Vampires, Kronos Quartet, and Phillip Glass converge in Santa Barbara; Taiwanese contemporary at University Park; haunted dancing in Laguna Beach; contemporary ballet with talk and without in two downtownLA events; feathered cirque in Northridge; new contemporary dance in Culver City; tv dance star live on stage in Thousand Oaks and Cerritos, more SoCal dance this week, plus a peek at what is coming in November.
Live Performance This Week (ending November 5)
Cadaverous Countenance
In 1998, the celebrated Kronos Quartet performed composer Philip Glass’ score for the classic 1931 Tod Browning film Dracula, starring Bela Legosi as the vampire. This weekend, Kronos Quartet reprises the Glass score, performing live for the world premiere of State Street Ballet’s Dracula, a dark shadow. Nicolas Blanc choreographed the new version, with Tigran Sargsyan, former Los Angeles Ballet principal, appearing as a guest artist in the title role. At the Granada Theatre, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara; Fri., Oct. 30, 7:30 pm, Sat., Oct. 31, 2 pm, $25-$145. Dracula, a dark shadow.
State Street Ballet. Photo courtesy of the artists.
Rocky Horror Thrill
Part performance, part dance party, part seasonal fundraiser, Laguna Dance offers Ghosts & Grooves. Guests can watch a live performance, enjoy snacks and drinks, and learn dance moves from Rocky Horror Picture Show and Thriller. At Rivian South Coast Theater, 162 S. Pacific Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach; Fri., Oct. 30, 6 pm, $75, $25 students, free for under 5 years. Laguna Dance.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Photo courtesy of the artists.
Taking flight
Named after the Chinese character that means ‘to soar,’ Taiwanese contemporary company Hung Dance makes its LA debut. The calling card is BIRDY by choreographer/artistic director LAI Hung-Chung, blending Tai Chi with contemporary dance set to electronic and Chinese classical music. At USC Bovard Auditorium, 3551 Trousdale Prkwy., University Park; Thurs., Oct. 29, 7 pm, free w/reservation at Hung Dance.
Hung Dance Company. Photo by LIU Ren-Haur.
Last dance
A quartet of Pas de Deux with two alternating casts marks the latest from American Contemporary Ballet. Balanchine’s Rubies Pas de Deux, Sonatine and Episodes Finale join a new work by artistic director Lincoln Jones. Details, including casts for each show, are at the website. At Bank of America Plaza, CO-150, 333 S. Hope St., Downtown LA; Fri.-Sat., 30-31, $65-$140. American Contemporary Ballet.
American Contemporary Ballet’s Cecelia Johnson and Maté Szentes in Balanchine’s “Sonatine” – Photo by Caleb Thal.
Listen and watch
As part of the discussion/demonstration series See the Music, Hear the Dance, dancers from Los Angeles Ballet perform excerpts of choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia set to music by György Ligeti. The performance accompanies a conversation between Jason Fowler and Jani Taylor. A former New York City Ballet dancer, Fowler now stages Wheeldon ballets. Also a NYCB alum, Taylor is Artistic Director of the Trudi Zipper Dance Institute which sponsors the series. At the Trudi Zipper Dance Institute, Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA; Sun., Nov. 1, 5 pm,$35. Jason Fowler with Jani Taylor.
New York City Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon’s “Polyphonia.” Photo courtesy of the artists.
Percolation
Since 2023, WIP has quietly perked along, building an audience for this artist-led, work-in-progress platform. This edition of WIP-024 hosts current endeavors by choreographers Kendra Adler as well as Lynsey Peisinger + Nathalie Lov. After the dancing, stay for a post-show discussion with the artists. Kudos to the venue and WIP founders Kate Wallich, Stephanie Zaletel, and Belize Wilhelm for providing a much needed environment nurturing new dance. At the Wende Museum, 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City; Mon., Nov. 2, 7:30 pm, free w/rsvp at WIP 024
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert. Photo by Eric McCandless.
Feathered cirque
Riffing on Swan Lake and brimming with acrobatics, high-flying and otherwise, the delightful cirque troupe Circa circles SoCal with Duck Pond. At the Soraya, Cal State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge; Sun., Nov. 1, 3 pm, $49-$94 (+ fees). Circa.
