A fest celebrates ten years with a Crenshaw host, Ray Bradbury gets his due in Venice, a dancemaker shares his moves downtown, ballet in the afternoon, more SoCal dance this week, plus a peek at next week.
Live This Week
Together again
Two riveting performers pay homage and consider contemporary parallels to Farenheit 451, Ray Bradbury’s masterful 1953 anticipation of a media manipulated society where books are banned and burned. Oguri & Andrés Corchero reunite for Dance Homage to Ray Bradbury, the latest in their ongoing collaboration Body as Evidence anchored in Butoh and their symbiotic relationship onstage. Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Fri.-Sat., March 29-30, 8 pm, Sun., March 31, 3 pm, free w/reservation at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/flower-of-the-season-2024-body-as-evidence-phase-ii-tickets-842565856157
Oguri & Andrés Corchero. Photo courtesy of the artists
He likes to share
Live performance plus a film documenting the career arc of innovative French choreographer Jérôme Bel are part of the aptly self-titled Jérôme Bel. One of Bel’s principles is to always have his work be reinterpreted by local performers in the language of the country where it is shown. This time, excerpts of his pioneering contemporary dance works feature Ariel Osterweis and a group of LA-based dancers. REDCAT, Disney Hall, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown; Thurs. & Sat., April 4 & 6, 8:30 pm, $27. https://www.redcat.org/events/2024/jerome-bel
Jérôme Bel. Photo by Herman Sorgeloos
Coming inside
After its long-time home theater was sold during the pandemic, the BlakTinx Dance Festival has had four years of online and al fresco existence. The festival moves back indoors, bringing its diverse line up of choreographers curated by Licea Perea since she founded the festival in 2013 to showcase Black and Latinx dancemakers. The festival’s announced participants include Old School Skinny, FUSE Dance Company, Sasha Rivero, Byron Tittle, Shantel Ureña, and Press Contacts. The evening includes a special performance by Lula Washington Dance Theatre and DaanseKou West African Dance and Drummers. Lula Washington Dance Foundation, 3773 Crenshaw Blvd., Leimert Park; Sat., March 30, 7 pm, $20. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kaleidoscope-dream-presented-by-blaktinx-dance-festival-tickets-855388348577
BlackTinx Dance Festival’s Daunte Fyall. Photo courtesy of the artists
Going downtown
The dancers of Hollywood Ballet head to skid row with a performance titled For Skid Row. The show is open to clients of the Midnight Mission, the larger community, and friends of the company. The afternoon performance is free with a reservation. Midnight Mission, 601 San Pedro St., downtown; Thurs., April 4, 2:30 pm, free. https://www.hollywoodballet.org/
Hollywood Ballet. Photo courtesy of the artists
Making an MJ move
The main draw may be the songs Michael Jackson made famous, but MJ the Musical won a Tony award for director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, whose dance-infused staging dominates from when the curtain goes up until the finale. Just in case anyone thought Wheeldon’s talents were limited to ballet companies. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Tues.-Fri., 7:30 pm, Sat., 2 & 7:30 pm, Sun., 1 & 6:30 pm, thru Sun., March 31. $49-$159. SCFTA.
Myles Frost and cast in MJ The Musical – Photo by Matthew Murphy.
They’re back
The touring show showcasing a view of China culture pre-communism, Shen Yun, returns with its 2024 edition. This week its Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Details on this and upcoming SoCal performances at Shen Yun.
Shen Yun. Photo courtesy of the artists.
A Peek at Next Week (4/5 to 4/11)
Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana – Tablao Flamenco at UCLA, The Nimoy, 1262 Westwood Blvd., Westwood; Thur., April 11, 8 pm, $32. https://cap.ucla.edu/ucla-nimoy-theater
Benita Bike’s DanceArt at Lake View Terrace Library, 12002 Osborne St., Lakeview Terrace; Sat., April 6, 2 pm, free. https://www.danceart.org/performances
American Ballet Theatre – Woolf Works at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Thurs.-Fri., April 11-12, 7:30 pm, Sat., April 13, 2 & 7:30 pm, Sun., April 14, 1 pm, $49-$149. https://www.scfta.org/
American Ballet Theatre in Woolf Works. Photo by Andrej Uspenski
Rosanna Gamson WorldWide – Brian Golden, Alejandro Perez, & Jordan Saenz at Stomping Ground, address; Sat., April 6, 7:30 pm, $20. Tix?
Benjamin Millepied – Unstill Life at Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown; Tues., April 9, 8 pm, $40-$129. https://www.laphil.com/events/performances/2491/2024-04-09/unstill-life
Featured photo Lula Washington Dance Theater. Photo by Kristal Tomlin
Ann Haskins Blog appears at CulturalDaily.com
