University remembers innovative dance director

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

Carl Wolz arrived at UH-Manoa in 1965 and spent 23 years in the dance program. Advertiser library photos • 1969 'A Celebration of the Life of Carl Wolz' 5 p.m. today, Earle Ernst Lab Theatre, Kennedy Theatre Speakers: Bill Feltz, education specialist for the arts at the East-West Center; Barbara Smith, professor emeritus of music; Terence Knapp, professor of theater; Leon Burton, music project at the University Lab School Informal; no flowers Contributions may be made to World Dance Alliance, Dance Notation Bureau, or the University of Hawai'i Foundation-Carl Wolz Award

Wolz, former director of the University of Hawai'i dance program, died of cancer in New York. He was 69.

Fans and friends will remember him today, as a scholar of ballet, modern dance, and dance notation, in "A Celebration of the Life of Carl Wolz" at Earle Ernst Lab Theatre.

Wolz, who had a 23-year relationship in dance on the University of Hawai'i-Manoa campus, was skillful in bringing together Asian and Western dance styles.

"He was an extraordinary visionary, always interested in moving forward, never sitting still," said Judy Van Zile, organizer of the remembrance program, which will feature tributes as well as film clips.

"He was always interested in the people side of dance — who the people were, what their interests were, how the community related to dance, and finding projects and things appropriate for each community. And he hired me," Van Zile said.

Terence Knapp, a professor of theater, marveled at Wolz's generosity and vision. "Soon after I arrived on campus, he invited me to perform in 'Swan Lake,' an enormous surprise, and got me involved with the great Danish ballerina, Toni Lander, and Bruce Mark," Knapp said.

Wolz tapped Knapp for several dance productions over the years. "I very much enjoyed that lovely involvement in dance, compared to what I normally do, spoken-word theater," Knapp said. "Carl had a delicious sense of humor. He was a chuckler, and his eyes were often alight with glee and delight in whatever he was doing."

Reiko Oda, of the Oda Ballet School, had a 40-year friendship with Wolz. "He was so generous to everyone he met, giving his time and sharing his knowledge. Very far-reaching," she said.

"We communicated over the years, when he was in Hong Kong and Japan, then St. Louis and New York. He was instrumental in the Artists-in-the-Schools program, because he wanted to give dance to every child, from elementary to high school, and the Hawaii Curriculum Center started such a program. Carl was the person we went to for ideas, for inspiration. All our lives were enriched by this wonderful man."

Carl Wolz, shown in a 1969 performance at the former Kahala Hilton Hotel, choreographed more than 60 works for UH students.

"He was constantly interested in interconnecting things and people," Van Zile said. "He always found the right person to follow through on the ideas he had, and he had a way to interconnect dance with other things."

An advocate of documenting dance with notations, through the system known as Labanotation, Wolz created dance scores of Japanese bugaku, included in his master's degree research work that led to a book, "Bugaku: Japanese Court Dance," published in 1971.

He was prolific on paper, publishing numerous articles on various aspects of dance, and on stage, choreographing more than 60 works for UH students.

"He was not one to let cancer hold him back, and he was active despite his health struggles," Van Zile said.