Friday, June 13, 2003 | 4:44 a.m.
WEEKEND EDITION: June 14, 2003
How did CCSN's dance company get a trip to Italy? Practice, practice, practice -- and a little fund-raising.
The Community College of Southern Nevada's Concert Dance Company is invited to compete next week in the Dance Grand Prix Italia 2003 in Bolognia, Italy.
The eight-member group will perform at a number of historic theaters in the northern Italian city, which is hosting hundreds of dancers from 14 different countries.
"It's not a nervous rush but an excited rush," said Daniel Mendoza, a 19-year-old dancer who has been with the company for one year. "My parents have never ever got to go to Europe and here I get to go."
After weeks of perfecting their routines, the group will leave for Italy on Wednesday and return on June 25.
Members of the dance company cobbled together the $16,000 for the trip by selling cookie dough and T-shirts, as well as receiving a grant from CCSN's student government.
The troupe will perform thematic modern dances at the international competition.
The first piece, named "The Drunkard in Spring," depicts the carelessness of youth interrupted by old age creeping in.
The second dance, "The Drummer Boy," focuses on the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians over land.
"That one could be very controversial if people are astute enough to pick that up," said Kelly Roth, the head of CCSN's dance program.
For some the trip to Italy will be one of the few chances to practice their craft, Roth said.
"In order for them to improve, they need to see what's happening in the rest of the world," Roth said. "This is kind of a reward for them because we need to have something to shoot for."
CCSN's dance company is among few in Las Vegas that perform modern dance theater. Despite the program's success, many of his dancers will eventually have to leave for New York if they want to pursue professional careers.
"I don't think we have much to do for us out here as far as modern dance," said Jaime Velilla, 25. "I would have to go to New York, but I'm not willing to do that."
"Unless you're 6-foot (tall) with muscles, the Strip is very very limited," said James Varner, a 20-year-old dance student. "I plan to go to New York when I leave here and become a professional dancer."
The dance program won third place in a similar international contest in Prague in 2000. The dancers aren't focusing on winning this time. They just want to inspire their audiences.
"For some people, this is their first dance concert," Roth said. "For some, this is the first time they have seen modern dance. It becomes a catalyst for the imagination of the viewer ... This is an environment where everyone can learn from each other."
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