Ann HaskinsSee also:
*5 Artsy Things to Do in L.A. This Week
*Our Calendar Section, Listing More Great Things to Do in L.A.
This week's dance events include a locavore dance festival and two troupes on tour.
5. Locavore dance
In a season brimming with wonderful out of town companies dropping in for a bit of SoCal spring, but taking the ticket proceeds back to entertain their home audiences, L.A.'s own are bringing it all home with the second edition of the Los Angeles Dance Festival. Co-sponsored by Diavolo Dance Company and Brockus Dance Project, the Festival again fills a weekend with performances by 16 top notch companies along with open classes and discussions about what is distinctive about the participating troupes which range from contemporary to ballet to modern to aerial. Saturday's two performances include Ate9 dANCE cOMPANY, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Luminario Ballet, Contemporary Modern Dance Cooperative, Ptero Dance Theater, Regina Klenjoski Dance Company, Clairobscur Dance Company and Invertigo Dance Theater. Sunday's two shows boast KIN Dance Company, Dance Body Dance, L.A. Contemporary Dance Company, Dorn Dance, motion/TRIBE, Pennington Dance Group, Kybele Dance Theater and Lula Washington Dance Theatre. A great chance to catch up with local troups, plus the ticket money stays here to fund shows to entertain in the months to come. Not enough room here to talk about all of them, but great info and links to the participating companies at www.ladancefest.org. At the Brewery Arts Complex, 616 Moulton Ave., Sat., April 13, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m.; Sun., April 14, 5 p.m. & 8 p.m.; $22 advance purchase, $30 at door, $40 advance purchase for both shows. www.ladancefest.org/LADanceFest.org/Tickets_and_Registration.html.
Lula Washington Dance Theatre at the 2nd L.A. Dance Festival; Credit: Photo courtesy of Lula Washington Dance Theatre
4. McIntyre's back in town
Choreographer Trey McIntyre creates events as much as dances. With the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at the Hollywood Bowl, the dancers appeared costumed and masked as skeletons. At Orange County's Segerstrom, a caped McIntyre joined his dancers to lead the audience out of the theater for an al fresco encore. With superbly trained dancers as comfortable in pointe shoes as bare feet, it's always a treat to find out what the Trey McIntyre Project has been up to since the last visit. At the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica; Thurs.-Fri., April 18-19, 7:30 p.m., $49-$79. 310-434-3412, www.thebroadstage.com.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Benita Bike's DanceArt Company
3. Contemporary dance in Hollywood
Benita Bike's DanceArt Company has a strong commitment to bringing dance to new audiences with an ongoing program of modern dance performances in libraries, recreation centers and other unconventional venues. Once a year, choreographer Benita Bike and her dancers settle in for a more traditional performance of her contemporary choreography. This time, Bike employs music of Hans Reichl, Barry Hall, and John Beck. The dancers are Elizabeth Alexander, Tiffany Jones, Clare Kiklowicz, Trudy Niess-Stevens, and Regina Rigney. At the Assistance League Playhouse, 1367 N. St. Andrews, E.Hlywd.; Sat., April 13, 8 p.m., $25, $23 students & seniors, $15 children, www.DanceArt.org/tickets.
2. Forever Flamenco adds a Monday show
The Sunday Forever Flamenco show sold out so fast, a Monday show has been added for this edition of the ongoing flamenco series. Named for Soleá, the mother song of flamenco and (Los) Angeles, Soleángeles mixes Gypsy flamenco and American jazz. Dancers Fanny Ara and Cihtli Ocampo are joined by guitarist/artistic director Ethan Margolis, flutist Katisse Buckingham, bassist Hussain Jiffry, percussionist Walter Rodriguez, keyboardist Ioannis Goudelis, plus from Spain, guest singer Kina Mendez and singer/dancer Javier Heredia. At the Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Hlywd.; Sun.-Mon., April 14-15, 8 p.m., $40.323-663-1525, www.fountaintheatre.com.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Credit: Photo by Andrew Eccles
1. Bodies that don't need to be photo-shopped
Defying the world of photo shop, those beautiful, ripped bodies on banners announcing the return of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater are the real thing. The late Alvin Ailey created beautiful dances and nurtured his eponymous company, considered among the most popular dance troupes in America if not the world. Ailey also inspired the next generation of choreographers. Ailey's work and his legacy are celebrated in three programs, each performed twice. The opening program (repeated Sat. eve.), Ailey Spirit, offers Ronald K. Brown's Grace and Ohad Naharin's Minus 16, the latter incorporating elements of improvisation and audience participation. 21st Century Ailey (Thurs. & Sun.) showcases up-and-comer Kyle Abraham's Another Night, artistic director Robert Battle's Strange Humors and the company's local debut of Jiri Kylian's sensual masterwork Petite Mort. Classic Ailey (Fri. & Sat. mat.) serves up sections from Ailey's deep vault of dances. New artistic director Battle's tenure is already marked by departing from the company tradition closing shows with Revelations. The trio of programs pays homage to the Ailey tradition, but also signals the new director has a Battle-plan for trails he wants to blaze. At the Music Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., dwntwn.; Wed.-Sat., April 17-20, 7:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun., April 20-21, 2 p.m., $28-$110. 213-972-0777. www.musiccenter.org.
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