Live This Week
Towing the “LINES”
Anyone who missed the dynamic, al fresco performance by Alonzo King LINES Ballet at the Music Center in July gets a second chance to savor this San Francisco-based company’s brand of contemporary ballet. King and his dancers perform in Orange County for one night only. The troupe returns with a different program centered on Azoth, drawing on a universal solvent as a metaphor for transforming the human mind and heart in the choreographer’s words “into spritual gold.” King always finds an extraordinary group of dancers who understand his distinctive approach that moves through movement, not just striking a pose. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Sat, Sept. 11, 7:30 pm, $39-$119. Info, tickets, and Covid protocols at https://scfta.org/.
Alonzo King LINES Ballet – Dancer: Adji Cissoko – Photo © RJ-Muna
The Bard under the oaks
Brian Elerding and Debbie Ortiz from Lineage Dance join with the professional actors, writers, and improvisors of Ensemble Shakespeare Theater for What You Will. Performed outdoors under the trees, the performances are described as a Shakespearean “un-play,” actually a series of mini-plays bringing the performers’ individual and diverse backgrounds to reconsider and recontextualize the Bard of Avon’s stories and words. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge; Thurs.-Sat., Sept. 16-18, 5:30 pm, $20-25. More info and Covid protocols at https://www.ensembleshakes.org/tickets. Tickets at
Lineage Dance. Photo by Michelle Kolb.
Two more to go
Keeping the hybrid format that remains prudent in the age of unpredictable Covid surges, the intrepid San Pedro Festival of the Arts (formerly the Tri-Arts Festival) combine live and online options for three different programs dealt out over three weekends this month. All shows are free. The festival opened last week with a half dozen films spotlighting mostly SoCal dance companies. Starting this week, live performance takes the stage with more than two dozen troupes in two different live performances at two different venues. Both shows have an online option. This week at Alvas Showroom, 1413 W. 8th St., San Pedro; Sun., Sept. 12, 4 p.m., free. Next week at Anderson Memorial Senior Center (on the lawn), 828 S. Mesa St., San Pedro, Sun., Sept. 19, 1 p.m., free. San Pedro Festival of the Arts channel. Previews, a complete line up of performers, Covid protocols, live performance registration, and more at Tri-Arts Festival.
Louise Reichlin Dancers in “Reboot Reboot” – Photo courtesy of the artist.
A goodby summer dance
Bollywood is the dance genre closing out this summer’s Music Center Dance DTLA. The free dance lesson at 7 p.m. is followed by a chance to dance under summer stars. Join in or sit back and enjoy the free dance show. It’s come now or wait until next summer.Details at the website. Music Center, Jerry Moss Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Fri., Sept. 10, 7 pm to 11 pm, free. Covid protocols and other info at Music Center LA
Dance DTLA. Photo courtesy of the artists.
They’re going Hollywood!
An east coast dance film festival winds up its local debut as Dances With Films (DWF/LA) after a two-week run at Hollywood’s legendary Chinese Theater. Before it ends, the festival offers still more features, short films, and even shorter films. TCL Chinese Theater, Hollywood & Highland, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; thru Sun., Sept. 12, Details on the extensive line up of films, previews, ticket prices, Covid protocols, and more at Dances With Films.
Forgotten Song, a film in Dances With Films (DWF/LA). Photo courtesy of the artists.
A Peek at Next Week
Blue 13 at Heritage Square, Lincoln Heights; Fri.-Sat., Sept. 17-19, 7:30 pm, $30-$75, $10 students. https://blue13dance.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/blue13dance/eventList.jsp.
Leela Dance Collective at multiple LA locations and times; Wed.-Sun., Sept. 22-26, free to $10. https://leela.dance/resound/
Danza Floricanto/USA open a new studio at Floricanto Center for the Performing Arts, Casa Mexicano, 2900 Calle Pedro Infante, Boyle Heights; Sat., Sept. 18, 1-5 pm, free. https://danzafloricantousa.org/
National Dance Day at Argyros Plaza, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Sat., Sept. 18, 4-8 pm, $10. https://scfta.org/.
New Online This Week
They’re back with more
When theaters shuttered with the pandemic, dance and its audiences went online and began expanding the possibilities of dance on film. LA choreographer Jacob Jonas and his Jacob Jonas/The Company gathered artists from around the world to produce 15 original short dance films under the banner Films.Dance. In January 2021 the films started rolling out over four months, one each Monday, all free. The project earned boasting rights as many of those films went on to win awards at other film festivals. This week begins Films.Dance Round Two, again with dance, dancers, and filmmakers from around the world. The original films, a preview, and e-mail sign up for free weekly film delivery at https://www.films.dance/
“Films.Dance Round 2.” Photo courtesy of the artists.
Online Encores
L.A. dance gets a little love
The third season of the Music Center’s digital series For the Love of L.A. keeps adding new videos filled with curated dance, music, and visual arts. The season includes South Asian-American dance with Shalini Bathina and 17-year old Shreya Patel, Japanese influenced dance in a film directed and performed by Kyoko Takenaka, contemporary dance set in Leimert Park from Brianna Mims, an excursion between beach and backyard from Maya Alvarez-Coyne, Albertossy Espinoza’s LA Fusion Dance Theater, and more. Online free, at Music Center.
Brianna Mims in “#JAILBEDDROP”. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Online Dance Classes
Get thee to a dance class!
On-line dance classes continue on zoom, instagram, other on-line platforms, and increasingly in person. Many classes free, low cost or suggesting a donation. One central, constantly updated source on dance classes and in-depth reporting on SoCal dance, LA Dance Chronicle lists on-line dance classes including any cost and contact info. Grab a chair or clear off a corner of the room and use this time to dance. LA Dance Chronicle.
Dance classes.
Featured Image: featured photo Alonzo King LINES Ballet by RJ Muna
Ann Haskins Blog appears at CulturalDaily.com
