Surge Dance Company plans a gigantic project for its 1998-1999 season: a full-scale production of Carl Orff's theatrical cantata "Carmina Burana" with 30 dancers, a full chorus, soloists and percussion ensemble.

The work will be choreographed by Ken Szrzesz, artistic director of Surge, which is the modern dance company in residence at the Carver Center for Arts and Technology. The musical forces will be under the direction of Douglas Byerly.

The piece will premiere at First Night Dover in Delaware on Dec. 31 and then will be given Jan. 8-10 at the Carver Center.

In order to augment the company to 30 dancers, Surge will hold open auditions for experienced dancers at 6: 30 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Carver Center in Towson. Rehearsals will be on Monday evenings through the fall.

Call: 410-887-2845.

'Dracula' in the fall

In other dance news: Ballet Theater of Annapolis will try to crack the Baltimore market by bringing its production of "Dracula" to Towson University's Stephens Hall Theater in September.

Choreographed by artistic director Edward Stewart to various "Dracula" film scores (with a large dollop of Prokofiev thrown in), the ballet was created last year for the centenary of Bram Stoker's novel.

Peabody Prep will put its Christmas production of "The Snow Queen" into hibernation this year and offer a new ballet of "The Blue Bird," choreographed by Roudolf Kharatian and Carol Bartlett. It is based on the fairy tale by the turn-of-the-century Belgian poet Maurice Maeterlinck.

Performance dates are Dec. 5-6.

Pub Date: 7/20/98