New contemporary choreography in Atwater Village and downtown; jazz dance in Lake Forest; cirque tents in Santa Monica; Kabuki-infused Sondheim extended in Little Tokyo; the first Nutcracker ballets for 2024 crack their shells, more SoCal dance this busy week, and a peek at next week.
Live This Week
(through December 5)
New for winter
Lots of new choreography is in store for the winter edition of CalArts Dance, showcasing work by LA-based former students now making their way as professionals. The line up includes Kyreena Breelin Alexander, Brigette Dunn-Korpela, Jobel Medina, and Chorong Yang. REDCAT at Disney Hall, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown; Thurs.-Fri., Dec. 5-6, 8:30 pm, $20. https://www.redcat.org/events/2024/ca-winter-dance
Elliott Sellers and Jobel Medina – Photo by Elle León Nostas.
Enter through the alley
Opening its third season, Work in Progress/LA spotlights Charissa Kroeger and TRIN Dance Theatre Organized by choreographers Kate Wallich, Stephanie Zaletel and Belize Wilheim, this artist-run collective partners with this venue to “stir up deep dance discourse” in the LA dance community. The changing line up for the monthly Monday events runs through next April. A peek and preview of what some of LA’s cutting edge choreographers are up to. G-Son Studios, 3218 Glendale Blvd., Atwater Village, 3218 Glendale Blvd. (enter through the alley), Atwater Village; Mon., Dec. 2, 7:30 pm, $15. https://wipla.info/013
Charissa Kroeger in Sarah Elgart’s “Ideologies” – Photo by Caitlin ORorke
For their final concert of the year, Jazz Spectrum Dance Company brings two showings of The Full Spectrum with original choreograph by Christine Bales, plus recreated and original jazz dance from Janell Burgess. Contemporary company Nannete Brodie Dance Theatre makes a guest apearance. Spectrum Studio Theatre, 22661 Lambert St., Ste. 204, Lake Forest; Sun., Dec. 1, 5:30 & 7:30 pm, $50. https://www.jazzspectrumdancecompany.org/live-in-person-tickets/p/2024
Jazz Spectrum Dance Company – Janell Burgess in “Santana Suite” Photo by Tony Mierzwicki
An extended overture
When East West Players chose Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures for the 50th anniversary of the show’s Broadway premiere, it also lured back former artistic director Tim Dang who directed the show when EWP moved to its current mid-sized theater in Little Tokyo. Dang not only brings a background in dance, he brought in three additional choreographers, Broadway dancer/choreographer Yuka Takara, Kabuki consultant Kirk Kanesaka (aka Gankyō Nakamura), and fight director Amanda Noriko Newman.The show continues EWP long history presenting Sondheim in a theater sized to allow audiences to see the full show and still hear every precious lyric. David Henry Hwang Theater in the Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Little Tokyo; Thurs., Fri. & Mon, 8 pm, Sat. 2 & 8 pm, Sun. 5 pm, thru Dec. 8. $15-$74. https://www.eastwestplayers.org/pacific24
Kit DeZolt as Commodore Matthew Commodore Perry performing “Lion Dance.” Photo by Teolindo.
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 offers lots of time to catch the show, maybe more than once? 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
Cirque du Soleil. Photo courtesy of the artists
This Week’s Nutcracker Ballets
(Complete round up of the Nutcracker season is available at this link!)
Los Angeles Ballet at Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena; Fri., Dec. 6, 7:30 pm, Sat, Dec. 7, 6 pm, Sun, Dec. 8, 2 pm, $44-$137. Performances at other venues at website. $44-$137. https://www.losangelesballet.org/the-nutcracker
Debbie Allen’s Hot Chocolate Nutcracker at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach; Thurs.-Sat., Dec. 5-7, 7:30 pm, Sat.-Sun., Dec. 7-8, 2 pm, $86.39-$149.99. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-hot-chocolate-nutcracker-tickets-1025064735217
American Contemporary Ballet – Nutcracker Suite at Bank America Plaza, 333 S. Hope St., Suite C-150, downtown; Thurs. Dec. 5, 5 pm, Thurs.-Fri., 8 pm, Sat.-Sun., 2 & 5 pm, thru Sun. Dec. 22, then Mon., Dec. 23, 8 pm, Tues., Dec. 24, 1 pm, $75-$135. https://www.acbdances.com/home
Westside Ballet with the Santa Monica College Symphony at the Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica; Sat.-Sun., Nov. 30-Dec. 1 & Dec. 7-8, 1 & 5 pm, Fri., Dec. 6, 7 pm, $66.50. https://westsideballet.tix.com.
Anaheim Ballet with Symphony Irvine at City National Grove, 2200 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim; Fri., Nov. 29, 7 pm, Sat., Nov. 30, 2 &7 pm, $50-$95. https://www.anaheimballet.org/events , https://www.ticketmaster.com/anaheim-ballet-tickets/artist/1621302
A Peek at Next Week (December 6—12)
Little Women Ballet (full ballet) at Wilshire Ebell Theatre, 4401 W. 8th St., Hancock Park; Sat., Dec. 7, 2:30 & 7 pm, $28-$40. https://www.littlewomenballet.com/
Pilobolus – re:Creation at Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Cal State University Long Beach, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach; Sat., Dec. 7, 8 pm, $55. https://www.carpenterarts.org/. Also at Smothers Theater, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu; Sun., Dec. 8, 7 pm, $28-$58. https://arts.pepperdine.edu/events/2024-2025-season/pilobolus.htm
Invertigo Dance Theatre – Turing Tests, Apples, and Queens at California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena; Fri.-Sat., Dec. 6-7, 8 pm, $30-$40, $10 students w/i.d. https://pst.caltech.edu/events/opening-doors
Invertigo Dance Theatre – Formulae & Fairy Tales – Photo by Joe Lambie
Mixed eMotion Theatrix – So Now You Know, Personal Stories in Motion: The Queer Community at the Glorya Kaufman Cultural Center, Wende Museum, 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City; Fri., Dec., 6, 2 & 8 pm, Sat., Dec. 7, 8 pm, free. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/so-now-you-know-personal-stories-in-motion-the-queer-community-tickets-1047400191167
The Realm Company – Krampus at Convoy Studios, 3764 Glendon Ave., West LA; Fri.-Sat., Dec. 6-7, 3:30 pm, Sun., Dec. 8, 3 pm, $53.65 -$90.41. https://www.simpletix.com/e/realm-presents-krampus-tickets-192394
rafa esparza & MUXX Collective – Live Night: Cruising Bodies, Spirits, and Machines at the United Theater on Broadway, 929 S. Broaday, downtown Arts District; Sat., Dec. 7, $47.28 to $71.28. https://cap.ucla.edu/event/live-night
And more Nutcracker Ballets
Featured image: Jazz Spectrum Dance Company – photo by Tony Mierzwicki
Ann Haskins Blog appears at CulturalDaily.com
