New York powerhouse dancers downtown; rarely seen post-modern works honor a legendary creator in Santa Monica, contemporary ballet in Northridge and Heritage Square, a tap/piano duo celebrate Gershwin in Costa Mesa, new contemporary choreography sightings in the Arts District, Atwater Village, Long Beach, and downtown; Kabuki-infused Sondheim in Little Tokyo, more SoCal dance this busy week, and a peek at next week.
Live This Week
(through November 28)
A force from the past
When he first made his name in the 1960s as part of the post modern dance movement often associated with New York City’s Judson Church, Rudy Perez’ work was often described as minimalist and other times as succinct, but always born from a deep dance aesthetic. Soon after his start on the East Coast, Perez came west as a UCLA guest lecturer, stayed, and spent subsequent decades here , cultivating generations of dancers in his intensely focused, stripped down aesthetic. Perez died September 2023 at the age of 93. For Retrospective, a celebration of what would have been the modern dance legend’s 95th birthday, a number of Perez’ dancers will present his danceworks, many not been seen here for a long time. Scheduled performers include Anne Grimaldo & Jeff Grimaldo, Jarred Cairns, Mona Jean Cedar, Alessia Patregnani, Sarah Swenson, and Isabel Van Zigl. Especially for anyone who has never seen what made Perez a force in LA and a legend in dance, this is a not-to-miss opportunity. Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Sun., Nov. 24, 3 pm, $25, $20 students/seniors. https://www.highwaysperformance.org/events/rudy-perez-retrospective
Rudy Perez – Photo by Aram Jibilian
Women with power
For 40 years, Urban Bush Women have celebrated the Black experience with powerful and exhilarating dance. For this visit, the work is SCAT!... The Complex Lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollar. Set in a fictional Kansas City jazz club, the work was the last choreographed by UBW founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. It also marks the first professional dance company presented in this 739 seat theater whose thrust stage bodes well for bringing the dance close to the audience. UBW is an initial collaboration between Center Theatre Group and Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance, and hopefully, not the last. The Music Center, Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Fri, Nov. 22, 7: 30 pm, Sat., Nov. 23, 2 & 7:30 pm, Sun., Nov. 24, 2 pm, $33-$70. https://www.musiccenter.org/tickets-free-events/tmc-arts/dance/urban-bush-women/
Urban Bush Women. Photo courtesy of the artists
The last for now
This year’s New Original Works (NOW) Fest concludes with three choreographers, Bret Easterling, Mallory Fabian, and Kensaku Shinohara. An interview by Jeff Slayton about their work for the NOW fest is at https://www.ladancechronicle.com/. REDCAT, Disney Hall, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown; Thurs.-Sat., Nov. 21-23, 8:30 pm, $25, $20 students. https://www.redcat.org/events
Kensaku Shinohara – “tired music concert” – Photo by Angel Origgi.
The last chapter
The Victorian houses of Heritage Square were built decades after the Civil War era homes depicted in Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women, but they are close enough to provide a historical atmosphere for choreographer Emma Andres ongoing series of site-specific ballet episodes that have been building to a full-length Little Women Ballet. Presented in partnership with Pasadena Civic Ballet and with live music, the event moves among the Heritage Square Victorians, with post performance folk dancing, refreshments, and photos with the cast. The December performance combining all four episodes is scheduled for a theater performance, but there is something special seeing it sited among these elegant houses. Heritage Square Museum, 3800 Homer St., Montecito Heights; Fri.-Sun., Nov. 22-24, 6:30 pm, Sat.-Sun., Nov. 23-24, 3 pm, $60. Details at https://www.littlewomenballet.com/upcoming-events. Tickets at https://30098.danceticketing.com/r/events/
Little Women Ballet – Photo courtesy of the company.
Collaborations
Dance loves live music. For Fusion, Cal State Long Beach Dance collaborated with the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music for an evening combing both. The participating choreographers include guest artist Hanna Victoria Thomas and faculty choreographers Tsiambwom Akuchu, Lorin Jonson, Rebecca Lemme and Andrew Vaca. Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach; Fri.-Sat., Nov. 22-23, $25-$30. https://www.csulb.edu/dance/event/fusion-a-collaboration-of-dance-and-live-orchestra-at-cpac-november-2223
Cal State University Dance. Photo courtesy of the artists
Gershwin meets tap and piano
From the title Conrad Tao & Friends, clearly pianist Conrad Tao is the main attractions on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. For tap enthusiasts, one of the pianist’s good friends and favorite collaborators is tap dancer Caleb Teicher. The two stunned audiences with their intricate and often improvised collaborations at a recent UCLA’s Nimoy Theater show. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Sat., Nov. 23, 8 pm, $42.94-$99.44 https://www.scfta.org/
Conrad Tao and Caleb Teicher – Photo by EmWatson
Contemporary Canadian
While it is curious that this major local presenter decided to go far beyond Southern California, to Canada actually, to choose a dance company-in-residence, Ballet BC returns for its fourth visit. Led by artist director Medhi Walerski, the program includes Chamber and Silent, two works by Walerski, plus Frontiers by Crystal Pike. The artistic director danced with Nederlands Dance Theatre where she was in an earlier version of Pike’s Frontiers. The Soraya, Cal State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge; Sat., Nov. 23, 8 pm, $48-$118. https://thesoraya.org/whats-on/en/ballet-bc/
Ballet BC – Photo by Marcus Eriksson
Booker prize to puppetry
The master puppeteers of Handspring Puppet Company who created War Horse, joined forces with Cape Town’s Baxter Theatre to create Life & Times of Michael K. Based on the 1983 Booker Prize winning novel by Nobel Laureate J.M.Coetze, the story follows a humble man on an epic journey. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Bram Goldsmith Theater, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills; Thurs.-Sat., Nov. 21-23, 7:30 pm, Sat.-Sun., Nov. 22-23, 2 pm, $39-99. https://thewallis.org/
Life & Times of Michael K. Photo by Fiona McPherson
R&J’s last moves
Known for her contemporary troupe Hysterica, Kitty McNamee has been a frequent choreographer for LA Opera, including the 2005 and 2011 productions of Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet. This time McNamee is directing the opera that has the chorus and leads dancing as well as singing. Last show. Music Center Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Sat., Nov. 23, 7:30 pm, 7:30 pm, $33.50-$400. https://www.laopera.org/performances/2025/romeo-et-juliette
LA Opera’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Photo by Robert Millard
Return to the 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’s 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. 1. $15-$74. https://www.eastwestplayers.org/pacific24
Kit DeZolt as Commodore Matthew Commodore Perry performing “Lion Dance.” Photo by Teolindo.
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
Cirque du Soleil. Photo courtesy of the artists
Teasing
The title says it all: The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody. The show returns after its 2022 run at this venue. The Montalbán Theatre, 1615 Vine St., Hollywood; Thurs., 7:30 pm, Fri., 7 pm, Sat., 7 & 9:30 pm, Sun., 4 pm, thru Dec. 1. $44-$109. https://theempirestripsback.com/los-angeles/
A Peek at Next Week (November 29-Dec. 5)
CalArts Winter Dance at 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
Work in Progress/LA – Charissa Kroeger and TRIN Dance Theatre at G-Son Studios, 3218 Glendale Blvd. (enter through the alley), Atwater Village; Mon., Dec. 2, 7:30 pm, $15. https://wipla.info/013
Featured photo: Urban Bush Women. Photo courtesy of the artists
Ann Haskins Blog appears at CulturalDaily.com
