University of Virginia Library

The Dance Societies no longer
appreciate the cynical garbage and
misdirected criticism which has
poured forth from ill-informed
critics like Charles Ribakoff.

Perhaps we should make clear
just which concerts at what prices
the Societies have provided. They
include: James Brown at $2.00 per
person, The Rascals and Procol
Harum at $2.50 per person, and
(after the 5th Dimension cancelled
our Mid-Winters concert to appear
on the Sullivan show) John Sebastian
and Hugh Masekela at $2.00
per person. These concerts, and
Friday night dances on each of the
Big Weekends are the only functions
we provided.

Our "logistic phenomena" of
misplaced instruments and late
starts have not once involved the
inadequate preparation of the Societies.
Instead, these problems have
been created by parties such as
Eastern Airlines, who chose not to
send Hugh Masekela's instruments
to Charlottesville with the group.

The Dance Societies are not
hording money in impenetrable
vaults. We are audited several times
a year by the University.

As concerns the polling of
student opinion with groups that
are not presently touring, it is true
that the week to week status of
groups is, at best, unstable. We
conducted the poll to benefit next
year's organization when some
presently inactive groups may again
choose to appear at colleges and
universities. In addition, the results
of the polls are not binding
commitments to one group or
another. They are indications of
student opinion. If the group is
either not deliverable or not available
for the date to which the
Societies are committed to provide a
concert, the group will not appear.

I hope The Cavalier Daily is able
to find that additional advertisement,
the lack of which forced
it to publish Mr. Ribakoff's "scathing"
column, which was neither
constructive nor responsible.