Also this issue:

Last Chance
A look at two don’t-miss gallery shows closing soon.
-Susan Hagen

Sir Thomas Allen
-David Shengold

Paradise City Arts Festival
-Brian White

The Fabled 13th Puppet Uprising
-Juliet Fletcher

James Joyce is Dead and so is Paris
-A.D. Amorosi

Some Like It Hot
-David Anthony Fox

Big Love
-Toby Zinman

Doug Anderson
-David Warner

April 3- 9, 2003

artsbeat

compiled by Debra Auspitz

He may have brought in millions for the pottery-wheel industry in Ghost, been a badass in Point Break and done, well, whatever the hell he was doing in Road House, but Patrick Swayze will be forever identified with Dirty Dancing. But long before he wooed Baby and crooned "She’s Like the Wind," Swayze was busy making his mark as a dancer. He was hired for a show in 1971 by Randy Swartz, who is currently in his 20th year as artistic director of Philadelphia powerhouse presenters Dance Affiliates. Swayze, whose latest flick, One Last Dance, is in the Philadelphia Film Festival, is reuniting with Swartz to help fete Dance Affiliates’ 20th anniversary with "An Evening of Dirty Dancing" on April 7.

After food, drink and dancing with The Geator, guests will be treated to a program that includes Swayze and his wife, Lisa Niemi, dancing a pas de deux from One Last Dance, not to mention local Koresh Dance Company recreating the final scene of Dirty Dancing. Seriously.

While guests are having the time of their lives (sorry) and raising cash for Dance Affiliates, Swartz will be taking a trip down memory lane. He says he can divide up his experiences as a Philly dance curator into four kinds of "highs." First there's "bringing a dance company to Philadelphia that Philadelphia has never seen before and have the audience just go ga ga." Swartz lists this season's National Dance Company of Spain performance and last year's presentation of Brazilian dancers Grupo Corpo as such moments. The other highs include "the memorable experiences of commissioning works and working with the artist" (Swartz has worked with dance greats like Paul Taylor in this capacity); the fact that "over the years the artists have come to really trust Philadelphia to bring new work here"; and finally, "the response and interaction that we have with the kids" during Dance Affiliates' outreach programs for schools. Swartz also admits that he personally loves getting to work with legends like Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, José Limón, Twyla Tharp, David Parsons, the aforementioned Taylor and a host of others. Swartz says a goal of his is to challenge Philadelphia with the dance he brings in. "I presented Merce Cunningham over three decades," he says, "and the response to Merce Cunningham has changed substantially from the first time I presented him. It's heartening to see an audience grow and mature and change its perceptions."

As for the future, along with continuing to present innovative seasons of dance, Swartz hopes to incorporate more live music into his events, including a collaboration with musicians studying at Curtis.

For information on the 20th anniversary event, call 215-636-9000, ext. 109 or visit

www.dancecelebration.org. Give your cash to a good cause and enjoy some stargazing.