The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

dance by Lynn A. Stein Connecting Dance and the Community with a Kiss Commissions--i 8, short-form dance and theatre works. Ticket prices range from $5 to $16. The Kiss Project is premiering two of Marcuse's o n works in the canadian Quintet the first evening of performances at the festival, as well as featuring sork by well-known choreographers John Alleyne, David Earle, Daryl 1-loskins and Joe Laughlin. The performance series includes an evening of flamenco, a special Theatre Sports piece created especially for Kiss, an incredible Tour the World show featuring groups val this year is Little Kisses, special events for children aged 6--14. Events include workshops in theatre sports, creative movement and song writing, plus a special family concert by Rick Scott. The Conunissions are the most unpredictable and exciting section of the festival. In collaboration with the Playwrights Theatre Centre, Judith has commissioned ten choreographers and eight playwrights to create works for the Kiss Project. The only requirements are that each piece must be no longer than five minutes and contain a kiss. Audiences see all 18 pieces at each performance of The Conunissions. Last year the range of pieces created for The Commissions received Aier 30 years in the `business," Judith Marcuse still cares. She cares about her work, the people she works with and the community she lives in. Marcuse, 48, is the principal choreographer and the driving force behind Judith Marcuse Dance Projects' (JMDP), a modern dance organization, productions. She most recently choreographed short works for the West Vancouver Foundation, the Vancouver Opera Gala and a Jim Byrnes video. She serves on the Vancouver Dance Centre board and is active on juries and selection commit tees throughout Canada, encouraging the development of new artists and supporting the survival of the performing arts in these difficult limes. JMDP's newest venture, the Kiss Project, is focussed on achieving survival through new and enlivening initiatives. The mandate of the festival is that the performing arts should be accessible, affordable and excit ing for everyone. In Marcuse's words, "Things are getting tougher. There's a sense of meanness in the land. The idea of working for the col lective good is under threat. There's a hunger to connect." That connection, or re-connec tion, is what the Kiss Project is striving to achieve, with the kiss as a symbol of connection. The first Kiss Project in 1995 proved so popular asid received so much support that it was decided to create an annual festival. Through hard work and the col laborative effort of over 200 artists, JMDP has produced a seven-week festival with 47 separate events. These include unique performances, hands-on (and feet-on) workshops, Little Kisses for children and the highlight of the festival, the overwhelming critical and public acclaim as a highlight of Vancouver's dance and theatre season. For Marcuse, the Kiss Project is another success story in an extremely successful career. Born in Montreal, Judith Morcuse Photo: Robert Korpo Marcuse began her training there and later trained in Toronto, London and New York. She worked with the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet in London, the Ballet de Genee in Switzerland, the Oakland Ballet and Ballet Rambert in London. Her diverse career encompasses directing and choreographing for dance, reflecting Vancouver's cultural diver sity and a dance party with Dal-Dil-Vog. The 15 adult workshops are designed as introductions to a style, giving everyone the opportunity to "give it a try," regardless of age or ability. Participants can learn the min uet, have a fling with flamenco, do some drum dancing and a theatre sports intensive or take some quiet time for themselves with a Tai Chi or Alexander Technique workshop. An important addition to the festi theatre, opera, film and television. She created numerous works for her own company and has been commissioned by groups including Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the Stratford and Shaw Festivals and the Nederlands Dance Theatre. Twenty years ago she settled in West Vancouver with her husband Rick and later, daughter Rachel. Marcuse became the artistic director of JMDP in 1980. Her first professional