5 Dance Shows to See in L.A. This Week Including the J.U.i.C.E. Hip-Hop Festival

This week's dance shows include the 6th annual hip hop festival, the opening of the Mix Match Festival and a dance on Tuesday named Tuesday.

5. J.U.I.C.E. Steps Up

Even as the latest Step Up movie returns street dance to the screen, this year's installment of the annual J.U.i.C.E. Hip-Hop Festival returns street dance to the stage. The inventive dance organization with the unwieldy name of Justice by Uniting in Creative Energy has the good sense to go by its acronym, and the good sense to keep putting together this summer gathering of local and international street dancers. Now in its sixth year, the festival lineup promises a full evening of street-dance styles, with performers Jacob “Kujo” Lyons, Harry Weston, Breeze Lee, Emiko Sugiyama, Marie Poppins & Pandora, Toogie & Boogie Frantick, The Physical Poets, Lady Cultura, Millennium Dance Complex Tokyo, Open House, Versa-Style Next Generation, and Hok from Quest Crew. The preshow features one-on-one b-boy and b-girl battles at 7 p.m., with the final battle onstage just before curtain (to participate, go to www.fordtheatres.org/en/about/probreakingtour), as well as DJ Kenzo, host L. Scatterbrain, graffiti and spoken-word artists. Plus, Mari Koda, better known as Jenny Kido from the Step Up movies, will be there for a meet-and-greet. At John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hlywd.; Fri., Aug. 22, 8:30 p.m.; $30-$50, $15 students, $12 children. (323) 461-3673, www.fordtheatres.org.

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J.U.I.C.E. Hip Hop Dance Festival; Credit: Photo by Emiko Sugiyama

4. Mix-ing it up

Hosted by Hart Pulse Dance Company and billed as L.A.’s largest dance festival, Mix Match Dance Festival presents more than 60 dances in hip-hop, ballet, tap, modern, tribal, contemporary, jazz, belly and pole dancing. Each of the four shows has a different lineup, but some groups repeat. The opening show includes A.D.E., Katie Jane Hagen, Stella Melina, Hideen Entropy Movement Project, Hazel Clarke, Maha and Company, Kaleidoscape Dance, Samantha Loui & Cindy Sheng, Embark Dance Theatre, Jessica Harper, Elena Sophia Kozak, Compass Dance Company, OdDancity, Fuse Dance Company, and the host company. Full festival lineup for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus tickets at www.hartpulsedance.com. At Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica; Thurs.-Sat., Aug. 28-30, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 31, 2 p.m., $17.  310-458-8634, www.milesplayhouse.org.

Mix Match Dance Festival; Credit: Photo courtesy of Mix Match Dance Festival

3. Dance with an L.A. voice 

Perhaps saving the best for last, the Voices of L.A. series celebrating Jewish culture closes with the adventurous pairing of choreographer Danielle Agami and her Ate9 dANCE cOMPANY with Omid Walizadeh, performing his Persian electronic music live. Their new work showcases Agami’s gear shifting choreography and Walizadeh’s distinctive blend of pre-revolution Iranian music with modern hip-hop and electronic sounds. Show is free, but reservations are strongly suggested. At the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills; Sun., Aug. 24, 3 p.m., free with reservation. 310-246-3800, www.thewallis.org.

Ate9 dANCE cOMPANY; Credit: Photo courtesy of Ate9 dANCE cOMPANY

2. Unmatched dance

This family friendly summer dance series continues with African American dance from Lula Washington Dance Theater one day, Latin and hip-hop from Contra Tiempo the next. At Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Brentwood; Lula Washington Dance Theatre on Sat., Aug. 23, 12 & 2 p.m., Contra Tiempo Sun., Aug. 24, 12 & 2 p.m., $10, $7 seniors & students, $5 children 12 & under. 310-440-4500, www.skirball.org.
 

Tuesday; Credit: Photo courtesy of Stephanie Zaletel

1. Tuesday routines and daydreams

Stephanie Zaletel showcases her choreography in Tuesday, a site-specific work for the James Kidd Gold Stage that draws from personal anecdotes and journal entries, moving from mundane routine to daydreams. The performance runs continuously in a 45- to 60-minute loop from 1:45 p.m. until 5 p.m.; come early to catch the dancers warming up at 1 p.m. Part of the Made in L.A. series. At the Hammer Museum Courtyard, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Wstwd.; Tue., Aug. 26, 1 p.m., free. 310-443-7000, www.hammer.ucla.edu.
 

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