Ann Haskins

Amid L.A.’s decentralized arts landscape, artists and audiences too often must work hard to find each other. Fortunately, enclaves have emerged that not only foster cross-pollination among artists, but become destinations for audiences. The Music Center is L.A.’s highest-profile example, but Highways and the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa......

(Photo by John Nelson)Over the years, this annual event has evolved from an intramural celebration for dance-community insiders into a public display showcasing the range and depth of local terpsichorean talent. As when chefs cook for other chefs, special things happen onstage when the audience brims with other dancers. This......

Arguably the most pyrotechnic ballerina performing today, Sylvie Guillem has been segueing from classical ballet into more contemporary dance. Credited with the first truly successful blending of classical South Asian Kathak with modern dance, Akram Khan is indisputably one of the planet’s most in-demand choreographers. Together, Guillem and Khan’s 75-minute......

An elegant force on the local contemporary dance scene, choreographer Monica Favand Campagna (yes, she’s added a third name) and her troupe, TRIP Dance Theatre, return with their newest production. Drawn from today’s headlines — snowstorms on the East Coast, drought spreading across the Southwest, dire predictions from U.N. scientists......

{mosimage} Japan-born and CalArts-trained, Kenji Yamaguchi has been a longtime fixture on the local dance scene, his virtuosity most often showcased by choreographers Frit and Frat Fuller. More recently, Yamaguchi has emerged as an arresting choreographer in his own right. At the respected Palm Desert choreography festival last November, the......

In a program titled The Tale: Npinpee Nckutchie & the Tail of the Golden Dek, choreographer Reggie Wilson and his eight time-traveling dancers use dance to explore the African diaspora. From the early fist-and-heel dances (physical, percussive expressions developed by African slaves denied their traditional drums) through step dances that......

The popular Chicago-based ballet troupe starred in Robert Altman’s film The Company and was favored as the Music Center’s resident dance company for a few short years. The company retains an avid local fan base, which should welcome this weekend’s challenging program. The rep includes Deuce Coupe, Twyla Tharp’s enthusiastic......

Originally conceived to share production costs by bringing multiple dance companies together to perform, the long-running Spectrum series (now at No. 23) has become an outstanding showcase for local talent, picking up multiple awards along the way. The curatorial eye of choreographer/producer Deborah Brockus provides dance lovers with one-stop shopping......

Having successfully dipped their toes into the often tumultuous local tides with a well-received Nutcracker, LAB’s second performance series offers three ballet masterworks designed to demonstrate the riches among the company’s young, talented dancers. George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco and Agon are 20th-century classics that require American Idol star-quality dancers and......

Once again, producer Jamie Nichols has skimmed the cream of the local dance scene, assembling seven resident troupes and one out-of-town guest company for this celebratory festival. This year’s participants offer contemporary dance (Backhausdance and TRIP Dance Theatre), nuevo flamenco (FUSION Dance Theater), Afro-American jazz (JazzAntiqua Dance & Music Ensemble),......