DANCE SALAD OFFERS MIXED GREENS.

HOUSTON--There are no croutons and no dressing, but Dance Salad is, according to founder Nancy Henderek, "a combination of small pieces, sort of a mini-festival." This year's event, to be held May 13 and 14 at the Wortham Center's Cullen Theater, includes national, international, and local performers.

Begun by Henderek while she was living and teaching in Brussels, the showcase has been held in Houston since 1995. This season Henderek is bringing back La Compagnie Ballet David Sonnenbluck of Belgium to perform Dassvidania and Batissimo. Also scheduled are Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve and Netherlands Dance Theater 2. American companies include Pilobolus Too, dancing in a piece co-choreographed by Alison Chase and Moses Pendleton; Bessie Award-winner Shari Williams; and Donald Byrd/The Group. The local Houston Metropolitan Dance Company also gets a chance to strut its stuff with the big names.

Henderek is grateful for the positive response from Texans. "It's just grown so much," she said from Hong Kong, where she was searching for talent for next year's Asian-flavored Dance Salad. "Last year we had to move into the Cullen Theater for the first time." It hasn't been bad for Texas audiences either, who get to sample a tasty repast of international dance.