SANTA ANA : Dancers to Home In on Homeless

Members of the Saint Joseph Ballet Company will be tackling a social issue that hits close to home when they perform their annual fall dance concert tonight at Rancho Santiago College.

The troupe, whose members are mostly inner-city youngsters, will perform a piece titled “It Happens . . . “, which deals with police sweeps of the homeless. Director Beth Burns said the dance was largely inspired by the sweeps that recently took place in Santa Ana.

“This piece tries to honor the dignity of the homeless people who suffer on our street corners,” Burns said. “This is very challenging for our dancers to perform because they are reflecting very deeply on our social problems while they’re dancing, and that’s not easy.”

In order to connect a human face with this social problem, Burns arranged for the group to meet Mary Coe, a 23-year-old woman who was forced to live in the streets of Santa Ana for three months earlier this year when her husband lost his job.

Coe, who is now working and living at Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter in Costa Mesa, attended a rehearsal last week and talked with the dancers about some of her experiences as a homeless person.

Since then, Coe has served as the troupe’s inspiration.

“Now, we know what she went through,” said dancer Flor de Liz Alzate, 14. “When I’m up there on stage, I try to experience what I think she must have gone through. I’m trying to let the audience know how much everyone ignored her and harassed her.”

Coe said “It Happens . . . “ reflects some of her own experiences, including one part of the piece that depicts a group of rich women expressing shock and disgust at where the homeless live. The women persuade police to ask the homeless to move on.

“I cried when I saw that because it reminded me of an incident that happened to me,” Coe said. “I was standing in front of South Coast Plaza and a woman whose car was full of Nordstrom bags actually got out of her car and started yelling at me. She told me I was disgusting and called the police.

“This show is something everyone needs to see. It might open their eyes, and maybe the next time they see a homeless person on the street, they will look at them differently and maybe remember that they are human beings.”

This isn’t the first time the award-winning company has dealt with social issues in its performances. In previous shows, dancers have addressed gang violence and the difficulties of growing up in a big city.

Burns founded the the company in 1983 to provide youngsters with an after-school haven from inner-city life. Scholarships cover the costs of ballet training for more than 90% of the students, who practice six days a week at a rehearsal studio in Fiesta Marketplace on 4th Street in downtown Santa Ana.

Last spring, the group was asked to perform for South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu during his visit to Santa Ana High School.

“It Happens . . . “ is one of three pieces scheduled to be performed at the concert. The others are “A Seed,” which is performed to African rhythms, and “Mi Corazon Canta,” which features live mariachi music.

The performance of “It Happens . . .” will begin at 8 p.m. in the college’s Phillips Hall Theater. Tickets are $15. For more information, call (714) 541-8314.