While Charlottesville is continually exposed to high-quality performances by national touring groups, we often fail to give recognition to local artists whose quality equals those of the well-renowned. Happily, we acknowledge our resident film stars and writers, yet ignore other artists in the area. Miki Liszt is one of the unrecognized.

Liszt is a modern dancer and choreographer who has performed in the Charlottesville area for fifteen years. Her background and training equals that of the leading New York modern dancers, but she prefers to live, work and perform in Charlottesville.

Liszt studied dance at Sarah Lawrence College under Bessie Schönberg, one of the most influential composition teachers in the modern dance field. Born in Cermany, Schönberg earned high acclaim in the 30's and 40's for her mastery of the technique pioneered by Martha Graham. Schönberg went on to teach such students as Lucinda Childs, Meredith Monk, Lanny Harrison and other dance greats. Her inuence in New York and Charlottesville is far reaching She works closely with Dance Theatre Workshop in New York, which sponsors modern dancers and annually awards the "Bessie" for outstanding compositional achievement. In Charlottesville, she is the Artistic Advisor for the Miki Liszt Dance Company.

Liszt lets her dance speak for itself. Working without a narrative, she begins her choreographic process from a loose parameter, and through a process of editing, she tightens the focus of each moment, presenting a quality performance of clarity and articulation. Liszt believes that a dancer should connect with an audience without self-indulgence. The choreographic intention must be clear and have a strong technical backing for the image to be properly conveyed. By calling her work "traditional art" and "down to earth,"' Liszt entices her audience to attend a modern dance performance by elimnating preconceptions that may have formed from past experiences with abstract and modern art."The key to learning is exposure," Liszt says. Recently, she began the Children's Dance Festival to provide a dance program for young individuals throughout the community. The annual program enables area children from age 8 to 18 to perform short pieces to make up an entire evening of dance. By encouraging dance instruction, Liszt feels that she will always have an audience in Charlottesville.

Receiving financial support from both local and national organizations, Liszt has been able to realize her works and at the same time develop a modern dahce audience. In her studio at the McGuffey Art Center, collaborations are frequent. Any time there are questions to be answered outside of the dance field, a knock next door or a shout down the hall can often answer questions on costumes, design, or music. Liszt enjoys working at McGuffey and firmly believes in the need for an arts basis and support center. Perhaps the environment at the McGuffey Art Center inspired Blindsight, her multi-media work, which premiered last year with small acclaim. This year, Liszt is going to present a show much larger and more ambitious: a full evening dance/theatre project will brings together outstanding Virginia artists in a unique collaboration of film, music, and motion.
Set to premiere September 23, ByPass is a documentary movie transformed by music and dance into a multisensory experience.With a commissioned score by NFA grant recipient and local jazz artist John D'earth, film by prize-winning documentary filmmaker Reid Oeschlin, and guest appearance by Broadway luminary Carol Taylor Edlich, Liszt combines talents of state and nationally recognized Virginia artists to create high quality dance/theatre. Lights will be designed by Yale MFA Dennis G. DaLuiso, costumes by Jane Frank.

Liszt has been working on the Bypass project throughout the past year, and strongly believes that it is the first of Its kind in Virginia. Although her short term goals change from day to day, Liszt hopes to raise enough money to establish a professional dance company in Charlotesville. Currently, her company is paid for performances, but not for rehearsal time. Liszt herself went upaid last year. Hopefully Bypass will both expose Charlottesville to modern dance and bring Liszt the recongnition she deserves.