The Great Gatsby conjured up in Beverly Hills; a significant season finale in Hollywood; street dance in the Glendale foothills; contemporary ballet in Venice Beach, Fairfax, and Santa Monica; a mini-fest downtown; contemporary dance in Brea, Irvine, and Santa Monica; more SoCal dance this week, plus a peek at next week.
Live This Week
On Gatsby’s centenary
The elegant preserved grounds of a LA oil magnate’s estate may not be “the Egg,” but for LA provides a pitch-perfect setting for Gatsby Redux, Janet Rosten’s site specific consideration of F. Scott Fitzerald’s The Great Gatsby. This encore performance by Mixed eMotion Theatrix marks the company’s return to again lead delighted audiences through the story and through an estate that conjures up Gatsby’s world of jazz age privilege and poverty. Appropriate dress and footwear are recommended for the mostly outside performance that involves walking and some stairs. Greystone Mansion & Gardens, 905 Loma Vista Dr., Beverly Hills; Thurs.- Sun., June 5-8 & Wed.-Sat. June 12-14, 7 pm, $30. https://beverlyhills.org/1327/Gatsby-Redux
Mixed eMotion Theatrix – “Gatsby Redux” for Los Angeles Music Center, Moves After Dark. Performed in the Blue Ribbon Garden of Disney Hall – Photo Credit: Barry Weiss
Sizzling finale
Artistic director Tina Finkelman Burkett and the masterful dancers of BODYTRAFFIC close the season with This Reminds Me of You, a triptych reflecting the troupe’s highly regarded emphasis on new choreography. Internationally recognized choreographer Trey McIntyre, now the company’s creative consultant, reprises Mayday, his first work created on the company’s dancers. Premiered earlier this season, Mayday is set to Buddy Holly’s music and pays homage to Holly’s life, music and death in a plane crash while on tour. Following up on last year’s highly praised, Cuban Missile Crisis-inspired Bloquea’o, company dancer and rehearsal director Joan Rodriguez has a new work evoking an Afro-Cuban nightclub and exploring performers’ offstage doubts behind those onstage smiles. The third work from company dancer Jordyn Santiago, marks her professional debut as a choreographer and provides the first company work with only female company members. Avalon Hollywood, 1735 N. Vine St., Hollywood; Thurs., June 5, 7 pm, $60. Upcoming Shows
BODYTRAFFIC – New work by Joan Rodriguez – Photo by Guzmán Rosado.
Have a peek
In Glimpses, respected choreographer Donna Sternberg brings a section of her latest and shares the spotlight with original choreography from members of her Donna Sternberg & Dancers. Contributing new work are Alyssa Milligan, Anna Kazwell, Rebecca Aguilar, and Alexandria Paige Amstutz bring their new choreography. Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., May 30-31, $20.50 (w/fees). https://www.highwaysperformance.org/
Donna Sternberg & Dancers. Photo courtesy of the artists
Taking to the street
Curated by choreographer/teacher/producer Jamie Nichols, the Brand Associates Dance Series closes its May series with No Easy Props. This 20-member team of street dancers brings itsWest Coast Funk & Soul Theatre Show created by Zulu Gremlin for a late afternoon multi-media street dance art experience. The Brand Library & Art Center, 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale; Sat., May 31, 5 pm, free. Dance Series | Brand Library
Volta Collective. Photo courtesy of the artists
Resilient
Choreographer Chasen Greenwood and his ballet troupe The Realm Company, celebrate the resilience shown by victims of February’s wildfires in Phoenix Rising. Set to an original score by Taylor Briggs, the story follows a young woman rising above adversity, just like the Phoenix bird of legend and so many Angelenos affected by the fires. A reception and dancing follow the show. Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Fri., May 30, 7:30 pm, Sat., May 31, 3 pm., $69.40 (w/fees). Realm-Phoenix Rising
The Realm Company in rehearsal for “Phoenix Rising” choreography by Chasen Greenwood – Photo by Hannah Cox.
Taking Flight
Over three days, the LAX Micro Fest from Los Angeles Performance Practice, presents 15 performances, many with dance and movement. Friday’s opening session has micro performances from Anuj Bhutani, Tsiambwom M. Akuchu, DaEun Jung, Paul Outlaw, and Nina Sarnelle. Saturday’s morning from 11 am to 1 pm, the line up is afa esparza, Wesleigh Gates, and Vanessa Hernández Cruz; at 3 pm Toogie Barcelo + Joe Berry; and at 7 pm Lindsey Red-tail and Yozmit the StarDog. Sunday at 2 pm is devoted to writers. Complete details on artists, performances, and related activities are at the website. Pieter, 2701 N. Broadway, downtown; Fri., May 30-Sun., June 1, times vary, individual tickets $14-$15, passes up to $65. Los Angeles Performance Practice
Two for the toes
The latest from American Contemporary Ballet is a shared bill with George Balanchine’s luminous Serenade and the premiere of The Euterpides with choreography by artistic director Lincoln Jones to music composed by 20-year old Alma Deutscher. Both works have live music. American Contemporary Ballet at Television City, 7800 Beverly Blvd., Stage 33, Fairfax District; opens Thurs., June 5, 8 pm, then Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, thru Sat., June 28, $65-$140. https://www.acbdances.com/sxiii-balanchine
American Contemporary Ballet. Photo by Will Davidson.
