Ann HaskinsThis week's dance events include Regina Klenjoski's troupe performing on its own and a Korean street dance hit arriving stateside.
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5. Seoul Dance
Classical Korean dance meets contemporary Seoul street dance as tradition meets trendy in 2013 Korea in Motion: Fanta-Stick. Like Cirque du Soleil or Blue Man Group productions proliferating in Las Vegas, Fanta-Stick is a long-running show in Seoul that draws both residents and tourists, who don't need to understand Korean to enjoy the mostly dance musical. There is a loose plot about an Adam and Eve-like couple: The man is given percussion and the woman is given a flute, but jealousy causes a schism and the destruction or loss of the gifts. The show shifts between that past and the present-day divide between the percussion and the flute “tribes,” with the inevitable physical attraction between members of the warring sides. The show riffs on traditional Korean dance, which often involves dancers simultaneously drumming and dancing. The show arrives here under the aegis of the Korean Cultural Center and the Korea Tourism Organization L.A. And while the YouTube preview at the Ford Theatres website suggests the humor may be of the Three Stooges genre, the dancing and drumming clips also promise some compelling moments at the Ford Theatres, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E., Hlywd.; Sat., Sept. 7, 8 p.m.; $25, $10 students & children 12 & under. (323) 461-3673, www.fordtheatres.org
Parsons Dance Company in Afterglow; Credit: Photo by Sharon Bradford
4. The final summer dance fest hosts two top troupes
Laguna Dance Festival artistic director Jodie Gates annually recruits an impressive list of modern dance and contemporary ballet companies to perform and give master classes as part of the annual late summer festival. Gates continues her streak showcasing a top-notch modern company and a contemporary ballet troupe. A former Paul Taylor Dance Company star, David Parsons has become a big-name choreographer in his own right. After the festival opening Thursday, Friday offers a second chance to see his splendid Parsons Dance Company. Saturday and Sunday belong to Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, a young, contemporary ballet company that does a lot of touring when not commuting between its dual homes in New Mexico and Colorado. An artists' reception with food and wine ($75) follows the Saturday performance. Tickets and full festival event info at www.lagunadancefestival.org. At the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach; through Sat., Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m., Sun., Sept. 8, 2 p.m., $60, $35 students, www.lagunadancefestival.org. (949) 497-2787
3. Another home invasion dance
The second installment of Home/LA moves to Pacific Palisades, where a pair of homeowners have opened their restored 1941 bungalow for dancers, choreographers and musicians to create a site-specific salon-style show. The invading artists include Jil Stein, Justin Streichman, Shayna Keller, Elyse Reardon-Jung, Emily Marchand, Yvonne Papanek, Christine Suarez, Brigitte Nicole Grice and Odeya Nini. At a private residence; address provided with reservation at homeLA.hello@gmail.com; Fri., Sept. 6, 7 & 9 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 7, 3, 5 & 7 p.m., $15.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Home/LA
2. This time Klenjoski's troupe won't have to share the stage
Long Beach-based Regina Klenjoski Dance Company displayed its contemporary dance chops at several local festivals this summer, whetting dance fans' appetites for more. This concert offers a longer look at the ensemble and its repertoire. The program includes Klenjoski's newest, Fracture, plus the reprise of well-received works Emoticons and One Two Many. Tickets and info at www.rkdc.secure.force.com/ticket. The dancing is at Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater, Cal State Long Beach, 6200 Atherton St., Long Beach; Sept. 6-7, 8 p.m., $25, $17 students & seniors. (562) 985-7000.
1. Dances with lights
Purists might quibble that the genre does not fit within some definitions of dance, but “gloving” definitely involves movement using light-up LED gloves. Its growing popularity since its start at raves and electronic music concerts is its own kind of movement. When gloving arrived on TV's America's Best Dance Crew, it clearly had gone mainstream. For the third year, the International Gloving Championship will spotlight performers who will “tut” and “morph” and “conjure” in their attempt to be recognized as this year's best. Details and previews at facebook.com/events/594239570597420 or at www.gloving.com. The show is at the Yost Theater, 307 N. Spurgeon St., Santa Ana; Sat., Sept. 7, 1 p.m., $15. (888) 862-9573, www.yosttheater.com.
Credit: Photo Courtesy of International Gloving Competition
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