I see how to import powerpoint into a course, and see that it is static -- all the animations are lost.

It appears that these imports are to the basic screen -- is that correct?

How is the slide show screen in the Advanced Screen module used?  I can't seem to drag individual power points screens into the slide show -- how do I get content into the slide show, and will it keep the animation? 

There is currently no way to bring powerpoint slides into the Advanced Screen templates.  Imports of powerpoint are essentially translated into html basic screens.

You can convert your powerpoint into swf movies with various utilities such as FlashSpring (http://www.ispringsolutions.com) or Flashpoint (http://www.flashdemo.net).  If you did this, you could then insert the swf into the Advanced Screens.