PHILADELPHIA JOURNALISTS SPONSOR DANCE PANEL.

What makes a good dancer? Journalists in Philadelphia have an answer. On May 30, at the Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News building on Broad Street, the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists convened a panel of local dance experts to answer this and other questions. Entitled "Perfect Motion: The Evolution and Diversity of Dance," the event drew a lively crowd of reporters and dance professionals and spurred discussion on topics that ranged from the politics of hip-hop and its negative stereotypes to the importance of dance in the everyday life of the black community.

Moderated by Denise Saunders, a reporter with Philadelphia's KYW-TV, the panelists were veterans of the Philadelphia dance scene, either by birth or vocation. Robert Garland, Dance Theatre of Harlem's resident choreographer and a former DTH dancer, grew up in Philadelphia and studied there with the late John Hines (a legendary figure in the black Philadelphia dance community) and at Joan Myers Brown's Philadelphia School of Dance Arts. Brown, a native Philadelphian, maintains her position as executive/artistic director of the Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco) while heading her school. Rennie Harris was raised in North Philadelphia and is artistic director of Rennie Harris PureMovement, the company that brought hip-hop to the concert stage. The fourth panelist, Roy Kaiser, is a former principal dancer and ballet master of the Pennsylvania Ballet and has been its artistic director since 1994.

It may seem surprising that journalists would organize such an event. But according to Sherry Howard, president of the PABJ, it is one way of fulfilling the group's mission to give back to the community while also recognizing the importance and integrity of dance in Philadelphia. And it became evident from the questions posed by both reporters and dance experts that there were many areas of common interest. Journalist Eva Blackwell asked about the possible stigma that arises when boys--such as her preadolescent son--take dance classes. Panelists rose to the occasion, offering suggestions and anecdotes that opened up a lively dialogue. Most spoke about how they got boys interested in classical dance and taught them to respect it. Garland said he got boys involved by focusing on the math and geometry of dance. Harris said he had no trouble getting men to move. "Once they're interested in hip-hop, I can get them into ballet," he said. "Hip-hop gets them exposed to other types of dance." Brown said that in many cases it's the adult perception that has to change. She often encounters boys who want to dance but are discouraged by their parents.

In keeping with the panel's theme, Cheryl Ann Wadlington, a fashion journalist, asked how the panelists dealt with the diversity of body types--particularly of African American females--of those who came to them with hopes of dancing professionally. Panelists seemed to agree that there were, and had always been, more opportunities for black dancers than people realized. Garland pointed out that Philadelphia has long had black ballet dancers. The vision of the perfect body type "depends on who your influences were," he said. "There was always somebody training someone somewhere." And when asked, "What makes a good dancer?" all agreed that spirit was the most important factor. As Brown quipped, "I don't have dance; dance has me. I can't get away from it."