JAZZ DANCER TAKES CHANCES WHILE TAKING HIS TIME

LA JOLLA — Jazz Unlimited has been a stepping stone to Broadway and other major capitals of the dance world for some of the best male jazz dancers in San Diego.

Barry Bernal dances the role of Mr. Mistoffelees in the Broadway production of “Cats.” Scott Benson, a powerhouse dancer-choreographer, has chalked up an impressive list of credits in Hollywood films, television and videos. Tony Caligagan was snapped up by an Alvin Ailey spinoff dance troupe for a European tour. Phil Fontillas is making a name for himself in Japan. And Eric Ellis is part of the Los Angeles dance scene.

But George Teroy, a fireball with striking technical prowess and panache to spare, is still waiting for his chance at the big time.

“I have high goals,” Teroy said in a recent interview. “I have ambitions to do ‘Cats’ or dance with Alvin Ailey, but I think I’ll stay here (in San Diego) for two or three more years. I believe I could go now. But I’m taking voice and acting lessons before I (go after a Broadway show). When I do, I want to represent San Diego as a famous dancer.”

In the meantime, he has picked up where Bernal, Benson and Caligagan left off--as the mercurial male centerpiece for Jazz Unlimited. Teroy is flaunting his high-voltage technique throughout the weekend with the La Jolla-based jazz dance ensemble’s repertory performances at 8 p.m. today and at 2 and 8 p.m. Sunday at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art’s Sherwood Auditorium.

“I believe in taking risks,” said Teroy, “so I always take my dancing to the limits. All my movements are controlled, but if I fall I don’t worry about it. I like to push myself as far as I can go--even farther than I think I can go.”

This weekend, Teroy is repeating his explosive performance as the brazen bartender in “Za Za’s,” a sassy ensemble number that brought down the house at the San Diego Area Dance Alliance concert recently.

Set in a tawdry speakeasy, the theater piece features gangsters and their sexy molls in slick, Roaring ‘20s-style costumes. Teroy’s solo section calls for a flashy series of corkscrew turns--executed at breakneck speed. It also demands character development and plenty of performing brio.

“I think (acting) is my strong point,” Teroy said. “I wish I had more character work (in the concert). I always put myself in the audience’s point of view, to see how to (enrich the characterization) and make it more entertaining--and I love to dance at high speed.”

Jazz Unlimited alumnus Scott Benson will visit his old troupe as the high-priced gigolo in this staging of “Za Za’s.” And dancing with Benson in the weekend’s concerts means a lot to Teroy.

“Scott’s been a very good friend to me. He’s really helped me a lot--and he’s a great dancer,” Teroy said. “I’m very happy he’ll be dancing with us again.”

Look for Teroy among the stompers in Jean Isaacs’ “New Age Ceremonial Stomp,” a throbbing percussive piece propelled by the relentless rhythms of African drums and originally conceived for the modern dancers of Three’s Company. This complex ensemble work, with its ritualistic overtones and repetitive patterns, adapted well to contemporary jazz jargon and made a hit with Jazz Unlimited fans last year.

Also on tap for this weekend is a company premiere by Jazz Unlimited’s artistic director, Patricia Rincon. Dubbed “Found Rhythm,” the work was inspired by Alice Culbert’s abstract sculpture “Three Waves in Search of a Rhythm.”

“Found Rhythm” is the first integration of dance and sculpture to find its way into a Jazz Unlimited concert, and reflects a growing trend among local choreographers to collaborate with artists in other disciplines.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever worked with an artist,” said Rincon, “and it’s all about energy--like the sculpture. I’ve also collaborated with Jon Barns for this concert. He composed the score for ‘Blues Suite,’ ” an androgynous dance for three women, which features boogie-woogie, lyrical jazz, and an adagio section.

Also slated to premiere on this program is Rincon’s “Untitled,” which she calls “a celebration of dance.” It was designed along the musical lines of an original score by Rob Mullins.

Alicia Rincon’s cartoon-style comedy, “Oh Mom!” (a punk fantasy featuring Teroy in what he describes as “spaced-out dancing to a hard-core score”) and Margaret Marshall’s “Facets,” a clever psycho-study that examines four facets of the same woman (expressed by four different dancers), are also part of the program.