By Denise Richardson
ONEONTA _ Jacey Lambros has put the dance into a local production of ``Kismet,'' a tale about a poet in Baghdad many years ago.
The musical will be presented in Goodrich Theater at the State University College at Oneonta at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Lambros, 27, has returned to her hometown of Oneonta to choreograph her first fully staged musical with Orpheus Theatre, a company where she learned about stage presence and the workings of theater.
A 1998 graduate of Oneonta High School and a 2002 graduate of Hartwick College, she has completed her fourth season as a Rockette at Radio City Musical Hall in New York City and will start rehearsals again in September. Busloads of people from Oneonta have traveled to see her perform, she said.
``How could I not come back to do this?'' Lambros said.
Michelle Gardner, ``Kismet'' producer, said she thought of asking Lambros because of her talent and ability to get along well with people and to energize them.
``She's a very talented dancer,'' Gardner said. ``She does creative and lively choreography.''
Lambros said she has designed solo and group dances, which add humor, cultural gestures and sass to characters and scenes in the show. She has worked with women, men and children in the ``Kismet'' cast. She said she is somewhat of a drill sergeant when it comes to rehearsals, but added the cast has shown passion and eagerness to learn and perform.
``I'm all about precision,'' Lambros said. ``I say `one more time' probably about a thousand times.''
In SUCO's Hamblin Theatre, Lambros worked Monday night with three young dancers. They raised their arms to create exotic moves, and Lambros gave a quiet word of approval. She joined the line to refresh the dancers' memory of the sequence, then expanded the choreography while counting to keep the beat.
Kelsey Costello, 18, a SUCO student from Buffalo, said Lambros conveys a desire for perfection ``in the best way.
``She knows a dancer's perspective,'' Costello said. ``It's amazing how she can just think on her feet.''
Since March, Lambros has traveled periodically from New York City to give dance steps and cues to cast members, who this week are putting on costumes and rehearsing songs, lines and steps. Lambros, who recently moved to Jersey City, N.J., is auditioning for commercials and other dance work. She said scheduling was a bigger challenge than expected, and she relied on dance colleague and former NYC roommate Elisabeth Baldanza to conduct rehearsals in her absence.
``I've been really drilling them,'' Baldanza, 24, said Tuesday.
Both dancers said they were happy to ``give back'' to Orpheus Theatre and the local community because of the training and experiences they had learning stage craft. They have worked summers for Orpheus.
during summers in developing children's theater productions.
``I'm happy to help out with Orpheus because I gained so much,'' said Baldanza, a 2002 graduate of Lighthouse Christian Academy. ``The theater process is always fun, no matter what side you're on.''
