Scientists weigh in on a dance about a scientist; memories evoked in Beverly Hills; twisty dancers in Long Beach; beloved novel and a folklore threat get their own ballets in Hancock Park and West LA; contemporary dance in Culver City and downtown; last chance for Kabuki-infused Sondheim in Little Tokyo; more SoCal dance including Nutcracker ballets this busy week, and a peek at next week.
Building memories
A scent, a song, a warm breeze can stir a memory, a sensory relationship the contemporary company BODYTRAFFIC explores this season under the banner This Reminds Me of You. The company returns with three premieres to one of its most frequent venues. Inspired by the work of the late Black Angeleno visual artist, Ernie Barnes, Juel D. Lane’s Incense Burning On A Saturday Morning: The Maestro receives its full world premiere. The two West Coast premieres are Matthew Neenan’s I Forgot the Start with a playlist that includes music by Sinéad O’Connor, and new artistic associate Trey McIntyre’s Mayday set to rock legend Buddy Holly songs. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills; Fri., Dec. 6, 7:30 pm, Sat., Dec. 7, 2 & 7:30 pm, $49-$79. https://thewallis.org/
BODYTRAFFIC. Photo courtesy of the artists
Twisty turnings
Making appearances at two SoCal venues, the ever-inventive Pilobolus returns with its signature blend of dance and gymnastics to tell evocative stories. This visit brings re:CREATION with beloved company classics like Walklyndon, Bloodlines, and Rushes, plus a new work, Tales from the Underworld. Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Cal State University Long Beach, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach; Sat., Dec. 7, 8 pm, $55. https://www.carpenterarts.org/. Also at Smothers Theater, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu; Sun., Dec. 8, 7 pm, $28-$58. https://arts.pepperdine.edu/events/2024-2025-season/pilobolus.htm
Pilobolus. Photo courtesy of the artists.
The scientists weigh in
Years before Benedict Cumberbatch’s film portrayal raised the public profile of British mathemetician Alan Turing, he had grabbed the attention of choreographer and Invertigo Dance Theatre artistic director Laura Karlin. She was fascinated by the man responsible for breaking the Nazi’s enigma code, father of computer technology whose work was so secret he received no credit during his lifetime which ended tragically in suicide with a poisoned apple, a choice Karlin linked to Turing’s obsessive fondness for Disney’s Snow White. In the type of ‘collision of art and science’ promised by the Getty-sponsored PST series, excerpts from Karlin’s highly praised result will be performed, followed by discussion of Turing’s life and work by CalTech scientists in a program dubbed Turing Tests, Apples, and Queens. California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena; Fri.-Sat., Dec. 6-7, 8 pm, $30-$40, $10 students w/i.d. https://pst.caltech.edu/events/opening-doors
Invertigo Dance Theatre. Photo courtesy of the artists
A novel approach
After three highly successful, site specific performances of their ballet version of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel Little Women, choreographer Emma Andres and the dancers move from the stately Victorian mansions of Heritage Square to a proscenium theater for the full length Little Women Ballet. Wilshire Ebell Theatre, 4401 W. 8th St., Hancock Park; Sat., Dec. 7, 2:30 & 7 pm, $28-$40. https://www.littlewomenballet.com/
Little Women Ballet – Photo courtesy of the company.
When it’s personal
Personal stories from the LGBTQIA+ cast are captured by Mixed eMotion Theatrix (MeMT) in the dance/theater work So Now You Know, Personal Stories in Motion: The Queer Community. Performers getting personal include Donny Collinson, Maze Felix, Lee-Ron, Joshua Tyler Rogers, Nurit Siegel Smith, Jamal Wade, Tiffany Wolff, and Kate Coleman who also directed and choreographed. The Wende Museum, Glorya Kaufman Cultural Center, 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City; Fri., Dec., 6, 2 & 8 pm, Sat., Dec. 7, 8 pm, free. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/so-now-you-know-personal-stories-in-motion-the-queer-community-tickets-1047400191167
Mixed eMotion Theatrix (MeMT). Photo by Barry Weiss
Naughty and not nice
Drawing from European folklore about Krampus, a watchful figure that snatches naughty children, The Realm Company’s newest brings a bit of another holiday’s fright zone to this holiday season. Convoy Studios, 3764 Glendon Ave., West LA; Fri.-Sat., Dec. 6-7, 7:30 pm, Sun., Dec. 8, 3 pm, $53.65 -$90.41. https://www.simpletix.com/e/realm-presents-krampus-tickets-192394
The Realm Company in rehearsal for “Krampus” choreography by Chasen Greenwood – Photo by Hannah Cox Photography.