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert. Photo by Eric McCandless.
Early holiday arrival
Television has elevated Dancing with the Stars fixture Derek Hough’s excellent dancing into the realm of popular culture, with matching ticket prices for his live concert tour dubbed Dance for the Holidays at the Fred Kavli Theatre, Bank of America Performing Arts Center, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; Tues., Nov. 3, 7:30 pm, $231.30-$597.10. Fred Kavli Theatre. Also at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Dr., Cerritos; Sat., Nov. 14, 8 pm, $117-$588. Cerritos Center..
Max 10. Photo courtesy of the artists.
It’s a ten
Ten performers, frequently including dancers, each with ten minutes to win over the audience. It’s the long-running, mostly monthly, first Monday series Max 10. At the Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Mon., Nov, 2, 7:30 pm, $10. Max 10.
Dance and the Railroad. Photo by Michael Palma.
On the Rails
Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang drew on the 1867 Chinese Railway Workers strike as the backdrop for The Dance and the Railroad where dance-infused Chinese opera becomes a bond for two striking railroad workers building the transcontinental railroad. The western portion was built by a labor force, at least 80% of which were Chinese immigrants. They faced harsher duties, longer hours, made less than half the pay of white workers, and in 1867, went on strike over working conditions after an explosion killed one white and five Chinese workers. The play requires actors who also can meet the dance demands of classical Chinese opera. Presenters Artists at Play & Latino Theater Company found those actors/dancers in Tony Jin and Scott Keiji Takeda, who appeared together this summer in East West Players’ Hwang’s updated Flower Drum Song where Chinese opera dance also played a central role. The duo now reapply those Chinese opera and dance skills in this new revival of another Hwang work. At LA Theater Center, 514 S. Spring St., Downtown LA; Thurs.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm, thru Nov. 1, $48 (+fee). The Dance and the Railroad.
A Peek at November Dance
(November 6-12)
Launch: LA – Stephanie Dai + Milka Djordjevich at LA Dance Project, 2245 E. Washington Blvd., Downtown LA Arts District; Fri., Nov., 6, 8 pm, Sun., Nov., 8, 2 & 6 pm, $30, $25 seniors/students, Launch: LA. Sat., Nov. 7, (Le Rendez-Vous 2026), 7 pm, $150-$500. Launch + Les Rendez-Vous.
Jacob Jonas The Company – Sky at Occidental Studios, address provided with ticket, Echo Park; Fri.-Sat., Nov. 6-7, 8 pm, $57.75. Jacob Jonas The Company.
CSU Dominguez Hills Theatre & Dance – Parallax: Faculty/Guest Dance Concert at University Theatre, Cal State University Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson; Thurs.-Fri., Nov. 12-13, Sat., Nov. 14, 1 & 7 pm, $20, $12 students. Parallax.
Global Motion World Dance Company at the BroadStage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica; Sat.-Sun., Nov. 7-8, 7:30 pm, $20 in advance, $25 at door. Global Motion World Dance.
Danza Floricanto/USA. Photo by Frank Sandoval.
Danza Floricanto – Fiesta del Dia de Los Muertos at Floricanto Center for the Performing Arts/ Casa del Mexicano, 2900 Casa Pedro Enfante, East LA; Sat., Nov. 7, 8 pm, Sun., Nov. 8, 6 pm, $15-$30 presale, $20 at door, $10 children 10 and under. Danza Floricanto.
Brenda Barrios, Cody Perkins, Megan Paradowski– REDCAT NOW Week 2 at REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., DowntownLA; Thur.-Sat., Nov. 12-14, 8 pm, $27+$2 fee. REDCAT NOW Week 2.
Madeline Elaine / Lizzie Esses – ALGAE at Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., Nov. 6-7, 8 pm, $20-$25. Madeline Elaine & Lizzie Esses.
(November 13-19)
Home LA – Mourning Home: Collective Futures in Los Angeles at the Thomas Mann House, 1550 San Remo Dr., Pacific Palisades; Sun., Nov. 15, 3 pm, RSVP at Home LA.
