HEIDELBERG, Germany — They twirled, twisted and strutted their stuff to Harry Chapin’s "Dance Band on the Titanic" as award-winning choreographer Tracy Friedman looked on.

The number wasn’t a routine in one of the Los Angeles-based choreographer’s latest projects; it was a dance she whipped up for a handful of lay people to perform during Installation Management Command-Europe’s Festival of One Act Plays in Heidelberg last weekend.

Friedman barked out commands like "chest out" and told the performers to stand tall as she guided them. She even gave some of them names.

"This was wonderful. She cut right to the chase on a lot of things we can do as amateurs," said Kerri Pangman, one of the dancers whom Friedman directed.

Pangman, who teaches computer science and math at Mannheim American High School, said working with Friedman boosted her interest in dancing. She said learning to dance gives her another way for her to stay involved in community theater.

Teenager Christina Lowry came from Stuttgart to attend the dance workshop and the festival.

"I like dancing, I’m just not good at it," Lowry said after she worked with Friedman. "It’s an interesting look in the director’s head. I want to take dance classes."

Friedman shared her experiences and some tricks of the trade before she got to work with Lowry, Pangman and three other volunteers from the audience.

"It’s something you really need to add to your arsenal," Friedman told the audience. "You can’t learn it by thinking about it, you got to do it."

One of her suggestions was to use different levels, like stairs. Another tip was to use props, whether it is chairs, couches and even shopping carts. Just about anything can be used in dance, she said.

The people who attended Friedman’s dance workshop were among the 200 people who turned out for this year’s festival, said IMCOM entertainment director Jim Sohre. Three hundred to 400 people watched the one-act plays during the three-day festival, he said.

"The quality of plays has grown," Sohre said.

Other workshops taught people how to market their plays and how to use the Web to find props and for other performing arts needs. There was also a monologue workshop and competition.

Community theater in the U.S. military community in Europe also seems to be going strong, despite recent drawdowns in bases, Sohre said.

"I’m not seeing a lag in interest," Sohre said. "It really serves all of the community. It’s really an adaptable program."

No stage fright here

Installation Management Command-Europe’s Festival of One Act Plays in Heidelberg, Germany, last weekend produced the following winners:

Best Show: "Hold Me," SHAPE Performing Arts Center.

Best Director: Dan LaMorte, "Hold Me."

Best Actor: Army Sgt. James Cheatham, "The Actor’s Nightmare."

Best Actress: Sanja Parkos, "The Prettiest Girl in Lafayette County."

Best Supporting Actor: Collin Jones, "Do Not Go Gentle."

Best Supporting Actress: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Martin, "Wanda’s Visit."

Best Performance Minor Role: Army Spc. John Favors, "The Genesis of Relationships."

Best Ensemble: "Hold Me."

Best Monologue: Raqi Barnett, Stuttgart Theatre Center.

Special First Place Award for Excellence in Overall Design: "Hold Me."

Special First Place Award for Outstanding Youth Performance: Heather Miska, "The Game," Schweinfurt Abrams Entertainment Center.

Best Stage Manager: Thomas Reich, "Hold Me."

2008 Irving Berlin Award for Entertainment Programming Excellence: USAG Heidelberg Roadside Theater.