Toshiro worship
Choreographing the way of the samurai
BY RITA FELCIANO

Christy Funsch is tiny, but she commands attention. During a run-through of her solo dance in the upcoming To Mifune, she filled CounterPULSE's stage with a torrent of lanky, highly detailed movements, out of which tumbled a recognizable character not unlike the breeches-hoisting heroine in Agnes de Mille's Rodeo. But Funsch's cowgirl isn't heading for a hoedown; her eyes are set on loftier horizons. She's on her way to meet Toshiro Mifune, who played larger-than-life warrior heroes in Akira Kurosawa's epic films.