Surface, Mary Hall. Dancing Solo. Dramatic Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0-87129-651-9. 47 pp. A 10-12 Reviewed by Harold R. Oaks Kara is preparing a dance routine for a competitive entrance examination for a summer dance school. She is using her dance to describe and materialize emotional reactions to personal memories and experiences of the past few weeks. The dance ranges from smooth and graceful to disjointed and jerky. It encompasses a mother with an alcohol problem, a boy friend who is dealing drugs to get quick cash, and a friend who feels a lack of trust. There is a powerful culmination as all the disparate elements come together in Kara's dance, and we are left to wonder how it will be resolved. This serious drama is set in a dance studio, where all the flash-backs are made by moving the dance bars and stools, and using the mirror frames as entrances. It focuses on current challenges and how one must still deal with the past. It is effective theatre, well written, with fully drawn characters. Only professionals or very advanced amateur groups should attempt this work. Casting requirements are minimal (3 F, 2 M).
