Prince-Joffrey Collaboration Set for ’93 : * Dance: ‘Billboards’ will mark the rocker’s entry into concert dance.

Prince, the flamboyant rocker, composer and filmmaker, will enter the concert dance field in a collaboration with four American choreographers, providing music for a full-evening work for the Joffrey Ballet’s 1992-’93 season, company artistic director Gerald Arpino announced today.

Titled “Billboards,” the four-part ballet will premiere in Iowa City next January, but a pas de deux from it is scheduled to be danced in Los Angeles during the Joffrey’s upcoming engagement at the Wiltern Theatre, May 8 through June 7. Former Pilobolus member Peter Pucci is creating the pas de deux, and the other choreographers include Laura Dean, Charles Moulton and Margo Sappington--all of whom have made ballets for the Joffrey in the past.

Prince, who was not available for an interview, reportedly became interested in the Joffrey after attending a performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion during the company’s 1991 spring season--the Joffrey’s final season of residency at the Los Angeles Music Center.

Although a number of choreographers (especially in the jazz-dance field) have used Prince’s music, “Billboards” will mark his first collaboration in concert dance. However the question of whether he will compose any new music or merely select from previous work hasn’t been decided. (One of the compositions to be included is reportedly based on “Thunder” from his “Diamonds and Pearls” album.)

“Billboards” will be underwritten in part by Hancher Auditorium, University of Iowa--which previously commissioned for the Joffrey repertory both James Kudelka’s one-act ballet “The Heart of the Matter” and the Robert Joffrey staging of “The Nutcracker.” Other major funding comes from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Harkness Foundations for Dance.

Earlier rock ballets in the Joffrey repertory include Joffrey’s “Astarte” (1967), Arpino’s “Trinity” (1971) and Twyla Tharp’s “Deuce Coupe” (1973).