The Pas d’ASL Dance Company is a fairly new addition to the Los Angeles community of dance companies, but it’s founder, Mona Jean Cedar, is not. Cedar’s professional experience includes working with Rudy Perez, Avaz, and Collage Dance Theater. She created her company’s name by combining the French ballet term Pas, to step or dance, with ASL, All Sign Languages. Thus: Pas d’ASL, Dance of All Sign Languages.

At 8 PM on April 2, 2022, Pas d’ASL will perform dances and sign languages from several countries at the Ahiah Center for Spiritual Living located at 150 North El Molino Avenue Pasadena, CA. 91101. The group will also host Two Worlds – Jill and Amnon Damti from Israel who will be signing with Israeli sign language! ( https://aicf.org/artist/two-worlds-jill-and-amnon-damti/ ) Tickets are $15 and are on sale now via Eventbrite.

On her website Cedar states that her greatest passion “is creating with dance, sign language, and spoken word”.  Because sign language is not universal, Pas d’ASL  choreographs with sign languages (SL) from different countries to speak to a diversity of cultures through dance. Cedar lists Mexican, Ethiopian, American, Russian, Japanese, German, Italian and Dutch sign languages.

Cedar’s academic credentials include an AA in Dance, an AS in ASL (American Sign Language) Interpreting, and a BS in Deaf Studies with a focus in performance. She has taught ballet, tap, and modern, jazz to children and adults for many years. Working with Zina Bethune’s Dance Outreach she taught dance movement to disabled children while independently working to create special dance performances for her favorite population children with Downs Syndrome.

Other featured performers on this April 2nd performance include: Hanna Tewabe, dancing her native dances with the sign language from Ethiopia, Irit Specktor’s Flamenco with Spanish Sign Language, and Ballet Folklorico Resurreccion with Mexican Sign Language. In addition, there will be ballet with Russian Sign Language, Bollywood with Indian Sign Language as well as a few surprises. “Our dancers are Deaf, non-deaf, dancers, non-dancers, & signers, non-signers – just like the world! This will be a truly unique and creative experience!” – Pas d’ASL press release.

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WHAT:  Pas d’ASL Dance Company

WHEN: April 2, 2022 at 8 PM

WHERE: Ahiah Spiritual Center – 150 N El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, California 91101

TICKETS:  $15 – Available on Eventbrite

To learn more about Pas d’ASL Dance Company, please visit their website. You can also follow Pas d’ASL Dance Company on Facebook.

Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.

Featured image: Pas d’ASL Dance Company – Photo by Mary Cheung.