Contemporary ballet in University Park, Highland Park, and downtown; solo sharing triggered in Santa Monica; South Asian dance in Hollywood; a clown pas de deux in Atwater Village; family-friendly al fresco dance in Echo Park; a long-time trio reunites in El Sereno; summer dance fests in Lincoln Heights and West LA; more SoCal dance performance this week, plus a peek at next week.
Live Dance This Week (thru July 2)
Curated tasting menu
The venerated New York City Ballet makes a rare visit with two mixed bill programs offering a bit of the George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins works that built the company’s reputation, and also a large dose of newer works reflecting the company’s current directions. This weekend, Jerome Robbins is represented by A Suite of Dances set to J.S. Bach and danced by Roman Mejia. Program A also includes a Gianna Reisen’s Signs set to Philip Glass, the trio Red Angels by Ulysses Dove to music by Richard Einhorn, and Justin Peck’s The Times Are Racing with music by Dan Deacon. Next weekend’s Program B has two by Balanchine, plus a Christopher Wheeldon and a Tiler Peck. Most works involve solo musicians playing live, and Justin Peck employs Dan Deacon’s 2012 album. Granted, it is not the full company; still, they bring small and medium-sized works that showcase NYCB’s extraordinary dancers. A treat for ballet fans unable to trek to New York City from whence the company seldom ventures. The website has compete program details and some casting. At the Music Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Downtown LA; Wed.-Fri., June 24-26, 7:30 pm, Sat.-Sun., June 27-28, 2 & 7:30 pm, $55-$204. New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet – Photo by Erin Baiano.
Down to the wire
Two weeks ago, The Realm offered a sneak preview in Santa Monica of artistic director Chasen Greenwood’s Wires & Whispers and Bruce McCormick’s Crow Sky commissioned for the company. Last week, the contemporary chamber ballet company moved downtown for the works’ official premieres and continues through this weekend. At Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center at USC, 849 W. 34th St., University Park; Sat., June 27, 7 pm, Sun., June 28, 4:30 pm, $65 The Realm-performances.
The Realm-dancers David Protas and Matisse Love – Photo by Chris Motenson.
A park festival
Wander through a park and revel in danceworks and installations by Joe Brown, Vanessa Nichole, Owen Scarlett, Genna Moroni, and Erin Cooney of CounterForce Lab as Heidi Duckler Dance returns with this summer’s edition of Ebb & Flow: Scorched. The free, family-friendly arts festival explores climate change through performance, installations, and movement workshops led by HDD Teaching Artist Malik Bannister and environmental crafts. At Vista Hermosa Natural Park, 1234 Colton St, Echo Park; Sat., June 28, 2 pm, free w/reservation at Heidi Duckler Dance
Heidi Duckler Dance – Photo courtesy of the artists.
Together again
The band, aka Laurel Jenkins, Sarah Leddy & alexx shilling reunite with their brand of brash, energized contemporary dance. Under the banner Dance Band, the trio continue their movement explorations rooted in ongoing collaborations dating back to initial encounters as UCLA dance students with Ros Warby. This edition aims to test the stage as a container under the banner Dance Band: On the Verge. At the Stomping Ground, 5453 Alhambra Ave., El Sereno; Fri., June 26, 8 pm, $25. Stomping Ground
The Dance Band – Photo courtesy of the artists.
Tag team solo
The contemporary company Keith Johnson/Dancers brings the latest in Johnson’s Series cycle of solo works. This time, SERIES: Gun, considers gun violence, its threat and how its normalization has filtered into daily decisions, collective behavior, and artistic expression. A rotating cast of nationally recognized artists perform the solo, with each iteration reshaped by a new score and shifting internal logic within a shared movement vocabulary. This edition’s rotating soloists include Adriane Fang, Brad T. Garner, Rosalynde LeBlanc, Tara McArthur, and Andrew Merrell, whose credentials include Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Ririe/Woodbury Dance Company, and Doug Varone & Dancers. At Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., June 26-27, 8 pm, $25, $20 students/seniors. Keith Johnson/Dancers
Keith Johnson & Dancers – Photo by Jesse Obremski.
Classical South Asian
Under the banner Shri, the goddess of grace and beauty, this Bharatanatyam performance by dancer Shriya Kashyap was choreographed by respected local Bharatanatyam artist and teacher Malathi Iyengar. The dancer is accompanied by musicians from India with vocals by Abhishek Prasad. At Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Sat., June 27, 6 pm, by invitation at rangolidancecompany@gmail.com.
Shriya Kashyap – Photo by Gene Lewis.
New take on ballet
Choreographer Gina Young, SORORITY, and this venue present the world premiere of the movement-theater BUTCH BALLET. Featuring a gender-expansive cast, self-described as “butch lesbians, masc queer women, trans men, and nonbinary mascs,” the performers draw freely from ballet elements including pas de deux, pas de quatre, and a Corps de Butch to ask and answer the question: who gets to dance? The answer gets help from an original score by Ames Bessada (Black Mirror), movement architecture by Codi Gentle (Loved Ones), and an ensemble cast drawn from LA’s theatre, dance, drag king, and queer scene communities. Outside In Theater, 1517 York Blvd., Highland Park; Fri.-Sat., Mon.-Tues., June 26-27, 29-30, 8 pm, Sun., June 28, 3 pm., $30, $15 students/seniors. Butch Ballet
Butch Ballet – Photo courtesy of the artist.
Three from the city
Traditional Korean dancer DaEun Jung is the only dance artist honored this year by the Department of Cultural Affairs with a COLA (City of Los Angeles) Individual Artist Fellowship. Her dance chops are on display in this concert shared with two other COLA awardees, Brazilian composer/musician Rogê and composer/cultural entrepreneur Juliette Jones. At Grand Performances, Fri., June 26, 6-9 pm, free w/reservation at Grand Performances-Cola Artists
DaEun Jung – Photo by Hazel Choo.
