Dance Music on a Saturday Night

The Conejo Symphony Orchestra continues its series of 1992 performances with an “Invitation to Dance” on Saturday at the California Lutheran University Auditorium.

The evening will offer a wide variety of music that symphony Executive Director Harvey Roth said would be recognizable to concert-goers.

“The program is filled with fun pieces, including polkas and waltzes,” Roth said.

The dance-theme performance will be a first for the symphony.

“I was looking for something unique,” Roth said. “Each year we want to present something different. This year I wanted to create something visual to accompany the music.”

Providing the visual effect will be solo dancer Karl Warkentein, 26, who will perform during “Tap Dance Concerto” by Morton Gould.

As a child, Warkentein was once chosen by Gene Kelly to appear in a television special and continues to perform in television, film and musicals.

Other music program highlights include a waltz from “Sleeping Beauty” by Tchaikovsky and “Tritsch Tratsch Polka” by Johann Strauss Jr.

“I saw that polka performed in Vienna once along with our conductor, Elmer Ramsey,” Roth said, “and we both thought it would be perfect for us to try sometime. It’s a stomping, upbeat piece and real fun.”

The concert will begin at 8 p.m. Limited seating is still available. Tickets are $9 and $16.

For more information, call 498-7092.