DANCEBallet Olympians: Johan Kobborg, a 22-year-old soloist...

DANCE

Ballet Olympians: Johan Kobborg, a 22-year-old soloist in the Royal Danish Ballet, was announced Friday as the grand prix winner in the 1994 USA International Ballet Competition. Popularly known as the Olympics of Ballet, the competition, held this year in Jackson, Miss., has launched the careers of several major dance stars, including former winners Mikhail Baryshnikov (1969), Alexander Godunov (1973), Fernando Bujones (1974) and Amanda McKerrow (1981). A total of 22 medals were awarded this year, including four to U.S. competitors. In the senior division, Boston Ballet soloist Alexandra Koltun, 23, won a second place bronze medal, while Houston Ballet soloist Tiekka Schofield, 23, received a third place bronze. In the junior division, Pittsburgh-based brother and sister Simon Ball, 18, and April Ball, 16, won gold and silver medals, respectively. More than 130 professional and amateur dancers from 37 countries competed in this year’s competition, which began June 18. The USA Competition is held in Jackson every four years; international competitions in alternate years rotate among Paris, Moscow, Helsinki and Varna, Bulgaria.

MOVIES

Holy Cast Change!: Val Kilmer will take over the role of the Caped Crusader in Warner Bros.’ upcoming “Batman Forever,” replacing Michael Keaton in the third installment of the Dark Knight saga. In announcing the cast change, Warner noted that Kilmer will also star in “future episodes” of the film series. Keaton’s replacement comes as a surprise since casting for director Joel Schumacher’s “Batman Forever” was virtually complete with Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey as villains and Chris O’Donnell as Batman’s sidekick, Robin. The film starts production Sept. 21. A statement released by Warners said Keaton had left the picture under “mutual agreement” with the studio and hinted that the actor feared being typecast by the Batman mantle. But insiders said the separation occurred when the studio would not match Keaton’s demands for an estimated $15 million for the role. The first two “Batman” movies were huge box-office successes, with the second installment, “Batman Returns,” posting the second highest opening weekend in film history.

* ‘True Lies’ Disclaimer: Bowing to demands of several Muslim and Arab-American organizations that believe the film stereotypes Muslims as terrorists, 20th Century Fox has attached an on-screen disclaimer to its upcoming Arnold Schwarzenegger spy thriller, “True Lies,” which reads: “This film is a work of fiction and does not represent the actions or beliefs of a particular culture or religion.” The James Cameron-directed film has yet to be screened, but the Arab-American and Muslim groups sent a letter of protest to Fox, claiming they had heard that the plot involved terrorists who plant nuclear bombs in six American cities and pledge to ignite them one at a time until the American government agrees to remove its troops from the Middle East. Fox wouldn’t comment on the story line, except to say that there are Arabic-speaking people depicted in a variety of roles. The studio stressed that no changes are being made in the film itself, which opens July 15.

POP/ROCK

Legal Tidbits: Singer Percy Sledge (“When a Man Loves a Woman”) was given five years’ probation, sentenced to six months in a Louisiana halfway house and ordered to pay more than $95,000 in back taxes Friday. Sledge pleaded guilty in April to tax evasion for failing to report more than $260,000 in income. . . . A book publisher has sued the widow of singer Roy Orbison, alleging she promised in 1989 to write his biography but has never submitted a manuscript. Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group alleges that Barbara Orbison received a $130,000 advance for the deal and had just under a year to deliver a 100,000-word manuscript and a 16- to 32-page photo insert. She received at least two extensions, ultimately to July 1, 1992, but still has not submitted the goods, according to the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit. The publisher seeks to recover the advance, plus interest since August, 1992. . . . Meanwhile, the same publisher is being sued by Bianca Jagger, who has filed an $11-million lawsuit against author Christopher Andersen and Bantam over “Jagger Unauthorized.” She claims the book, about her ex-husband, Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, contains false and defamatory statements about her. . . . Police said a pipe bomb exploded outside the Miami home of rapper Luther Campbell this week, barely missing his $50,000 Dodge Viper sports car. No one was hurt, and Campbell’s home was not damaged.

TELEVISION

Comedy Marathon: Cable’s Comedy Central kicks off its “Fall Season in July” at 7 a.m. today with “The Joy of Sketch,” a 65-hour sketch comedy marathon continuing through 4 a.m. Tuesday. The marathon features the premiere of the channel’s high-tech sketch series, “Limboland,” which incorporates music and computer-generated animation, at 9:30 p.m. Monday; and a sneak preview of “French and Saunders,” a newly acquired variety series featuring the British comedy duo Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, on Sunday at 9 p.m. Hosted by comedian Dave Attell, the marathon will also include highlights from “SCTV,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” “Kids in the Hall” and “Short Attention Span Theater.”