Odyssey Dance Festival #1
Exploring themes that resonate in the increasingly K-shaped economy, Dance at the Odyssey Summer Edition brings Lincoln Seymour and Emma Shane in a shared concert. In her world premiere, Return to Instructions, Shane explores and questions the realities of power, obedience, and expectation. In Rat Race, Seymour captures relentless worker wear and tear fueling corporate power and greed. Seymour returns on Friday, June 26, in a split bill with Lineage MVMT. At the Odyssey Theater Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Thurs., June 25, 8 pm, $25 ($3 credit card fee). Dance at the Odyssey
Lincoln Seymour – Photo by Cheryl Mann.
Odyssey Dance Festival #2
The festival continues with Lineage MVMT sharing the bill with Lincoln Seymour who reprises his Rat Race exploring the relentless worker wear and tear fueling corporate power and greed. In their turn, the dancers and martial artists of the collective Lineage MVMT honor martial arts traditions in the world premiere of Solstice. At the Odyssey Theater Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Fri., June 26, 8 pm, $25 ($3 credit card fee). Dance at the Odyssey
Lineage MVMT – Photo courtesy of the artists.
Odyssey Dance Festival #3
The Donofrio Dance Collective and Ricky Medina share another split bill at the Dance at the Odyssey Summer Edition. Choreographer Taylor Donofrio’s experience becoming a smother plus research on society’s imprint on women and the performers’ personal stories fuel BETTY. Medina’s world premiere Mighty Praise considers the relationship of spirituality with hip-hop and other street dance styles. The Odyssey Theater Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Sat., June 27, 8 pm, Sun., June 28, 2 pm, $25 ($3 credit card fee). Dance at the Odyssey
Donofrio Dance Collective – Photo by Adam Iannazzone.
Odyssey Dance Festival #4
Launching the final weekend of the Dance at the Odyssey Summer Edition, Maggie Ogle tackles the emotional and sensory landscape of neurodivergent experiences in a two part work. Shelf Life considers the suppression of self to fit neurotypical norms, while Is This Okay? Explores processes that help neurodivergent individuals flourish. A Q&A follows the performance. At the Odyssey Theater Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Thurs., July 2, 8 pm, $25 ($3 credit card fee). Dance at the Odyssey
Maggie Ogle – Photo by Gregory Crosby
LA Dance Festival week #2
Hosted by Deborah Brockus and her contemporary company BrockusRED, LA Dance Festival – Summer Solstice Series concludes its second weekend under the banner Experience Inside. Saturday’s stage showcases Erika Alexx, Cameron K, Maria Ewald, Makenna Tondro, Ken Morris, Rebecca Lee & Denali Huff, and the host company. Sunday spotlights Waeli Wang, Jill Collins, Emilio Castellon, Santiago Rivera, Cameron K, Sean Green, Brockus, and the host company. Brockus Project Studios, 618B Moulton Ave., Lincoln Heights; Sat., June 27, 8 pm, Sun., June 28, 6:30 pm, $20 Zelle 56-412-7429 or Venmo @brockusProjectStudios or cash at door.
Rebecca Lee – Photo courtesy of the artist.
Send in the clowns
Created and directed by Hank Jacobs, who also acts as the “ringmaster” for The Great Clown Bank Show, is described as a “burlesque on income inequality in 15 circus acts.” Promising a blend of dance and circus, including a clown pas de deux, the show will include a weekly guest circus act. At the Open Fist Theater Company @ the Atwater Village Theater, 3269 Casitas Ave., Atwater Village; opens Sat., June 27, 8 pm, then Fri., 9 pm, Sat., 8 pm (except Sat., July 4, 5 pm), Sun., 7 pm, thru Sat., Aug. 1, $35.25, $31.25 seniors, $22.25 students. The Great Clown Bank Show
Dance DTLA – Photo courtesy of the artists.
Sign of summer
Watch or join in as the Friday night summer series Dance DTLA returns. The opening includes a 5 pm pre-show ¡DALE! Fútbol Watch Party of the Spain vs. Uruguay game, streamed live on giant LED screens. Aptly, the evening’s dance style is dubbed Global Mix. Complete list of upcoming dance genres at the website. At the Music Center, Jerry Moss Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., Downtown LA; Fri., June 24, July 10, 17, 24 & 31, Aug. 7 & 14, 7-11pm, free. Dance DTLA
Another sign of summer
Part public performance, part participatory dance party, and free! — the outdoor Tuesday Night Dance series hosts a second Tuesday devoted to line dance. See the website for dance styles coming up on Tuesdays thru Aug. 25. Line Dance Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Argyros Plaza, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Tues., June 30, 6:30 pm. free. Tuesday Night Dance.
A Peek at Next Week (July 3-9)
Cora Laszlo – Dance at the Odyssey Summer Edition at the Odyssey Theater Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Fri., July 3, 8pm, $25 ($3 credit card fee). Dance at the Odyssey
Tanz Tanz Revolution – Photo by Natasha Tilly.
Tanz Tanz Revolution and Katie Tuchi at Dance at the Odyssey Summer Edition,at the Odyssey Theater Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Sun., July 5, 2 pm, $25 ($3 credit card fee). Dance at the Odyssey
Mexodus at the Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena; opens Wed., July 8, 8 pm, then Thurs.-Fri., 8 pm, Sat., 2 & 8 pm, Sun. 2 pm (beginning July 19, thru Sun., Aug. 2, $40-$127. Mexodus
Featured image: New York City Ballet – Photo by Erin Baiano.
Ann Haskins’ Blog appears at CulturalDaily.com
