Led by Chairman of the Board Michael Nemeroff, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Rachel Fine and Artistic Director Paul Crewes the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts made history last year by presenting only Los Angeles based companies on its 2019/2020 Dance @ The Wallis season. Those companies included BODYTRAFFIC, Contra-Tiempo/Urban Latin Dance Theater, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Blue13 Dance Company, Heidi Duckler Dance, The Minghella Project, and Diavolo. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced The Wallis to cancel or postpone much of its remaining season, the dance companies affected were Heidi Duckler Dance, BODYTRAFFIC and Diavolo/Architecture In Motion.
The Wallis continued to honor its commitment to many of its artists, however, by hosting some of their work virtually. One of the recipients of this support was Heidi Duckler’s work titled The Chandelier that was scheduled to perform at The Wallis April 15-18, 2020. The Wallis turned to technology and hosted the Heidi Duckler Dance in a live performance on Zoom of Duckler’s re-imagined work Illuminating The Chandelier. If one visits The Wallis Streaming website today, you will find other artists’ work showing now through June 30th – companies that include L.A. Dance Project and Jacob Jonas/The Company.
Heidi Duckler Dance – Magdalena Edwards in Illuminating the Chandelier choreography by Heidi Duckler – Screen shot by LADC
It was therefore heartening to read The Wallis’ press release announcing that it was the recipient of a $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts Grant Funds that will go toward producing the next season of Dance @ The Wallis. This is the third such grant The Wallis has received from the NEA upon opening its doors in 2013. Since that time, The Wallis has presented over 275 performances of dance, theater, opera, classical music, cinema and other family programs.
“The Wallis is very grateful for this generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts,” says Rachel Fine, The Wallis’ Executive Director and CEO. “The NEA’s continued support and recognition of our dance programs is a testament to their exceptional artistic quality as well as the significant impact they have on a broad and diverse cross-section of our community.”
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts – Photo by John Linden
The recipient of six architectural awards, The Wallis campus is a beautiful 70,000-square-foot facility designed by acclaimed architect Zoltan E. Pali (SPF:architects). Originally the Beverly Hills Post Office built in 1933, The Wallis serves as an active venue for the Arts and Culture in Los Angeles. In addition to its spacious lobby, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts includes “the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater; the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater; an inviting open-air plaza for family, community and other performances; and GRoW @ The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education, where learning opportunities for all ages and backgrounds abound.” .” Its programming has been nominated for 57 Ovation Awards and seven L.A. Drama Critic’s Circle Awards.
The NEA’s Chairman Mary Anne Carter recently announced that she had approved a second round of funding for the Arts Endowments in the sum of more than $84 million in grants. For more information on this National Endowment for the Arts grant announcement, click HERE.
At this writing, The Wallis has not announced the 2020/2021 season performance schedule. To learn more about The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and to look for the upcoming lists of artists, click HERE.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LADC, June 12, 2020.
Featured image: The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts – Photo by BHCVB Brandon Wise
