Julie Mcdonald

Julie McDonald believes in hoofers' rights. As in the two-legged variety. A former dancer, McDonald became L. A.'s first dance agent in 1985. Now she is one of the leaders in efforts to form the first union for choreographers working in film, TV and commercials. "Actors, stuntmen, directors, cinematographers and art directors all have a union," she says. "Choreographers are the only group not unionized and it's going to change in the next year."

Julie McDonald believes in hoofers' rights. As in the two-legged variety. A former dancer, McDonald became L. A.'s first dance agent in 1985. Now she is one of the leaders in efforts to form the first union for choreographers working in film, TV and commercials. "Actors, stuntmen, directors, cinematographers and art directors all have a union," she says. "Choreographers are the only group not unionized and it's going to change in the next year."

When the producers of "Dance! Dance! Dance!" a VH-1 cable television special airing today, wanted a creative consultant, they selected local dance agent Julie McDonald for her insider's knowledge of video dance history and trends. The show, which airs at 5 p.m., focuses on the influence of choreography on music videos.

When the producers of "Dance! Dance! Dance!" a VH-1 cable television special airing today, wanted a creative consultant, they selected local dance agent Julie McDonald for her insider's knowledge of video dance history and trends. The show, which airs at 5 p.m., focuses on the influence of choreography on music videos.

Janet Evans and David Wharton won their second gold medals of the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships Saturday night as the U.S. team took seven of eight events. Evans defeated Australian Julie McDonald by .86 of a second in the 400-meter freestyle. Wharton, who broke the 400-meter individual medley world record Friday, beat 200-meter individual medley record-holder Alex Baumann of Canada by one-hundredth of a second. Wharton was timed in 2 minutes 2.49 seconds.

World record holder Pablo Morales and Steve Bentley led the way Sunday night as the United States again dominated on the fourth and final day of competition at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. Morales won the men's 100-meter butterfly final in a time of 53.37 seconds, beating Olympic gold medalist Jon Sieben of Australia, who finished second. Bentley won the men's 200-meter breaststroke in an American record time of 2 minutes, 14.

After a 1988 Olympic Games in which only two Americans, Matt Biondi and Janet Evans, won individual gold medals in swimming, the United States is expected to fare better at the XXV Olympics in Barcelona. It will be interesting to see if the changes made by the governing body of the sport, U.S. Swimming Inc., including scheduling the U.S. Olympic trials four months before the Games instead of six weeks and separating the men's and women's teams, has a positive effect.

It's a far cry from the MGM musicals of the '40s or those over-the-top MTV dance videos. But choreography is nonetheless two-stepping its way back onto the silver screen. In 1993 alone, 43 movies had choreographed segments, says dance agent Julie McDonald of Joseph, Heldfond & Rix Inc., who represents many of the top choreographers on both coasts. This year, dance impresarios are putting their imprint on films such as "Casper," "The Flintstones," "The Mask" and "To Wong Fu" to name a few.

Start them young. That's been standard operating procedure ever since Walter Grauman established the Music Center Spotlight Awards as a springboard for young talent 14 years ago. And the bar gets higher every year. Fewer than 200 students auditioned in 1988; now nearly 1,400 apply for the competitions. Each fall, applications are sent to public and private high schools from San Diego to Santa Barbara.

She came, she saw, she won three Olympic gold medals. She went shopping. Janet Evans, the dynamo from Placentia, wrapped up her Olympic performance with a victory in the women's 800-meter freestyle Saturday night and heaved a big sigh of relief. She came here to win three events, and she did just that: --She won the 400-meter individual medley on the first day of competition. --She lowered her own world record in winning the 400-meter freestyle.

Hoping for at least one world record Friday to give Goodwill Games II credibility as a world-class athletic competition on its opening day, organizers were rewarded for their blood, sweat and deficit-spending with three. Because all three records came in the same race at the King County Aquatics Center, the impact was somewhat limited. But it was one great race. Mike Barrowman, a University of Michigan senior from Potomac, Md., won the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:11.

American Mike Barrowman, who finished fourth in a 1988 Olympics race he had been heavily favored to win, settled the score today with a world-record performance in the men's 200-meter breast stroke in the World Swimming Championships. Bulked up on a fast-food lunch, the 22-year-old from Potomac, Md., chopped .30 seconds off his own world mark, leading the fastest field ever assembled home in 2 minutes, 11.23 seconds. The U.S.