Ann Haskins

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Sri Dance Company's Version of the Mahabharata

Lilian Wu (Click to enlarge) Rusti Yastrorejo in the spotlight Films like Some Like it Hot, Tootsie and Mrs. Doubtfire were not the first to contemplate men disguised as women. In the Mahabharata, the classic saga from India, one of the warrior heroes escapes his enemies and death by hiding......
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High-Energy Street Dance: Groovaloo's Moving Stories

(Click to enlarge) Floor show: The Groovaloos head to O.C. Yes, there is a plot, sort of, and personal stories told à la A Chorus Line about how these individuals came to, and sometimes were salvaged by, dance. But ultimately what makes this 90-minute event compelling are the on-stage moves,......
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"Go Metro" at Highways Performance Space

Following up on last year’s well-received Bathroom Follies at Highways, choreographer Jamie Benson, fashion designer Andrae Gonzalo and their dancers explore, in a program of six dances, the seemingly irresistible human drive to get somewhere. The evening’s title is “Go Metro,” drawn from L.A.’s subway system — ironic considering the......
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A Midsummer Night's Dance

Over the years, Deborah Brockus’ Spectrum series has provided a direly needed showcase for local dancemakers to present choreography in a theatrical setting. Her New Perspectives series opened similar possibilities for local training companies and high school dance departments, and her Spectrum Nutcracker carved up the holiday classic among a......
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"Resurface": New Work From Ledges and Bones Dance Project

Andre Andreev (Click to enlarge) Kindra Windish Given her company’s attention-grabbing name and crew of equally compelling dancers, it’s no stretch that artistic director Holly Johnston was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch in 2008.” Her Ledges and Bones Dance Project offers up three premieres this weekend, including......
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Something New, Something Old: Jennifer Backhaus and LAB

(Click to enlarge) Jennifer Backhaus & LAB Award-winning choreographer Jennifer Backhaus, best known in the modern-dance mode, expands her choreographic reach as she unveils new work in collaboration with Los Angeles Ballet’s young, athletic dancers. Backhaus’ piece is part of LAB’s final repertoire program of the season, which also includes......
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Media City Ballet: Ballet Russe Remembered

Arguably, Serge Diaghilev and the two rival Ballets Russes that emerged after his death brought 19th-century imperial ballet firmly into the 20th century. Diaghilev continued the Russian formula of story ballets with elaborate sets and costumes holding equal dignity with the musical score and the choreography, but the three-act extravaganzas......
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L.A. Contemporary Dance Company Goes to the Diavolo

David Schwep (Click to enlarge) Mything in action: L.A. Contemporary Dance Company Located just a hop, skip and a leap from downtown’s Union Station at the Brewery Arts Complex — a visitor-friendly artist colony with free parking — Diavolo Dance Space has emerged as a significant venue for adventurous contemporary......
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The Athletic Complexions Contemporary Ballet Returns

Described by one critic as “a third stream of dance between modern and classical ballet,” Complexions Contemporary Ballet helped launch the Music Center’s inaugural dance season in 2003 and returns to celebrate the dance series’ fifth anniversary season. In 2003, the inclusion of Complexions was considered a daring choice, a......
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Takin' It From the Streets

Before launching his own creative efforts, D. Sabela Grimes earned his dance cred as a contributing member of Rennie Harris Puremovement, the preeminent force i...