Ensorcellment

Mansion dancing in the City of Industry; contemporary ballet from San Francisco in Long Beach; a quartet of local legends in Culver City; “La Catrina” onstage in East LA; new contemporary choreography in Palm Desert, Dominguez Hills, Santa Monica, and downtown; South Asian dance in Culver City; street dance downtown; surveillance surveyed in Little Tokyo; more SoCal dance this busy week, plus a peek at next week.

Live This Week

A gathering of dance

Choreographers from across the nation submitted their work. Ten finalists were selected. See their work live at this year’s Palm Desert Choreography Festival. The selected include Aidan Carberry and Jordan Johnson (Los Angeles), Megan Doheny, Ilya Nukurov (Irvine), Sean Aaron Carmon (Indianapolis, Indiana), Noelle Kayser (Chicago, Illinois), Cecily Khuner (Memphis, Tennessee), Franco Nieto (Portland, Oregon), Omar Román de Jesύs (New York, New York), Kellie St. Pierre (Salt Lake City, Utah), Martin Ortiz Tapia (Chicago, Illinois), and Morgan A. Williams (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). The festival also presents its Lifetime Achievement award to choreographer David Parsons. Non-professional and college programs take their turn on Sunday. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert; Sat., Nov. 8, 7 pm (professionals), $32.99-$47.99; Sun., Nov. 9, 4 pm, $27.99-62.99  Palm Desert Choreography Festival

 
Jazz and fairy tales

San Francisco contemporary ballet company, Alonzo King LINES makes its only local visit this fall, bringing two new works and an ensemble of exquisite and distinctive dancers. Created as part of a nationwide tribute to the jazz pianist, Ode to Alice Coltrane includes several of her masterpieces. Maurice Ravel’s suite based on Mother Goose fairy tales provides the framework and music for Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose).  Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Cal State University Long Beach, 6200 Atherton St., Long Beach; Sat., Nov. 8, 8 pm, $38.75-$78.75. Alonzo King LINES.

 
Point in time legacies

A quartet drawn from the worlds of modern dance, Japanese butoh, South Asian Bharatanatyam, and American contemporary dance bring new work capturing where they and their art are at this point in time. The brainchild of choreographer Donna Sternberg, Thriving references cultures outside the U.S. that celebrate dance masters at each stage of extended careers, often bestowing honorific titles that recognize their legacy status. No titles are being bestowed, but this is a rare chance to experience four distinct dance genres in the hands of a quarter who know. From modern dance, Jeff Slayton danced in New York and internationally with Merce Cunningham and Viola Farber, led his own Jeff Slayton & Dancers before founding and editing LA Dance Chronicle. From Japan, Oguri brought butoh and cultivated the mesmerizing form at Body Weather Laboratory with his wife Roxanne Steinberg. From India, Ramya Harishankar Bharatanatyam fostered the art of the South India’s classical Bharatanatyam through performance andher Arpana Dance Company. A mainstay of the SoCal’s contemporary dance scene, Sternberg’s background with Donald Byrd and other contemporary choreographers led to her own Donna Sternberg & Dancers particularly known for revelatory explorations  pairing choreographers and scientists. Expect artistry over athletics as four local masters take the stage. Helms Bakery Complex, 8745 Washington Blvd., Culver City; Sat., Nov. 8, 8 pm, Sun., Nov. 9, 3 pm, $25, $20 students/seniors. Donna Sternberg

 
A haunted holiday

Halloween may have passed, but there’s still time for Danza Floricanto/USA to transform its performance space into an ofrenda and cemetery to commemorate Fiesta del Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead Fiesta). This highly respected folkloric company established by founder Gema Sandoval and now directed by her daughter Christine Rios, continues its popular rendition of the holiday tradition. The family friendly event provides entertainment and humor along with commentary on contemporary community issues. The Floricanto Center for the Performing Arts, 2900 Calle Pedro Infante, East LA; Sun., Nov. 9, 6 pm, $15 pre-sale, $20 at door, $30 VIP, $10 children (at door only). Danza Floricanto/USA

 
Rowland Heights, and lows

Southern California’s oldest surviving brick structure, the Rowland Mansion (now Rowland Museum), claims a history extending back from industrialization through agricultural dominance to colonization. Curated by artistic director Chloë Flores, the site-specific adventurers of HomeLA teamed with the La Puente Valley Historical Society for Redrawing the Rancho, considering that history and the building that lived through it all. New works by Nao Bustamante, Eva Aguila, Rosa Rodríguez-Frazier, and Victoria Marks articulate different perspectives on the mansion and California’s history. Rowland Museum, 16021 Gale Ave., City of Industry; Sat.-Sun., Nov. 8-9, 1-4 pm, $15-$35. HomeLA-Redrawing the Rancho

