Lovers as collaborators considered in Santa Monica; visceral South African dance returns to Westwood; encore of late summer dance festival in San Pedro; new contemporary choreography in the Arts District and the City of Commerce; the link to this season’s Nutcrackers; more SoCal dance this week, and a peek at next week.
Misplaced or Lost?
Continuing their fertile relationship as resident choreographers with LA Dance Project, Bobbie Jene Smith and Or Schraiber present their latest, a full evening work, The Missing Mountain. Expect intricate, physical interactions from LADP’s superb dancers. LA Dance Project Studios, 2245 E. Washington Blvd., downtown Arts District; Thurs.-Sat., Dec. 12-14, 8 pm, $45, $30 student/senior. https://ci.ovationtix.com/35353/production/1171001
Los Angeles Dance Project. Photo courtesy of the artists
But can they get along?
The how and whether of lovers as artistic collaborators, as well as artistic collaborators as lovers are the coin sides explored by several couples in Lovers’ Piece under the direction of Max Martin and Mandolin Burns who know of what they explore. Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., Dec. 13-14, $20.50. https://www.highwaysperformance.org/shows
CRAWLSPACE – Spare Change – Max Martin and Jacob Wolff – Photo by Jade Solus.
Bringing the land
Visceral and compelling, South African choreographer/dancer Gregory Maqoma returns with The Land We Carry. Maqoma’s choreography has been described by the New York Times as “classical and contemporary, past and present to suggest the intense struggle and rewards of being connected to a bodily ancestral memory, both personal and collective.” The Nimoy, 1262 Westwood Blvd., Westwood; Sat., Dec. 14, 8 pm, $38.08. https://cap.ucla.edu/event/land-we-carry
Gregory Maqoma. Photo courtesy of the artist
Festive Encore
Buoyed by a grant from the Port of Los Angeles, this encore of the 2024 San Pedro Festival of the Arts features nine SoCal dance companies. The new venue hosts Culture Shakti, Dhoon Dance, Jazz Spectrum Dance Company, Alice Lousen, Sahlala Dancers, SINDHOOR & NATYAVEDA – Navarasa, Pasion Flamenca Los Angeles, The Mcculla Movement, and festival host Louise Reichlin & Dancers/Los Angeles Choreographers & Dancers. Alta Sea, 2451 Signal St., Berth 60 (farthest berth closest to the ocean), enter door 35, San Pedro; Sun., Dec. 15, 1-3, free. https://triartsp.com/
San Pedro Festival of the Arts. Photo courtesy of the artists
And a touch of flamenco
This In-Studio Holiday Showcase by Fusion Performing Dance Academy features works by guest choreographers Greta Gryzwana, Giada Jiang, Wilfried Souly, Camille Imperial, Celeste Lanuza, and Marianna Varviani. The dances were developed as part of the Dance Resource Center’s HomeGrown Program. The evening also includes flamenco guest artists Coco Cabrel and John Kowalski. Fusion Studios, 1260 Goodrich Blvd. (inside the Telco Center Parking Lot, Commerce; Sat., Dec. 14, 7 pm, $20 presale, $25 at door.https://fpdacademy.org/how-to-help
Greta Gryzwana. Photo courtesy of the artists
Back on the Beach
The grand daddy of all the cirques, Cirque du Soleil, returns with its signature tent and the show Kooza, brimming with acrobats and clowns. The two month run ends in early January. Still lots of time to catch the show, maybe a holiday gift? Under the Big Top at Santa Monica Pier, 1550 Pacific Coast Hwy., Santa Monica; thru Sun., Jan. 5, $58-$344. Details on the many dates and times at the website. https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/kooza
And Then There Are Nutcrackers
A comprehensive round up of Nutcracker ballets and inventive versions throughout SoCal at:
https://www.ladancechronicle.com/and-the-nuts-have-it/
ABT – The Waltz of the Flowers from Alexei Ratmansky’s “The Nutcracker” – Photo: Marty Sohl.
A Peek at Next Week (December 20-26)
LA County Holiday Celebration at the Music Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Tues., Dec. 24, 3 to 6 pm, free. https://www.musiccenter.org/tickets-free-events/tmc-arts/l-a-county-holiday-celebration/
Forever Flamenco– Noche en Triana: Holiday Edition at the Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Silverlake; Sun., Dec. 22, 8 pm, $40-$50, $35 seniors, $25 students. https://www.fountaintheatre.com/
Reyes Barrios with Forever Flamenco. Photo courtesy of the artist
Electric Lodge – Holiday Spark 2024 at the Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Fri., Sat., & Mon., Dec. 20, 21 & 23, 7:30 pm & Sun., Dec. 22, 5:30 pm, $30-$50. https://www.electriclodge.org/
Derek Hough – Dance for the Holidays at YouTube Theater, 1101 Stadium Dr., Inglewood; Sat., Dec. 21, 8 pm, $40-$196. Also at Fox Performing Arts Center, 3801 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside; Fri., Dec. 27, 7 pm, $64-$332. https://www.derekhough.com/
Featured image: LA Dance Project – Daphne Fernberger and Lorrin Brubaker – photo by Josh Rose
Ann Haskins Blog appears at CulturalDaily.com
