inc., call 432-9671.
■ Fresno offers pet
owners dog training
and psychology
by Melissa Bauermeister
Staff Writer
Dog trainer Dr. Gilbert Roth, retired
physician and American Kennel Club
judge, watched owners leisurely stroll
their dogs around the overgrown
grassy yard while he smoked a cigarette and joked with the owners.
Once class began he instructed
owners, speaking through a wireless
microphone worn over his gray baseball cap. to command their dogs. His
narcotics German Shepherd. Baldur,
demonstrated thc moves.
Loving pets
"Dogs live for three things: to love,
be loved and to please." Roth said to
thc class. "So let them."
Roth, who has seen dogs with
names like Dammit and Phydcaux
(pronounced Fido) fall over backwards in dog show competitions,
helps train all breeds in basic obedience. He said the easiest to train arc
border collies, poodles, labrador retrievers and golden retrievers
Dog owners who seek help training their dogs want basic obedience
though there are more specific types
of training such as hunting, search and
rescue, narcotics, tracking and!
schitzhaund. which is used for training police dogs.
Miscommunication
The majority of problems that arise
in training arc man-made, said Roth.
Owners let their dogs do things then
expect them not to do it a different
time, this confuses the dog.
Lucille Huxtablc. who works for a
dog psychologist, said another problem is that "dogs are left alone too
much. People arc too busy so they arc
tossed in the back yard."
"People are loo rough with the dog.
punish them by taking away their food
and yell at them all the time."
Huxtable said. "Dogs can get mentally abused, too. Dogs have to be
praised and loved. Dogs love unconditionally, even if they are being
abused."
Dogs may behave badly, mope or
not eat when they are distressed by
thc death of a family member, a mart
riage in the family or a child going
off to college. These behaviors could
lead to abuse or neglect from a misunderstanding owner.
Dog shrink
For those who seek help, dog psychologist Kathy Huxtable speaks
with the owners to help the dog out
of depression.
"People ask if we put the dog on a
couch bul we don't, " Lucille
Huxtable said. "We usually don't
even see the^og."
"People are so unknowledgeable
about dogs and even about buying
them." Roth said.
Matching temperments
Dogs have different temperaments
so the type of dog depends on what
the person is looking for.
"Each one. like children, are different." Lucille Huxtable said.
Roth said one of his older students
bought a three-year-old poodle for
companionship. "It's a perfect
match." he said. "She just wanted
something to take care of."
Fresno State student Geamar
Lamar, 21. owns a 2-year-old pit bull
named Tyson.
Lamar said he never had any training or obedience problems with three
different pit bulls.
"It's the first kind of dog I've been
around." he said. "They're big, tough,
aggressive and you can be rough with
them and they won't hurt you.
They're so playful."
"You can't get near them," Roth
said. "They'll lick you to death."
"They're not usually bad dogs," he
said. "I'd rather be with 70 pit bulls
than 20 rotweilers or seven shepherds." Roth said.
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