On Sunday, July 19, 2026, I ventured to Venice Beach to attend a play created by Hannah Ponturo titled 1518: The Dancing Plague, performed as part of the Dare Devil Festival at the Kelman Theater at the eccentric Electric Lodge. Dare Devil Festival is an annual multi-weekend showcase of various, boundary pushing artists. Featuring dance, theater, cabaret, comedy, music and more.
Daredevil Arts Festival – “1518: The Dancing Plague” Written and Directed by Hannah Ponturo – Photo by Exavier Castro.
Written and directed by Hannah Ponturo with choreography by Sydney Diamond, 1518: The Dancing Plague is a satirical play about a mysterious disease in which the only symptom is the nonstop urge to dance. The play is a cross-disciplinary work, rooted in traditional theater with dance breaks interjecting to enhance the storyline. The cast expertly committed themselves to their roles, some of which performed multiple characters which was not only impressive but added to the comical tone of the play. The brilliant cast included Donald Berman, Sydney Diamond, Caleb Fietsam, Alex Van Der, Hoek, Anne Howard, Tallulah Jones, Rybrae Ngaida, Gilberto Ortiz, and Nicole Souza.
Daredevil Arts Festival – “1518: The Dancing Plague” Written and Directed by Hannah Ponturo – Photo by Exavier Castro.
Ponturo’s ability to write and direct a comedy that covered complex and heavy subjects such as religious trauma, LGBTQ+ themes, death, poverty, love, and illness was stellar. It is even more impressive that Ponturo saw the potential of dance to carry a storyline. The campy set design by Cameron Radenberg, the almost historically accurate costume design, and the drag queen narrator supported the work in miraculous ways.
Daredevil Arts Festival – “1518: The Dancing Plague” Written and Directed by Hannah Ponturo – Photo by Exavier Castro.
Although comedic, Diamond’s choreography perfectly met each moment with gusto, flare, and drama. Sporadic and out of control movement aligned seamlessly with the context of Ponturo’s deadly dancing plague. The ways in which Diamond was able to meet the thematic quality of emotion throughout the play with her choreography was notably well done. In more intense moments in the narrative, Diamond choreographed dark, grounded, and predator-like movement. Whereas in times of comedic relief, there was a unison vogueing section that although it was simple, met the moment perfectly. Both Ponturo and Diamond used dance to enhance and further move along the complex storyline rather than it just being a cosmetic addition to the visual aspect of the play.
Daredevil Arts Festival – “1518: The Dancing Plague” Written and Directed by Hannah Ponturo – Photo by Exavier Castro.
Every performance I’ve seen or been a part of at the Dare Devil Festival has been vastly different in mood, context, and discipline which excites me for the future of the festival. 1518: The Dancing Plague was a comedic relief from the current world and beautifully and hilariously told a love story in ways one might never imagine.
1518: The Dancing Plague was produced by Jeremy Cohen, Tallulah Jones, Hannah Ponturo, and Sophie Smith, and the theater company Open Variations Theater.
For more information about The Electric Lodge and the Daredevil Arts Festival, please visit their website.
Written by Rebecca Lee for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Daredevil Arts Festival – 1518: The Dancing Plague Written and Directed by Hannah Ponturo – Photo by Exavier Castro.
Editor note 8/2/2026: Updated to include the name of the theater company.