 
Thank you for your service

Continuing its impressive work with military veterans, Diavolo offers performances of Escape. Vets and dancer/gymnasts move inside, outside, over and through the often outsized architectural structures that are signature parts of Jacques Heim’s choreography. This time up close and personal in the intimate studio setting. Proceeds will support ongoing military and educational programs. L’Espace Diavolo Studios, 616 Moulton Ave., Lincoln Heights; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 6 pm, thru Sun., Nov. 23, 6 pm,  $51.74-$93.14. Diavolo – Escape

Triptych of new

Dance from Gabriela Burdsall is one-third of this week’s 22nd Annual New Original Works (NOW) Festival. Burdsall’s solo, Meneo, draws from Caribbean social dance. She shares the evening with a comedy-horror play titled Mommy, and an opera Thresholds. Saturday’s show offers a streaming option. Details on Week 3 at website. Disney Hall, REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., Downtown LA; Thurs.-Sat., Nov. 13-15, 8 pm, $25. REDCAT NOW

 
North to SoCal

Traditional North Indian kathak dance and music are offered under the banner Sandhi. Dancer Rukhmani Mehta is joined by musicians Jayanta Banerjee on sitar and Salar Nader on tabla. Wende Museum, 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City; Thurs., Nov. 13, 7:30 pm, free w/reservation at Rukhmani Mehta

 
Going global

Take a quick dance tour of the world as Santa Monica College Global Motion World Dance Company brings an array of styles to the stage including West African, flamenco, ballet, Asian, Hawaiian, folklórico, and more. SMC alum Jade Lelievre who now dances with Kybele Dance Company returns in the role of choreographer with a new contemporary work for the program. The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica; Sat.-Sun., Nov. 8-9, 7:30 pm, $21. Global Motion World Dance Company

From the street

Performances along with a dance class and dance battles are on the program for Juchéti Uarhán (Our Dance) Festival v.2 presented by MoFundamentals. Sponsors include S12F and Rennie Davis. 1611 S. Hope St., Downtown LA; Sat., Nov. 8, 1:30 pm & 2 pm. $8.50-$20. Juchéti Uarhán (Our Dance) Festival

 
Who’s watching?

The first of four Wonmi Warehouse events by female identifying artists brings Lenio Kaklea’s consideration of the prevalence and coercive potential of surveillance. In The Birds, seven quasi-creatures reflect individuals or a flock under perpetual observation. 2025 at Wonmi Warehouse, Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 152 N. Central Ave., Little Tokyo; Fri., Nov. 7, 8 pm, Sat., Nov. 8, 7:30 pm, Sun., Nov. 9, 3:30 pm, $12. Lenio Kaklea-The Birds 2025

 What to say about that

Two non-verbal monologues are among the verbal chapters in The Menopause Monologues. Choreographer Yukie Fujimoto created Strange Flower and Carrie Vanhouten provided the puppetry in Caroline’s Vagina Has Something to Say.  Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., Atwater Village, Wed.-Fri., Nov. 5-7, 8 pm, Sat., Nov. 8, 2 & 8 pm, Sun., Nov. 9, 2 pm, $22.25-$57.75. Menopause Monologues

 
California dreaming

Under the banner Dreams and Diversity, artistic directors Chelsea Asman and Cihtil Ocampo bring a line up of faculty and guest choreographers covering a range of styles for the CSUDH Faculty Dance Concert. From the faculty: Amy Michele Allen, Cilecia Foster, Jeff Hendrix, Cihtli Ocampo, Doris Ressl, and Kenneth Walker. Guest choreographers  Robert Laos and Rongna Su are joined by student choreographer Chamya Smith. University Theatre, Cal State University Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson; Wed.-Sat., Nov. 5-8, 7 pm, Fri., Nov. 7, 1 pm, $20, $12 students/seniors.   CSUDH Dreams & Diversity

A Peek at Next Week  (November 14-20)

Invertigo Dance Theatre – Siren Songs at the Harpy Café at Renberg Theatre, LA LGBT Center, 1125 N. McCadden Pl., Hollywood; Sat., Nov. 15, 7 pm, $20. Invertigo Dance Theatre

Mizrahi Moves – VULGAR at EVERYTHING, 500 S. Victory Blvd., Burbank; Fri-Sat., Nov. 14-15, 8 pm, $23.18-$49.87. Mizrahi Moves

​​Ballet BC  – Encore Performance at The Soraya Center for the Arts, Cal State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge; Sat., Nov. 15, 8 pm, $46-$94. Ballet BC

 
Lu Coy, jeremy de’jon guyton, and Luna Izpisua Rodriguez – REDCAT New Original Works (NOW) Festival at Disney Hall, REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., Downtown LA; Thurs.-Sat., Nov. 13-15, 8 pm, $25. REDCAT NOW

World Ballet Company – Cinderella at The Alex Theater, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale; Sat., Nov. 15., 7 pm, $53-$182. https://www.thealex.com/shows

Barekamutiun Dance – 25th Anniversary at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood & Highland, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Sun., Nov. 16, 6:30 pm, $77-$255. Ticketmaster

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Featured photo:  Alonzo King LINES Ballet – photo by Chris Hardy

Ann Haskins’ Blog appears at CulturalDaily.com