By Jackie Demaline
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Choreographer Linda Reiff rehearses with her daughter, Lianna Goldstein, 6, and other members of the Contemporary Dance Theater in College Hill. The Cincinnati Enquirer/TONY JONES

A dozen youngsters, big and small and in a range of ethnicities, are costumed as cockroaches and merrily scuttle around the edges of a humungous, frolicking trash heap in a section of U dance, We dance, a lyrical urban fantasy that sets a cast of 25 kids, adults and professionals dancing.

Choreographer Linda Reiff says when she first began imagining a new piece 18 months ago (and started writing grant proposals for it), "I knew I wanted to use puppets, and I wanted there to be global awareness - something about bettering the earth, and diversity, in the sense that we acknowledge people's differences and be kind to each other. Ö" She scrunches her nose. "That's a lot for one piece. I'll probably add more sections later."

For now, the 55 -minute dance, which is about all of the above as well as late graffiti-inspired artist Keith Haring , will premiere Friday through Sunday at College Hill Town Hall. After that it goes on the road to area schools next month as part of Cincinnati Arts Association's artist on tour program, with students replacing the school-age dancers appearing in this weekend's public performances.

LINDA REIFF BIO

Born: Chicago Family: Married to Bert Goldstein, education director at Playhouse in the Park; daughter Lianna, 6, is making her professional dance debut in U dance, We dance. I thought I'd grow up to be: "I don't know. I was a very undirected child. My parents had to force me to go to college." What makes you laugh?: "I enjoy people who are funny. My husband makes me laugh." How high are your heels?: "I almost never wear heels, although (modern dancers' ) feet are much better off than ballet dancers. (She shows off her toes, which show decades of wear.) Pilates is helping, and it helps that I was never injured." How hard is it to make modern dance in a nondance town?: "I feel like when I was younger and in New York I saw more, so I was more inspired. I'm older now and have to dig deeper into my self. I'm more inspired by different kinds of artists. But I'm lucky. I got to continue my dance life here."

IF YOU GO

What: U dance, We dance When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday Where: College Hill Town Hall, 1805 Larch Ave. Tickets: $12, $8 students, $5 children. 591-1222.

This is the third time Reiff has created a big community piece since arriving in Cincinnati in 1996 from New York City (when her husband, Bert Goldstein, took the post of education director for Playhouse in the Park.)

"I like working with kids," says Reiff, whose day jobs include teaching dance at the Academy of World Languages and teaching Pilates."The dancers keep saying I have patience, but I don't think that's the thing about me you'd think of first. I have enthusiasm and the kids pick up on that. And I treat them like professionals."

"She's good," judges Academy fifth grader Gregory Boglin, who is very proud to have a two-minute hip-hop solo.

Reiff firmly coaches the young company members during a rehearsal. "Make a big circle! Spread out!" In an adult section of U dance, which has the dancers jostling on a subway and playing a caffeinated game of pass-the-insulated-mug, she calls directions from the middle of the pack.

Reiff has been working with kids since the days when she started dancing in high school in Chicago and immediately knew she wanted to choreograph. When she arrived in New York she became a choreographer for First All Children's Theatre ("but that was so I wouldn't have to be a waitress"), but before too long she was co-founding TADA! (Theatre and Dance Alliance ).

"She's really a teacher at heart," says Steve Finn , education director for Cincinnati Arts Association. "I've seen her work a crowd of about 350 to 400 junior high school students - that's a tough audience. For me, it's about 'What are the kids learning? What are they walking away with?' She has a cool program."

Dancer Heather Britt has worked with Reiff in CAA and Adopt-a-School programs. U dance is the third time she's joined Reiff for a public concert of her work.

"I love her originality and her process - I like dancing with children and people I wouldn't normally dance with," says Britt, who is education coordinator for Cincinnati Ballet. "She finds qualities in everyone that shine through."