2007年VOA标准英语-Dance Across the City Sweeps Bostonians Off The

By Yi Suli
Boston, Massachusetts
12 April 2007
 
Watch Dancing report

The northeastern U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, is a city rich in culture – from its prominent professional theater companies to its world-renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra.  Less well known are the city's many talented dance companies.  In order to change that, the city recently hosted the fourth annual Dance Across the City, a chance to spotlight¹ the city's wealth of talented dancers.  Yi Suli reports the event was not only a chance to watch, but also a chance to learn how to dance. Elaine Lu narrates² the video.

 
Participants in Dance Across the City
For the Bostonians who took part, dancing is more than art.  “It's a fun way to express yourself," one dancer says.

"It's in you," says Betty Milhendler, another dancer.  "You [have] got to do it because you love it."

Dancer Lorraine Chapman adds, "It feeds the soul, the heart, the mind and the spirit."

Dance Across the City is an annual, free event in Boston.  "I really believe the mission is to showcase the wealth of talented dancers and dance companies throughout the world," says Susan Wilson, one of the organizers of the event..

This year's Dance Across the City featured two days of activities where participants could enjoy dance performances as well as register for various dance classes. 

"I just love the challenge of moving my body in a disciplined way," says college student Jean Lee.  "And the mental exercise of learning combinations and putting it together, and just the joy of moving with music, moving with people – it is a very communal³ kind of love."

Jody Kreiken is trained in classical ballet, but she wants to try belly⁴ dancing. "It just looks cool.  It looks cool how these women move.  I hope I can do it," she says.

 
Karen Uminski
Karen Uminski, a dance instructor⁵ at Goddess Dancing, a local dance company, understands the appeal of the Middle Eastern dance.

"In this very puritanical⁶ culture that we live in, we have lost touch to a great extent with our bodies," she says.  "Really, belly dancing is a process of getting to know your body.  It is one of the reasons why we are so excited."

Uminski says getting in touch with the body enhances one's self-confidence.  Shaumba-Yandje Dibinga, the director of OrigiNation Incorporated, a dance company from a black community in Boston, agrees.

 
Shaumba-Yandje Dibinga
"They do take dance classes,” she says.  “But we kind of focus on helping⁷ them boost their self-esteem, and learn how to speak in public.  We talk to them about education and understanding that their academics come first."

Arlene Steiner, another instructor at the event, says dance awakens⁸ the body.

"There is a lot of strength in their body they are not used to tapping into and see how fun it is to push it out of them,” she says.  “You can push your body really hard, that is what it is made for."

For some, dancing is even more powerful.

Dancer Chapman says, "I think dancing is important. I don't think we would be at war in Iraq if everybody took a dance class everyday."

 
83-year-old dancer Betty Milhendler
"It is part of your existence,” says 83-year-old Milhendler.  “It is part of your identity and there is a joy in dancing and movement. I'm happy to be still able to do it."

Dance Across the City features a wide gamut⁹ of dances: from classical ballet to modern dance, from fiery¹⁰ tango to sensual belly dancing, from Indian traditional to Latin salsa, and even Afro-Haitian where every muscle in the body throbs¹¹ with the drumbeat.

"I love the movements,” says dancer Yujeana.  “It is just very spiritual for me.  It really connects me to my body. "

But for many, like instructor Wilmayer Marcelin, dancing is simply a way to bring people together. "Remember, dance is love.  Dance is universal,” he says.  “It doesn't matter where you are from or who you are.  Everybody can dance."

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

3 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

4 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

5 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

6 puritanical   

adj.极端拘谨的；道德严格的

参考例句：

• He has a puritanical attitude towards sex.他在性问题上主张克制，反对纵欲。
• Puritanical grandfather is very strict with his children.古板严厉的祖父对子女要求非常严格。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 awakens   

v.（使）醒( awaken的第三人称单数 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• The scene awakens reminiscences of my youth. 这景象唤起我年轻时的往事。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The child awakens early in the morning. 这个小孩早晨醒得早。 来自辞典例句

9 gamut   

n.全音阶，(一领域的)全部知识

参考例句：

• The exhibition runs the whole gamut of artistic styles.这次展览包括了所有艺术风格的作品。
• This poem runs the gamut of emotions from despair to joy.这首诗展现了从绝望到喜悦的感情历程。

10 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

11 throbs   

体内的跳动( throb的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• My finger throbs with the cut. 我的手指因切伤而阵阵抽痛。
• We should count time by heart throbs, in the cause of right. 我们应该在正确的目标下，以心跳的速度来计算时间。