Dance continues to concentrate and overlap at a West LA contemporary festival; ballet season and competition season previews in Irvine and El Sereno, athletic Chinese history in Thousand Oaks; plus a peek at next week’s SoCal dance.
Live This Week
It’s nice to share
Opening the 9th year of Dance at the Odyssey, founder Barbara Műller-Wittmann, expands the festival to a second theater, with the two theaters simultaneously presenting dance for six weeks to February 15. Sharing the opening show, Neaz Kohani and Owen Scarlett offer two different takes on contemporary dance. Kohani draws on dance, spoken word, and live music to consider female wisdom keepers and traditional healers in SHE IS MY SISTER. In his world premiere GASP, Scarlett evokes a pastoral setting where two creatures find mutual understanding and self discovery. Full line up at the website. Odyssey Theatre 2, 2955 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Thurs.-Sat., Jan. 8-10, 8 pm, Sun., Jan. 11, 2 pm, $25 (+$3 for credit cards). Dance At the Odyssey
Neaz Kohani – Dance at the Odyssey – photo by Hanako Doerr
Together again
Opening the second theater for this year’s Dance at the Odyssey festival, choreographer Teresa Toogie Barcelo reunites with composer Joe Berry (of electronic band M83) for the world premiere of their duet, SOUNDBODY. The artists describe the work as merging ‘movement, breath, and sound.’ With the festival expanding with two theaters simultaneously presenting dance, an avid dance fan can enjoy two shows in one trip. Complete festival line up at the website. Odyssey Theatre 3, 2955 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Fri.-Sat., Jan. 9-10, 8 pm, Sun., Jan. 11, 2 pm, $25 (+$3 for credit cards). Dance At the Odyssey
Teresa Toogie Barcelo in Dance at the Odyssey Festival. Photo by McCal Olsen
More dance festival
A former movie ranch, now a public park, inspired Corrigan, Hunter Wayne Foster’s contemplation of what happens behind the scenes of a movie set. Foster’s world premiere shares the Dance at the Odyssey stage with For Better or For Worse, Camila Arana’s consideration of devotion from its tenderness to its brutality. Odyssey Theatre 2, 2955 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Thurs.-Sat., Jan. 15-17, 8 pm, Sun., Jan. 18, 2 pm, $25 (+$3 for credit cards). Dance At the Odyssey
Hunter Wayne Foster. Photo courtesy of the artist
The ‘B’s have it
LA-based Kevin Williamson + Company team with pianist Hao Huang to bring two new works to Dance at the Odyssey. Lester Horton Award-winning Williamson summons an array of characters in blue to explore Huang’s evocation of compositions by Ryuichi Sakomoto. The second premiere, beasts, finds Divya Ahuja, Rian Alcid, and Sasha Marian-Librett surveying movement that veers from ferocious to frightened. Odyssey Theatre 3, 2955 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Thurs.-Sat., Jan. 15-17, 8 pm, $25 (+$3 for credit cards). Dance At the Odyssey
Hao Huang and Kevin Williamson – blue and beast – Photo by Taso Papadakis
Season preview
For Ballet Project OC, its Winter Gala is both a season preview performance and a fundraiser to support the upcoming season. Look for choreography by company founder/director Ally Helman and others. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Dr., Irvine; Wed., Jan. 14, 7 pm, $56.25-$103.95. Ballet Project OC
Ballet Project OC. Photo courtesy of the artists.
Competition preview
Under the banner Dreamscapes, Elevation Studios & Off the Floor premiere live dance pieces that will be part of the upcoming competition season. Guest choreographers include Lenny Arnold, Lauren Slack, and Aaron Williams. Faculty choreographers include Cheri Avalos, Colleen Hendricks, Abrianna Herring Matthew Kubbitz, Parris & Rashida Mann, and Moises Parra. Student dancemakers include Ricci Lloyd, Micah Velez, Summer Perry, and Audrey Wilson. Stomping Ground, 5453 Alhambra Ave., El Sereno; Sat., Jan. 10, 7:30 pm, Sun., Jan. 11, 6:30 pm, $33.85, $28.52 students. Elevation Studios
Shen Yun. Photo courtesy of the artists.
Cautionary return
Presenting itself as “China before communism,” the touring company Shen Yun built its reputation on the athleticism, flexibility, and group precision of its dancers, but dodged questions about its connections with China’s banned Falun Gong. More recently, the organization has faced accusations of dancer abuse and a lawsuit alleging child labor violations. In that context, the company tours four local venues from now through early February. The Soraya, Cal State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge; Thurs., Jan 15, 2 pm, Fri, Jan. 16, 7 pm, Sat.-Sun., Jan. 17-18, 1 pm, $86-$186. Also at The Music Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Downtown LA; Thurs., Jan. 22, 2 pm, Fri., Jan., 23, 7:30 pm, Sat.-Sun., Jan. 24-25, 1 pm, $91-$231. Also at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; Fri., Jan. 30, 7:30 pm, Sat.-Sun., Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 1 pm, $94.40-$196.95. Also at Long Beach Terrace Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach; Fri., Feb. 6, 7:30 pm, Sat.-Sun., Feb. 7-8, 1 pm, $89-$218. Shen Yun
The Wiz. Photo by Jeremy Daniel
Ease on down the road
Before the cottage industry surrounding the musical and now two film versions of Wicked, Frank Baum’s book The Wizard of Oz fueled the musical and film version of The Wiz. The musical theater revival of The Wiz arrives at the only SoCal stop on its North American tour. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; opens Tues., Jan 13, 7:30 pm, then Tues.-Fri., Jan. 13-16 & 20-23, Sat., Jan. 17 & 24, 2 & 7:30 pm, Sun., Jan. 18 & 25, 1 & 6:30 pm, $44-$159. The Wiz
A Peek at Next Week (Jan. 16-22)
Versa-Style and Friends – Celebrating the LA Street Dance Community at Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, 4718 W. Washington Blvd., Mid-City; Fri.-Sat., Jan. 16-17, 8 pm, Sun., Jan. 18, 3:30 pm, $30. Versa-Style & Friends
Madame Bando Hidesomi’s School of Traditional Japanese Dance – Yuubi: Elegance and Grace of Nihon Buyo at JACCC Aratani Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St., Little Tokyo; Sun., Jan. 18, 1:30-5:30 pm, $50-$100. JACCC Aratani Theatre
Heidi Duckler Dance – A Living Legacy (1985-2025) at LA City Hall, P. Rio Bridge Gallery, 200 N. Spring St., Downtown LA; Fri., Jan 16, 6-8 pm, $40. Heidi Duckler Dance
David Rousseve – photo by Rachel Keane
Dance Camera West – 2026 Festival Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz, Thurs.-Fri., Jan. 22-23, 7:30 pm, Sat., Jan. 24, 2 pm, $27.10 (w/fees), Gala honoring David Roussève-Thurs., Jan. 22, 8:45 pm, $158.35 (w/fees) Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz. Also at Colburn Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA; Sat., Jan. 24, 7 pm, $25. Colburn. Also workshop and films at Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Feliz; Sun., Jan. 25, Dance Camera West
Will Rawls – Unmade at Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood; Sat., Jan. 17, Sat., Feb. 7 & 28, noon to 4 pm, free. Hammer Museum
Peking Acrobats at Carpenter Center, Cal State University Long Beach, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach; Sat., Jan. 17, 8 p.m., $38.75-$58.75. Peking Acrobats
Featured image: Carman Arana Dance at the Odyssey festival – photo by Teague Wasserman
Ann Haskins’ Blog appears at CulturalDaily.com
