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THE BEST OF '96 Jane Vranish is a staff writer for the Post-Gazette
As I looked back over 1996, the brightest images seemed to collect in a Dali-esque painting. Mark Morris prancing around as a robust Cupid in "The Spell." Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's Willie Shives as a gun-totin' "Billy the Kid." Indian dancer Keluchara Mohapatra an eternal fountain of youth. Ann Carlson, a fidgety little old lady. Surreal or not, the following moving pictures stood out as the best:
1. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Pittsburgh Dance Council, Benedum Center, Feb. 23). This was real powerhouse dancing, including a "Revelations" that literally lifted the audience members out of their seats. Artistic director Judith Jamison was not content with recreating Ailey-isms. She took the dancers one step further with new works like "Shelter" by Jamale Willa Zollar and "Fathers and Sons" by Shapiro and Smith.
2. Mark Morris Dance Company (PDC, Benedum, Jan. 19) Morris brought a program of his greatest hits, from the momentous "Gloria" to "The...