Arpana Dance Company – Living Landscapes at USC Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena; Thurs.-Fri., Nov. 19-20, 7:30 pm, free w/reservation Living Landscapes.
Santa Monica College Synapse Dance Theater at the BroadStage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., Nov. 14-15, 7:30 pm, $20 in advance, $25 at door. Synapse Dance Theater.
Palm Desert Choreography Festival at the McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert; Sat., Nov. 14, 7 pm, 34-69 (professionals), Sun., Nov. 15, 4 pm, $29-$64 (local and student choreography). Palm Desert Choreography Festival.
Dance Theatre of Harlem – Higher Ground at the Soraya, Cal State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Ave., Northridge; Sat., Nov. 14, 8 pm, $56-$74. https://thesoraya.org/en/whats-on/genres/dance/.
Chica Barbosa, Friidom, Tarren Johnson – REDCAT NOW Week 3 at REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., Downtown LA; Thur.-Sat., Nov. 19-21, 8 pm, $25+2. REDCAT NOW Week 3.
Sankai Juku – Totem: Void and Height at the Granada Theatre, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara; Fri., Nov. 20, 7:30 pm, $20-$100. https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/.
Camille Hernandez – Motherlands at Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, Sun., Nov. 15, 4 pm, $20. Camille Hernandez.
Leigh Purtill Ballet – Cracked, Nutcracker with a Twist at Lanterman Auditorium, 4491 Cornishon Ave., La Canada/Flintridge; Sat., Nov. 14, 7 pm, Sun., Nov. 15, 4 pm, $44.52, $28.52 students, $23.18 children under 12 (includes fees). Leigh Purtill Ballet.
Doug Varone and Dancers at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara; Sat., Nov. 14, 2 & 7 pm, $20-$75. https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/.
Doug Varone & Dancers. Photo courtesy of the artists.
(November 20-30)
Diavolo – Escape at the Soraya, Cal State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Ave., Northridge; Sat., Nov. 21, 8 pm, Sun., Nov. 22, 3 pm, $42-$99 (includes fees). https://thesoraya.org/en/whats-on/genres/dance/.
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan – Blue Hour / Beckoning: A Double Bill at UCLA, Royce Hall, 10745 Dickson Ct., Westwood; Sat., Nov. 21, 8 pm, $45.08-$72.02. Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan.
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. Photo courtesy of the artists.
SoCal Dance News of Note
Does this count as semi-pro?
After a stint as artist in residence at USC’s Kaufman School of Dance, choreographer and artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet selected 14 Kaufman students to perform with his company at New York’s Joyce Theater in November.
Making it official
Orange County’s major performing arts venue, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, announced formalization of American Ballet Theatre’s status as the concert venue’s resident dance company. Over the past four decades, ABT has toured to various SoCal, but in recent years, the New York-based ballet company gradually established roots with SCFTA, first with an annual Nutcracker series and almost every year with a spring performance, mostly of a full length classical ballet. More recently, ABT and SCFTA collaborated on what has become the ABT William J. Gillespie School of Dance, located adjacent to SCFTA. This five year agreement will provide for an annual Spring performance as well as the Nutcracker. While continuing its fall and summer New York seasons, ABT has gradually eliminated its New York Nutcracker performances, at the same time increasing SCFTA Nutcracker performances. This year ABT has a new high of 18 SoCal Nutcracker performances. Among the positive news are yet to be answered questions as to whether SoCal ticket sales will stay and fund ABT in SoCal or go back to fund ABT’s New York-based activities? The press release describes ‘other partnerships’ with details to come. Watch this space.
Dancers helping dancers
At the recent Dancers Against Cancer 2026 Gala of the Stars, Janet Jackson presented Missy Elliott with the Icon Award. Other honorees were Toni Basil, Vincent Paterson and Hilaria Baldwin, with Paula Abdul paying tribute to the late Chita Rivera. Organizers reported the event raised $760,000 to help dancers and their families impacted by cancer. More info at Dancers Against Cancer
Featured image: Hung Ballet. Photo: LIU Ren-Haur.
Ann Haskins’ Blog appears at CulturalDaily.com
