PUCKISH FELLOW IN `MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM'

Some people dance because they enjoy the physicality, the movement. Gen Horiuchi dances because he loves music.

"I like to interpret that feeling visually," says Horiuchi. "I just want to show people how much I appreciate music."

Horiuchi, a native of Toyko, will dance the role of the mischievous Puck Friday when the Saint Louis Ballet presents "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Show Me Center. The ballet will begin at 8 p.m.

Ballet has always been part of Horiuchi's life. His parents operated a ballet school when he was growing up and still do. His brother and sister are ballet dancers in Japan, where he says ballet is 20 years behind the U.S. state of the art.

Horiuchi faced the kidding that boys who dance ballet invariably take. "All my friends use to make fun of me," he said. "Fortunately, I had my brother. We stuck together."

Horiuchi's break came at the age of 15, when he journeyed to Switzerland for an international ballet competition called Prix de Lausanne. He won. That same year, 1980, he received a scholarship from the School of American Ballet in New York.

Within two years he joined the New York City Ballet, and in 1989 became a principal dancer. But Broadway called, and Horiuchi found himself in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals "Song and Dance" and "Cats," dancing the role of Mr. Mistoffelees in the latter.

After three years in "Cats" off and on, he began making guest appearances with various ballet companies. Besides the Saint Louis Ballet, he is dancing with the Pennyslvania Youth Ballet and a musical theater group in Japan called Shiki.

Dancing the role of Puck in "A Missumer Night's Dream" isn't a giant leap for Horiuchi. "It's a playful part and that comes natural to me," he said. "I'm trying to be more myself than trying to be a ballet dancer."

New York City remains his home because there are so many dance companies, and because of the opportunities to dance in Broadway shows.

His daily life is a discipline of dance lessons and workouts. He swims to keep his muscles relaxed. "A lot of dancers swim," he said.

Unlike many female ballet dancers who must diet to maintain their svelte physiques, Horiuchi has to eat more so he doesn't lose weight.

His diet consists mostly of pasta, rice and potatoes and very little red meat.

The feeling of being in competition with other dancers is very much part of the life, but Horiuchi doesn't mind. "That keeps me up. If I lose the sense of competition, then that's the end of it," he said.