Collage of Movement

From a dancing princess to "Lord of the Dance," royalty's on the move this week at a pair of very different dance events.

This weekend, the College of Southern Nevada visits the Palace of Versailles -- and revisits the ghosts of Windsor Castle -- at its Fall Dance Concert.

And Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance," a Strip staple for more than five years, returns to Las Vegas Thursday for a one-night-only performance at the Orleans Arena.

CSN's Fall Dance Concert, which opens a three-performance run tonight in the Nicholas J. Horn Theatre at its Cheyenne campus, spotlights two premieres and two revivals of earlier works.

The dances reflect a wide range of styles and themes, notes Kelly Roth, who heads CSN's dance program and choreographed all four works.

The performers also represent a similarly wide range, from "people that have never danced (before) to people who've been dancing 30 years," Roth explains. "That's one of the unique things about the program. We're able to blend what's appropriate" for each dancer.

The concert's collaborations extend beyond the dancers, with two Las Vegas Philharmonic musicians -- violinist DeAnn Letourneau and violist Mary Trimble -- joining dancers onstage for one work, "Adieu au Gateau (Farewell to the Cake)."

And CSN music professor Walter Blanton, a trumpeter and composer, contributes three edgy tunes for the premiere of "Blantonic Variations," a three-part modern dance suite.

As a fellow faculty member, "Walt and I have been hoping to embark on a project together," Roth says. "The time has finally arrived!"

Unlike the modernistic "Blantonic Variations," the revival of Roth's "Wisdom" -- introduced at the college a decade ago, just after Princess Diana's death -- qualifies as "dance theater," he explains, "an eclectic style that incorporates modern, jazz, ballet," even mime. In short, "whatever is useful" to convey the dance's themes, Roth says.

Reflecting on Diana's life, "Wisdom" also presents a collage of other strange, tragic and/or unexpected events that shared the headlines in 1997 -- including the Hale-Bopp comet's arrival (and the Heaven's Gate cult's suicidal departure in its wake), Elton John's forays into volunteerism and the quiet altruism of Mother Teresa, who died less than a week after Diana.

"One of the things that the general public may not be aware of," Roth says, "is, that among other things, Princess Diana was herself a dancer and a tireless supporter of the art form. As the poor stepchildren of the arts, we dancers thus felt a special bond with her."

The "Wisdom" revival seems particularly timely now, Roth notes, because of "the relevance of the 10th anniversary of her death." But, he adds, "the process of obtaining wisdom is timeless."

About 17 dancers take part in "Wisdom," including Allie Lincoln as the ill-fated "people's princess," Damon Lasiter as her ex-husband Prince Charles, Ben Stobber as Charles' paramour Camilla Bowles, Tiffany Shipman as Queen Elizabeth II, Leslie Roth as Mother Teresa, Jaime Velilla as Elton John -- and Roth himself as Heaven's Gate leader Marshall Applewhite.

In contrast to "Wisdom's" 20th-century backdrop, "Adieu au Gateau" is rooted in late 18th-century France, when aristocrats were about to lose their heads -- literally -- during the Reign of Terror.

Appearing as agents of the French Revolution, Letourneau and Trimble will serenade the dancing duo of Roth and Lincoln with the Handel-Halvorsen Passacaglia for violin and viola as the dancers enjoy "a last fling for the aristocracy," Roth explains. Fittingly, he says, the choreography reflects the era's rococo architecture -- and references court dances of the period.

Rounding out the program: a revival of Roth's 2000 "Group Suite," which he describes as "an abstract piece with a psychedelic backdrop" -- including irreverent British violinist Nigel Kennedy's interpretation of Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone from the Sun."

Meanwhile, a percussive Celtic soundtrack -- and the pounding beat of dancing feet -- power "Lord of the Dance's" return to Las Vegas on Thursday after a four-year hiatus.

During its Las Vegas residency, "Lord of the Dance" played more than 2,000 shows (at New York-New York and The Venetian) before taking a final bow in April 2004.

Since that farewell, the touring version has visited more than 300 cities in 20 countries. Overall, more than 100 million people have seen Flatley's Irish dance extravaganza, which recounts a classic folk-based tale of good vs. evil, as villainous Don Dorcha, the Dark Lord, challenges "The Lord of the Dance's" title character.

The current 10th-anniversary tour, which began earlier this month, is scheduled to visit more than 60 cities through next spring.

Dancer Adam McSharry, who's been with the show for almost a decade, isn't surprised it's still going strong -- although, he jokes, "I'm surprised I'm still going strong."

Although "Lord of the Dance's" story line remains the same, "it's had a hell of a lot of revamping," McSharry says in a telephone interview. "It's the same numbers, but a lot of new costumes and new sets" augment the show's appeal.

After all, "Irish dancing is still a relatively new thing for America," says McSharry. "The general impression is, 'Oh, it's a tap-dance show.' "

At least until audiences "see all those legs moving" at top speed, he adds. (The dancers practice two hours daily on tour to maintain their precision.)

"It fascinates people," he says, especially with all the factors of lighting and music supplementing the precision dancing.

For the past six or seven years, McSharry has portrayed the title character's nemesis, Don Dorcha, and "I love being the villain," he says -- even though he admits "the good guy still has the best of steps."

But McSharry doesn't mind -- especially when the audience rewards his villainy, he says. "I feel as though if I get booed, I've done my job."

Contact reporter Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0272.