Articulations

Time flies, it seems, not only when you're having fun but when you're educating dancers. How else to explain the fact that this weekend the UT Department of Theatre & Dance celebrates the 60th anniversary of its dance program? Why, it seems like only yesterday that young Texans started streaming onto the Forty Acres with dreams of becoming the next Martha Graham. Well, it's been six decades all right, and UT is marking the anniversary with a choreographic extravaganza: receptions, reunions, displays, panels, master classes, and performances by UT faculty past and present. The department has sent invitations to all the alums it could locate, hoping they'll return for a big reunion reception this Friday, February 27, 7-10pm. Then, on Saturday, February 28, the department will host an informal brunch, tours of the F. Loren Winship Drama Building, a panel discussion on careers in dance featuring department alumni, and master classes. The centerpiece of the weekend is a gala dance concert at 8pm in the B. Iden Payne Theatre. The gala, titled Dance Repertory Theatre Retro-Action An Evening of Dance, features a premiere by Sharir Dance Company founder Yacov Sharir and dances choreographed by José Luis Bustamante, Lyn Elam, and the much loved and still very much missed Heywood "Woody" McGriff. If you're a UT dancer or just appreciate what the department has done for dance in Austin over these past three-score years, it's worth taking part in the party. For more info, call 471-5793.

The Learning Curve

Artists' Legal & Accounting Assistance of Austin is presenting "Tax Filing for Artists," two hours of info about filing requirements, changes in the tax code for 1998, business deductions, and all the other IRS hoopla that gives artists such headaches. A panel of some of the area's best arts-oriented accountants will field questions. All you have to do is show up and ask. This free - got that? free - seminar takes place Saturday, February 28, 10:30am-1pm, at The Public Domain Gallery, 807 Congress. Reservations are requested. For more info, call 407-8980.

Off the Desk

Ballet Austin and Barnes & Noble are giving you a peek behind the scenes of the ballet company's next production, Ulysses, with the event "Turning a Legendary Epic Into a Legendary Ballet," Sunday, March 1, 2pm, at the Barnes & Noble Westlake store, 701 Capital of Texas Hwy South. Ballet Austin soloist Chris Hannon will relate the basic story of The Odyssey and discuss the process by which Cypriot composer Michael Christodoulides and BA artistic director Lambros Lambrou - also a native Cypriot - found ways to translate the epic poem by Homer into movement and music. Ulysses will have its world premiere March 6-8 on the Bass Concert Hall stage. For more info, call 476-9051. Hey, all you performance artists and cutting-edge theatre companies that have put off and put off sending in your applications to the Second New York International Fringe Festival: Get off yer duffs! The deadline is this Saturday, February 28. This year's fest will cover 12 days and feature more than 175 multi-disciplinary, multicultural theatre companies and performing artists in venues all over downtown. For info, call 212/307-0029 or write: 445 W. 45th St., 4th floor, New York, NY 10036. Or there's a website at http://www.fringenyc.org.