How they see AI
CAP UCLA’s incoming director Edgar Miramontes and REDCAT’s chief curator/deputy program director Daniela Lieja Quintanar join forces to present rafa esparza & MUXX Collective in Live Night: Cruising Bodies, Spirits, and Machines. Part of a series showcasing artists using artificial intelligence with Indigenous, Brown, and Queer perspectives. Esparza is at 6:30 pm, the MUXX Collective at 7:30 pm, and a DJ takes over at 9 pm.United Theater on Broadway, 929 S. Broaday, downtown Arts District; Sat., Dec. 7, 6 pm, $47.28 to $71.28. https://cap.ucla.edu/event/live-night
CalArts Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance – BFA4 Graduating Dance Showcase at REDCAT
New for winter
Lots of new choreography is in store for the winter edition of CalArts Dance, showcasing work by LA-based former students now making their way as professionals. The line up includes Kyreena Breelin Alexander, Brigette Dunn-Korpela, Jobel Medina, and Chorong Yang. REDCAT at Disney Hall, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown; Thurs.-Fri., Dec. 5-6, 8:30 pm, $20. https://www.redcat.org/events/2024/ca-winter-dance
A folkloric season
Celebrating a Merry-Achi Christmas, Folklórico Revolución provides the dance as it joins Sol de México de José Hernández and Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles for this seasonal performance. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Dr., Cerritos; Fri-Sat., Dec. 6-7, 7 pm, Sun., Dec. 8, 2 pm, $40-$91. https://ccpa.cerritos.gov/upcoming-events/
Versa Style Dance Company. Photo courtesy of the artists.
For 20 years, Versa Style Street Dance Company has been a bastion for hip hop and street dance culture, performance, preservation, and educating generations of youth. Dancing Our Legacy, the 20th anniversary performance and gala, benefits the company’s Hip Hop Dance Festival coming on May 23 to 25. Join the party. Inner City Arts, 720 Kohler St., downtown Arts District; Sat., Dec. 7, 1-3 pm, $50 and up. https://versastyledance.org/
An extended overture
When East West Players chose Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures for the 50th anniversary of the show’s Broadway premiere, it also lured back former artistic director Tim Dang who directed the show when EWP moved to its current mid-sized theater in Little Tokyo. Dang not only brings a background in dance, he brought in three additional choreographers, Broadway dancer/choreographer Yuka Takara, Kabuki consultant Kirk Kanesaka (aka Gankyō Nakamura), and fight director Amanda Noriko Newman.The show continues EWP long history presenting Sondheim in a theater sized to allow audiences to see the full show and still hear every precious lyric. David Henry Hwang Theater in the Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Little Tokyo; Thurs., Fri. & Mon, 8 pm, Sat. 2 & 8 pm, Sun. 5 pm, thru Dec. 8. $15-$74. https://www.eastwestplayers.org/pacific24
Kit DeZolt as Commodore Matthew Commodore Perry performing “Lion Dance.” Photo by Teolindo.
Tap that Nut
Bringing a tap dance version, Dorrance Dance employs the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn arrangement of the familiar Tchaikovsky tunes in The Nutcracker Suite. The Soraya, Cal State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge; Thurs., Dec. 12, 8 pm, $48-$118. https://thesoraya.org/whats-on/en/dorrance-dance-the-nutcracker-suite/
Dorrance Dance in “Nutcracker Suite.” Photo by Christopher Duggan
Back on the Beach
The grand daddy of all the cirques, Cirque du Soleil, returns with its signature tent and the show Kooza, brimming with acrobats and clowns. The two month run offers lots of time to catch the show, maybe more than once? Under the Big Top at Santa Monica Pier, 1550 Pacific Coast Hwy., Santa Monica; thru Sun., Jan. 5, $58-$344. Details on the many dates and times at the website. https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/kooza
Notable Nutcracker Ballets This Week
A complete round up of Nutcracker ballets available at: https://www.ladancechronicle.com/and-the-nuts-have-it/
American Ballet Theatre with the Pacific Symphony –Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Thurs.-Fri., Dec. 12-13 & 19-20, 7 pm, Sat. Dec. 14 & 21, 2 & 7 pm, Sun., Dec. 15, 12:30 & 5:30 pm, Wed., Dec. 18, 7 pm, Sun., Dec. 22, 11:30 am & 4:30 pm, $32.77-$282.50. https://www.scfta.org/.
Los Angeles Ballet at Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena; Fri., Dec. 6, 7:30 pm, Sat, Dec. 7, 6 pm, Sun, Dec. 8, 2 pm, $44-$137. Performances at other venues at website. $44-$137. https://www.losangelesballet.org/the-nutcracker
Inland Pacific Ballet at Bridges Auditorium, 450 N. College Way, Claremont; Sat.-Sun., Dec. 7-8 & 21-22, 2 pm, $39-$101. Also at Fox Performing Arts Center, 3801 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside; Sat.-Sun., Dec. 14-15, 2 pm. $41-$136. https://ipballet.org/.
A Peek at Next Week (December 13-19)
Max Martin & Mandolin Burns – Lovers’ Piece at Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., Dec. 13-14, $20.50. https://www.highwaysperformance.org/shows
Gregory Maqoma. Photo courtesy of the artist
Gregory Maqoma – The Land We Carry at The Nimoy, 1262 Westwood Blvd., Westwood; Sat., Dec. 14, 8 pm, $38.08. https://cap.ucla.edu/event/land-we-carry
San Pedro Festival of the Arts –Encore Performance! at Alta Sea, 2451 Signal St., Berth 60- (farthest berth closest to the Ocean), enter door 35, San Pedro; Sun., Dec. 15, 1-3, free. https://triartsp.com/
Featured photo: Invertigo Dance Theatre. Photo by Joe Lambie
Ann Haskins Blog appears at CulturalDaily.com
