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D E C EM B E RO u r N ew M o n th ly G u id e T o T h e B est O f W h a t%u2019s H a p p e n in g In T h e A rts in B ro o k ly nB r o o k l y n ' s A r t s O f f e rA D e c e m b e r t oR e m e m b e r7Toe month of December offers a veritable host o f artsactivity in busy Brooklynarts spaces and we are pleased tooffer them up on a holiday platterin this, our second, edition o f ThePhoenix Newspaper%u2019s monthlyPreview Section.The Brooklyn Academy o fMusic%u2019s Next Wave Festival isriding high into December withthe American premiere ofRobert Wilson and Philip Glassmonumental and mesmerizingopera/theater work %u201ctheCIVIL warS: a tree is bestmeasured when it is down(Rome Section).%u201d On thelighter side at BAM theFlying Karamazov Brothersand Kamikaze Ground Crew will blendvaudeville, music, dance and heartstopping juggling for a carnivalesqueadaptation o f Stravinsky%u2019s %u201c TheSoldiers Tale.%u201d For the downrightbeastly, Bill T. Jones /Arnie Zane andCompany%u2019s %u201c The Animal Trilogy%u201dbrings animal metaphors to bear onthe development o f modern dance,while quoting from such notablespecies as Merce Cunningham andGeorge Balanchine along the way.If you prefer your dance o ff thestage and on the ballroom floor, thenthe tangos, waltzes, rhumbas,Charlestons and Hollywood routineso f Peter Maxwell%u2019s Ballroom DanceTheater, at Brooklyn Center for thePerforming Arts at Brooklyn College(BCBC) will take your breath away.BCBC will host another sentimentalfavorite, Tchaikovsky%u2019s %u201c The Nutcracker,%u201d with an enchanting production designed according to early 19thCentury lithographs from the EnglishToy Theater.A different brand of enchantingtheater will come to life at St. Ann%u2019sin the Bread and Puppet Theater%u2019sproduction o f %u201c Josephine: What isArt and What is it Good for?%u201d basedon a Kafka parable and featuringclassical and rock music and over 60puppets, from the Lilliputian to theBrobdingnagian. For theater that goesbeyond even these fantastic boundaries, BACA Downtown%u2019s %u201c Performers Showcase Forum%u201d incorporates movement, music, poetry,drama and design in a vaudevillianrevue o f the new and unusual.With these and the other 150 concerts, plays, art exhibits, dance performances and other art events listed inside this month%u2019s Phoenix Preview,there%u2019s plenty o f imagination andenergy to offer you artistic stimulationduring the holiday month ahead.%u2014 David L.L. LaskinART:A Fashion-able ExhibitT / * / n e n actress Janet Gaynor%u2019sY Y husband wanted to create exciting evening wear for his beloved, hedevised a tafetta and lace tigress outfit. American fashion, however, hasbeen more renowned for its down-toearth functionality than its exoticglamour. The Brooklyn Museum%u2019s exhibition, %u201c The American Eye forStyle,%u201d will highlight the morearistocratic side o f our haute couturefrom the past century. The 20garments displayed focus on some ofthe grand dames of American fashion,including Claire McCardell, the firsttruly American designer, Rita Lydigwith her Marcos-esque collection ofshoes. Princess Viggo, MillecentRogers and Lauren Bacall. Nicethreads. Opens December 10.DANCE:Walking TheElephantY M / h e n Bill T. Jones/Arnie ZaneY Y and Company stampede intothe Brooklyn Academy of Music%u2019sNext Wave Festival, they%u2019ll round up aherd o f 20th century dance traditions.%u201c The Animal Ttilogy,%u201d their eveninglength work, alludes to such modernmasters as Merce Cunningham andGeorge Balanchine in exploring theprocess of transforming movement into dance. Titles such as %u201c How to Walkan Elephant,%u201d %u201c Water Buffalo%u2014-anAcquired Thste%u201d and %u201c Sacred C o w -Lifting a Calf Every Day Until itBecomes An Ox%u201d more than hint atthe animal metaphors they%u2019ll dissect inbreeding their exhilarating dancespecies. Look out for the wild playerpiano music of Conlon Nancarrow,whose obscure recognition does nojustice to his extraordinary style.December 3-6.T h e P h o e n ix N e w sp a p e r %u2014 T h e H o m e -T o w n W eek ly O f B ro o k ly n %u2019s H isto ric B ro w n sto n e N e ig h b o rh o o d sNovember 27, 1986, THE PHOENIX. Pace 17