On Oct. 28-29, Diavolo will bring its dynamic and wittily subversive choreography to the University for a pair of 8 p.m. Edison Theatre performances as part of the OVATIONS! Series.

Courtesy Photo

Diavolo, the acclaimed Los Angeles dance company, performs Ariel Duet. Diavolo will bring its high-wire choreography to Edison Theatre Oct. 28-29.

In addition, Diavolo will present an all-ages matinee as part of the ovations! for young people series at 11 a.m. Oct. 29.

Led by Paris-born choreographer Jacques Heim — who recently choreographed KA, Cirque du Soleil's newest permanent show — Diavolo examines the funny and often frightening ways individuals interact with their environments. Outrageous, surrealistic sets become launchpads for dramatic, athletic movements — leaping, flying, twirling — that bring new life to everyday items such as doors, chairs and stairways.

"Although no two Diavolo pieces are created identically, they do always start with a passionate idea," Heim said.

Inspiration might be an "artwork that moved me ... or an exchange I watched between two people on the street." Heim then creates a set, "its architectural qualities, its geometric shapes and its mechanical functionality," upon which the 10-member company — comprising dancers, gymnasts, actors and athletes — begins to develop the piece.

"At first we go through a period of improvisation during which I ask each of the performers to live with the set, to see what their body is telling them, find out what kinds of movement are possible," Heim said.

He then begins to shape and edit those movements, polishing sequences and characterizations "in the manner of a collage" while gradually adding costumes, lighting and music. "In the end, what you see on stage are the combined contributions of the entire company."

It's been a successful recipe. Shortly after its founding, in 1992, Diavolo earned both a Martha Hill Choreography Award from the American Dance Festival and a Special Prize of the Jury at the Sixth Saitama International Dance Festival in Saitama, Japan.

Los Angeles Times dance critic Lewis Segal wrote that the company's L.A. premiere "establishes (Heim) as a creative force in the community, someone with both a compelling vision and the ability to inspire others to uncompromising performances."

In 1993, Diavolo was nominated for two Lester Horton Awards, and in 1995 it made its European debut at the Edinburgh Festival. It was named "Best of the Fest" by The London Independent and "Critic's Choice" by The Guardian.

The company also received three Lester Horton Awards in 1995 for the work Tete en L'Air. Subsequent honors include multiple Lester Horton Awards and nominations for the 1996 and 2000 CalArts/Alpert Awards in the Arts for Dance.

In 1997 the Los Angeles Times named Heim one of its "Faces to Watch in the Arts," while Buzz Magazine called him one of the "100 Coolest People in L.A." In 1999, he received a James Irvine Foundation Fellowship.

Edison Theatre programs are made possible with support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency; the Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis; and private contributions.

Tickets for the evening performances are $28; $24 for seniors and WUSTL faculty and staff; and $18 for students and children.

Tickets for the ovations! for young people performance are $7. Tickets are available at the Edison Theatre Box Office and through all MetroTix outlets.

For more information, call 935-6543.