Los Angeles is the home of one of the finest Hip Hop companies in the country, Versa-Style Dance Company lead by Co-founders and Co-Artistic Directors Leigh “Breeze-Lee” Foaad and Jackie “Miss Funk” Lopez. As part of Summer @ The Wallis, this truly unique company will make its debut at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts with its evening-length dance-theater work Box of Hope. Tickets are on sale now for Thursday, August 19 through Saturday, August 21, 2021. Versa-Style Dance Company will be performing live/in-person on The Wallis’ Outdoor Stage.
Utilizing the musical talents of Motown’s Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and others, Box of Hope investigates the social and economic inequalities in America’s underserved communities. The company’s premiere of this work brought The Ford Amphitheater audience to their feet clapping, cheering and calling out for more.
Versa-Style Dance Company – Box of Hope – Photo by George Simian
Versa-Style is more than just a group of talented Hip Hop dancers. Foaad and Lopez are outstanding choreographers, teachers and performers who work with and alongside members of their community. Their second company Next Generation provide performance experience for teenagers and a possible pathway into the main company, Versa-Style. Their outreach programs have saved lives and helped direct numerous inner-city youth toward obtaining a higher education and the possibility of a better life. Lopez and Foaad have shown the world that Hip Hop is more than just street dance. It is an art form and they have brought their incredible talents to the concert stage to prove it.
The Wallis’ Artistic Director Paul Crewes says, “Versa-Style Dance Company will captivate our audiences with their energy and style. We are very excited to showcase their empowering production BOX of HOPE.”
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WHAT: Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts’ Summer @ The Wallis Presents Versa-Style Dance Company performing Box of Hope.
WHEN: Thursday, August 19, 2021, 8:00 pm; Friday, August 20, 2021, 8:00 pm; and Saturday, August 21, 2021, 8:00 pm
WHERE: Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Outdoor Stage 9390 N. Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
RUN TIME: 75 minutes; no intermission
TICKET PRICES AND INFORMATION: Tickets for Versa-Style Dance Company, $35, are on sale now. To purchase tickets and for more information, please visit www.thewallis.org, or call 310-746-4000 (Tue.-Fri. 9:30 am – 2:30 pm).
For Safety Updates and Protocols, please visit HERE.
To visit the Versa-Style Dance Company website, click HERE.
To learn more about the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, click HERE. Like The Wallis on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Versa-Style Dance Company in Box of Hope – Photo by George Simian
