CalArts' New Original Works Festival 2006

The last flight of aviatrix Amelia Earhart intrigues Mira Kingsley, while political and personal sleight of hand fascinates Marisa Carnesky, and Victoria Marks is obsessed with the potentialities of highly trained dancers with movement flirting with warp speed. The three share the stage in the second installment of CalArts’ three-week New Original Works (NOW) Festival. Carnesky’s solo turn probably edges more into the realm of performance than dance, but Kingsley and collaborator Darius Mannino are choreographic forces to be reckoned with. Their consideration of the doomed Earhart and navigator Frederick Noonan is augmented by Colbert S. Davis IV’s sound score and Frederique de Montblanc’s video imagery. Always of interest in her own right as a choreographer and dancer, Marks has assembled a quartet that includes some of L.A.’s most interesting dancers: Stephanie Nugent, Holly Johnston, Noellie Bordelet, and Maria Gillespie, who recently picked up the 2005 Horton Award for performance. The final weekend wraps up with John Fleck, Juli Crockett and Matt Wardell. Performances take place at REDCAT at Disney Hall, Second & Hope sts., dwntwn.; Fri.-Sat., July 28-29, & Thurs.-Sat., Aug. 3-5, 8:30 p.m.; $14, $18. (213) 237-2800 or www.redcat.org.

—Ann Haskins