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/ Page 12 The Panther August 25, 1980 Folkes Finds ‘Fame’ In Movie BY VEVERLY Y. BYRD It seems nowdays that success stories are about elusive as the five cent candy bar. However, in the performing arts, professional dancer Neisha Folkes maintains that obstinate will to succeed. Ms. Folkes, 21 and a principal dancer in "Fame” a highly ac claimed movie about several students at Manhattan's High School of the Performing Arts, says her "love for creativity” has attributed to her success during the course of her career as a professional dancer. Ms. Folkes displayed a part of this creativity in a benefit performance August 13 at the High Museum for the World Premire of “Making It On My own,” a film produced by the Young Film Makers. Although Ms. Folkes was not a starring actress in the film, she does have strong ties with the high school featured in the movie “Fame." Ms Folkes was a top award graduate from the same Performing Arts school and portrayed an important part as a dancer in the film. Although a top graduate of her class, she energetically notes"- Just because I went to Perform ing Arts didn’t mean I was given the position to do the role, I had to follow it up with my talent. Ms. Folkes, whose use of hand gestures while conversating gives the impression of constant preparation for a dance routine, recently graduated from Julliard School of Performing Arts. She is currently captivating audiences as a dancer in the 83 girl chorus line of Radio City Music Hall’s production of "Manhattan Showboat.” Dancing since 13 years of age, Ms Folkes says she has had the fortunate opportunities during her studies at Julliard to appear professionally in musical stage productions such as "Guys and Dolls”. For more than a year, she was dance captain and a singer in the Broadway production of “The Wiz” and has had a solo part in “God’s Sons.” "I feel that Julliard has opened a lot of doors for me and hope that I can continue to set the experience and training it allows,” Ms. Folkes said. Cheech And Chong- At It Again BY SHERRY JONES Cheech Marin and Thomas Chong are at it again. This time the humorous pair are starring in their own movie, "Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie.” For more than ten years, the “Abbott and Costello of the counter - coulture”, have been bringing laughter to theatres, night clubs and concerts. Now they are trying their handsatfilm writing and directing. The film is written by Cheech and Chong and produced by Howard Brown. All three belong to the C&C - Brown Productions, Inc. Chong also directed the movie. The comedy carries you on a trip through a near - riot at the Comedy House, a wealthy family’s living room, a movie studio, a massage parlor, a police raid and a welfare office. It even takes you into a “Space Invader” travel that Rolling Stone Magazine referred to as "a pot pourri of dope jokes, wry ethnicity and life’s funky see cheech, page 14 Displaying a drive enabling her to keep up with a schedule involving practicing eight hours a day as well as two daily performances, Ms. Folkes contends there are some people in the arts who have inspired her career. "I really enjoy watching entertainer Ben Vereen, choreographer Bob Fosse and Alvin Ailey who was a concert dancer," she said. "There were many people that I saw that I never really wanted to be like but always wanted to set their qualities. I wanted to be an in dividual and I just felt I had the talent to do so. Possessing star filled eyes delightfully forseeing continued success, the second oldest daughter of five children, has as pirations of reaching even greater heights in the future. Her brother, George, served as adult consultant for the Young Film Makers project. "I have hopes of joining the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe in January 1981 as well as persuing my career toward film, theatre, television, and my professional modeling,” she said. Ms. Folkes is pleased the art form she "fanactically” enjoys has gained such feeling to know that the work you love doing is being recognized, otherwise you don't want to do it,” she said. “I love to dance, and love is great, but if no one else loves it (dancing) then your efforts sometimes seem fruitless,” laments the eight year dance veteran. James Brown Is Original Blues 'Brother' BY SHERRY JONES James Brown is returning to the entertainment industry and now he’s the Reverenc Cleophus James of the Triple Rock Baptist Church. He's starr ing in Universial Picture’s "The Blues Brothers.” It is during the climax of his sermon that Jake and Elwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) are inspired to reunite their band. The brothers are uniting to save the orphanage they grew up in. The St. Helen of the Blessed Shroud orphanage owes$5000 in back taxes. It will be liquidated il the money is not paid in 11 days. Therefore, the Blues Brothers set out to gather the money hones tly. Brown alsosingsagospel song "The Old Landmark” that send? the Chicago congregation and Elwood dancing in the aisles. During this time the brothers decide to make money by performing. The role of Reverend Cleophus James is not new to Brown. “I was raised in the church. Everyone always said I’d grow up to be a minister,” he related. Before becoming "The King Of Soul”, James Brown was very active in the church. At the age of two and a half years old he sang in church choirs and later toured the country with the Swanee Quintet. He also recorded an album with the gospel group that backs him in the church service in “The Blues Brothers.” The Reverend James Cleevand’s Southern California Community Choir joined Brown in singing "The Old Landmark.” James Brown has earned the name ‘‘Mister Dynamite” through h is many achievements. During his 25 years in entertainment he has had 94 songs on the charts, including over 50 gold records. He received a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues (male vocalist) in 1965 for his smash hit, “Papa's Got A Brand New Bag.” The songwriter who wrote the scores for the films, “Black Caesar” and "Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off,” he was the first soul singer to ever perform at the Grand Ole Opry. The author of the book, "Don’t Be A Dropout,” Brown is the first entertainer in America to receive from the President of Liberia the Order of the Star. His achievements have been many,butthe aging arranger and choreographer is concerned about making a successful return to the entertainment field. He hopes that "The Blues Brothers” will be a successful step. "The film was made with a lot of love and gave us all another chance,” stated Brown to People Magazine. "I hate to admit it, but these young people never heard of me.” "They come to the movies to see Belushi and Aykroyd, and they see James Brown and Aretha Franklin. If they like us maybe they’ll come hear us play.” Also starring in the movie are Ray Chalres, Cab Calloway, Carrie Fisher, Henry Gibson,and the Blues Brothers Band.