The Doilie Sisters Hill, Constance Valis performer Safford, Sarah performer Theatrical Performance 1981-01-28 La Mama E.T.C. January 28-February 15, 1981. Tap dance and mime show created and performed by by Sarah Safford and Constance Valis Hill. Directed by Carol M. Tanzman, tells the story of two tap dancers who danced their way through six decades of jazz. Accompanied by Peter Weinstock (piano), Frank Canino (bass), and Skip Reid (drums), with a score culled from Duke Ellington, Vincent Youmans, and Enrique Granados. A simple narrative: Two young dancers meet, team up, then dance from youth to old age in nine vignettes-- and nine dance styles-- ranging from 1935 to 1990. We first meet Flo and Lulu climbing our of the audience to demonstrate how to really tap dance. Looking like sixty-year-old dropouts from the bargain basement, they did a delicate tippy-tap, then fell into exhausted reverie. A flashback, cleverly accomplished with simple costume changes and slide projections, landed them in Jerry's Dance Studio, 1935. Like an animate Lulu and Flo are not into High Art, but are popular entertainment dancers, so as Lulu struggles with a kitschy Spanish fan number, Flo did a fascinating and odd danse gymnastique. Lina an animated Art Deco statue, Safford swept from one pose plastique to another, and holding her cane aloft while stretching taut, she recreated that 1930s body line of a long leg and lifted rib cage. The best period dance was a 1950s Mr. Gentle and Mr. Cool, choreographed in large part by Pepsi Bethel. Hot from the first step, this was a seductive black-style jazz dancing with cool and easy leg slides, small and sexy hip rolls, the fedoras tipped over the eyes just right. . "The idea of representing an historical range of popular entertainment styles was intriguing and gutsy...as inventive spirits, they have proven themselves worthy of watching." (Sommer) "The Doilie Sisters is a splendid title. Arousing visions of lightweight laciness, it neatly captured the ambiance of Constance Valis and Sarah Safford's dance performance. ...this dance/mime play also featured a three-piece jazz combo tucked at the edge of the LaMama stage. Performing Arts Encyclopedia http://www.loc.gov/performingarts Tap Dance America http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/tda/tda-home.html Sarah Safford (biography) loc.music.tdabio.166 Constance Valis Hill (biography) loc.music.tdabio.197 tda IHAS 151216 loc.music.tda.653