In Bermuda dance is looked upon as a hobby, according to United Dance Productions (UDP) artistic director Suzette Harvey, and that is a perception she is working hard to change.

Under her UDP umbrella, Miss Harvey has formed two dance groups; a junior company for ages 11 to 15, and a senior company for ages 16 to 18. Membership in each is by audition from among her regular UDP dance classes, and a prerequisite is that the students must be dedicated and prepared to be pushed to the limit.

"They are the cream of the crop of my students,'' Miss Harvey says of the dancers in both companies.

The artistic director acknowledges that it is more difficult to retain members of the senior company because they go off to college or university, but at that stage in their lives she feels they should be encouraged to at least think about the performing arts as a career.

To that end, next week she is bringing in eight dancers plus two faculty members and the Dean of Dance from her old alma mater, the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

"They will audition students interested in a career in the performing arts, and that does not necessarily mean just dance,'' Miss Harvey explains. "We are talking about musical theatre, voice and music as well.'' She warns, however, that only those who have had ballet training are eligible for dance auditions, and they must also be on the threshold of graduating from high school and looking for a career. "We are hoping to save them money by having auditions here,'' Miss Harvey explains.

In addition, the visitors are offering to give lecture demonstrations for all of Bermuda's school children, details of which are still being finalised.

"We really want to expose students to the possibilities of dance, and are also trying to show them the proper protocol and procedure,'' Miss Harvey says. "They will watch a warm-up as if it were a regular dance class, and they will also be able to ask questions of the visiting dance students and faculty members.'' "I think that is very important because many young people don't get a chance to go to the theatre. For whatever reason, their parents don't expose them to it,'' Miss Harvey says. "I just want to be able to direct and nurture local students and give them a chance to see what other young people are doing. It will be more realistic for them to see trainee dancers who are still learning.'' A big thrill for the UDP junior company is that they will be joining the senior company and the University of the Arts group in next weekend's performances at the Ruth Seaton James Centre for the Performing Arts.

Entitled Dancin', the programme will include many dance styles, including ballet, modern, hip hop, African and tap.

"The show is going to be full of energy, and the dancing will be thrilling,'' Miss Harvey promises. "We are privileged that the University of the Arts took up our offer to come here, and they are going to do a special piece called `Airs' by the famous choreographer Paul Taylor, who has his own company.'' For the UDP junior company such exposure and experience will be invaluable because it fits nicely with the artistic director's long-term vision for the eight girls and eight boys who are members.

Explaining the junior company's inclusion, Miss Harvey says: "I decided that the focus should be more on our younger people so that by the time they get to 16 or 17 they will have been exposed to so many styles, teachers and choreographers that if they have decided to choose dance as a career they won't be going into it blindly.

"They have to realise that it is going to take a lot of hard work, a lot of education, and they are going to have to be serious because when you leave Bermuda people are very aggressive about what they want. Our kids are not aggressive about what they want, so I feel we need to expose them more so that the world can be their stage.'' The junior company has 16 dancers (eight boys and eight girls) because Miss Harvey feels that there is a greater chance of having them progress to professional careers if classes are smaller, and she readily admits that she loves working with them.

"As young people they are fearless and more vulnerable, which is what you need because I am not trying to make them into dancers but artists,'' she says. "I am trying to give them a career choice. We are losing so many children to the streets because we don't have an avenue after a certain age where they are able to blossom and say, `I can make a career out of this after I educate myself' as the rest of the world does.

"We are trying to go beyond Bermuda, and we have to push them hard and give them a fighting spirit because Bermuda doesn't have any superstars of international renown, such as Alvin Ailey or Janet Jackson. '' The end result of early dedication and study, Miss Harvey says, is that when these young dancers reach 16 or 17 their minds will be very focused, so that all that is then required is to propel them forward and be their support system.

By that time the artistic director also hopes that the year-old Bermuda Company will be a viable option for former members of the UDP junior company to consider.

"Hopefully they will become full-time, paid professionals,'' Miss Harvey says of the juniors. "Every other country has a professional dance company which represents it but we don't.'' The Bermuda Company consists of local professional dancers who have already performed internationally choreographed works in various countries. They will make their Bermuda debut in August. Meanwhile, once the visiting University of the Arts group return to the United States they have promised to mentor UDP students who are interested in pursuing dance as a career.

Tickets for Dancin' (students $15, adults $25) are available at United Dance Productions headquarters next to the Bank of Bermuda on Court Street. The Bank is sponsoring the project and performances. For further information 295-9933 or fax 295-0397.