All-inclusive
The choreography showcase Synthesis presented by contemporary company FUSE includes dance from Mt. San Antonio College Dance Program, New Skins Collective, Selah Dance Collective, Cope Dance, ReborN Dance, Leiphia Dance Co., and the host company. Brea Curtis Theater, 1 Civic Center Circle, Brea; Fri.-Sat., May 30-31, 8 pm, $25, $20 students. https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=brea
Go West!
The respected ballet training academy Westside Ballet, presents its annual spring mixed bill program, Masters of Movement. The pre-professional student dancers welcome New York City Ballet guest artists Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia. The Saturday show coincides with the annual fundraising gala honoring Westside alum Andrew Veyette who is retiring from New York City Ballet. The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., May 31-June 1, 1 pm, $50; https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/WestsideBallet/4547; Sat., May 31, gala 5:30 pm, performance 7 pm, $195. https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/WestsideBallet/4547
Alonzo King LINES guest artist Tiler Peck.
Shakespeare moves
Adapter, director and choreographer John Farmanesh–Bocca returns with Lear Redux: A Quantum Fantasia, the latest in his “Redux” series boldly reconsidering the classics. The event also reunites him with choreographic collaborators Not Man Apart-Physical Theatre Ensemble along with New American Theatre and the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. Jack Stehlin tackles the part of King Lear, surrounded by Eve Danzeisen, Dennis Gersten, Dash Pepin, Jade Sealey, Ahkei Togun, and Emily Yetter. The Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., WLA; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm, Wed. June 11 & 25, 8 pm, thru Sun., July 13, $20-$43. Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
A rising tide
Since its founding four decades ago providing after school support for local youth, The Wooden Floor and particularly its dance unit, has developed young dance talent who are given a chance to strut their stuff at an annual concert, often in works provided by name choreographers. This 42nd annual concert, Curious Currents of Possibilities, features work by choreographers Billy Smith, Eva Stone, and the program’s artistic director Jennifer Bassage Bonfil. Irvine Barclay Theater, 4242 Campus Dr., Irvine; Thurs.-Fri., May 29-30, 8 pm, Sat., May 31, 2 & 8 pm, $20-$50, children half-price. The Wooden Floor Tix
LA Opera’s “Rigoletto” – Photo by Kyle Flubacker.
An opera with dancers and clowns
When the LA Opera opens Verdi’s Rigoletto next week for six Music Center performances, it will more closely resemble the 2023 Atlanta Opera production than the 2019 and 2022 performances in Houston and Dallas, Texas, all directed by Tomer Zvulun. After the Texas shows, the director Zvulun tasked Atlanta-based choreographer Ricardo Aponte to lighten the dark tale of lust and privileged cruelty with dancers and clowns. In addition to the dance moves, Aponte’s assignment included choreographing banana juggling for the opera. Music Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Sat., May 31, 7:30 pm, Sun., June 8 & 15, 2 pm, Thurs., June 12, Wed., June 18, & Sat., June 21, 7:30 pm. $37.50-$450. https://laopera.org/performances/2025/rigoletto
Who needs CGI?
Jaw-dropping puppetry anchors The Life of Pi, the award-winning theatrical retelling of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel about a 16-year old shipwreck survivor adrift in a lifeboat with four animals, notably a Bengal tiger. Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell created the puppetry for the original, Olivier award-winning British production that went on to Broadway and won several Tony awards. Anyone who sniffs that puppetry isn’t dance or choreography should watch the multiple actors’ tightly orchestrated manipulations as well as the puppet’s choreographed moves, and then just shush up. Everyone else can sit back and marvel. Music Center, Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Tues.-Fri., 8 pm, Sat., 2 & 8 pm, Sun., 1 & 6 pm, also Thurs., May 29, 2 pm, thru Sun., June 1. $37.95 -$166.75 (w/fees). Life of Pi Also at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Tues.-Fri., June 3-6, & 10-13, 7:30 pm, Sat., June 8 & 14, 2 & 7:30 pm, Sun., June 9 & 15, 1 & 6:30 pm, $44.07-$157.07. https://www.scfta.org/events/2025/life-of-pi
Life of Pi. Photo courtesy of the artists
A Peek at Next Week (June 6-12)
Los Angeles Ballet – Cinderella with live orchestra at the Dolby Theater, Hollywood & Highland, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Thurs.- Sat., June 12-14, 7:30 pm, Sat.-Sun., June 14-15, 2 pm, $62-$161 (w/fees but not taxes) LAB Cinderella
Body Weather Laboratory – Dewflower (つゆくさ(tsu yu ku sa) at Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Fri.-Sat., June 6-7, 8 pm, Sun., June 8, 3 pm, $21.99. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/flower-of-the-season-2025-dewflower-tickets-1325861791309
Rianto – Medium at the UCLA Nimoy, 1262 Westwood Blvd., Westwood; Sat., June 7, 8 pm, $38.08. Rianto: Medium | June 7, 2025 at 8 pm | CA
The Music Center Spotlight Grand Finale at the Ahmanson Theatre, Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Fri., June 6, 8 pm, free w/reservation https://www.musiccenter.org/tickets-free-events/tmc-arts/spotlight-grand-finale/
Featured photo BODYTRAFFIC. Photo by Kevin Parry
Ann Haskins’ Blog appears at CulturalDaily.com
