Ann Haskins

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Maria Gillespie's Oni Dance

Maria Gillespie first drew local attention as a member of Helios Dance Theater. Armed with ballet, modern and postmodern dance training, like so many arrows in a quiver, Gillespie could aim true at any choreographic challenge. Nominated six times for L.A.’s Lester Horton awards, Gillespie has won four, including the......
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Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet

L.A. doesn’t see as much as it should of Rogers and his extraordinary dancers. The L.A.-based troupe’s tours of London and New York consistently draw critical praise for Rogers’ evocative, minimalist choreography as well as the artistry of his dancers, who blend polished ballet training with a modern-dance aesthetic often......
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Dance Camera West

This monthlong orgy of dance-film screenings opened downtown last weekend; now the action moves west with two free events at UCLA’s Hammer Museum and extends through June with screenings in Santa Monica and Westwood. On Saturday in the Hammer Museum courtyard, two hour-long collections of short films will bookend a......
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Seventh Annual Los Angeles Dance Invitational

From its start as a benefit showcase for local choreographers assembled by enthusiastic dance fan Howard Ibach, LADI has evolved into the terpsichorean equivalent of a tasting menu at a fine restaurant. Aided by director Richard Kuller and highly respected Jamie Nichols and Stanley Holden as co-producers, Ibach has gleaned......
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Partch Dances

As a composer who whacked a solitary path through many of the existing assumptions of the musical world, Harry Partch might well be amused at how his work now attracts legions of adoring fans. And the prospect of a company devoted to physicalizing his maverick music might elicit an outright......
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Jazz Dance L.A.

An upswing in the use of dance in music videos and television commercials may keep dancers employed, but the result can be frustrating to watch. Too often, a stunning dance sequence is chopped up by quick editing, or blocked as the superstar act or product intrudes to claim the camera’s......
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10th Annual Festival of Solos & Duets: A Choreographers' Showcase

One of the jewels in the local scene, the Fountain Theater has a long-standing commitment to dance. After three years, the irrepressible Forever Flamenco still continues to draw and delight every Sunday. The Fountain’s Festival of Solos and Duets may occur only once a year, but it, too, has demonstrated......
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American Ballet Theater: Sylvia

Set in a mythical forest with alluring nymphs, virtuous shepherds, evil hunters, interfering gods and other mythical creatures, the full-length ballet Sylvia is articulated by elegant, virtuosic choreography from Sir Frederick Ashton and backed by one of Léo Delibes’ most endearing scores. Last year, American Ballet Theater successfully revived the......
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Lester Horton Dance Awards

Modern dance pioneer Lester Horton eschewed New York and remained in Los Angeles to create his legendary work. When the L.A. dance community’s Dance Resource Center developed a peer-voted awards program, quite aptly the honor was named after the L.A.-centric Horton. Over the past few years, the awards ceremony has......
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Nuevo Ballet Español: Flamenco Directo

Artistic directors Angel Rojas and Carlos Rodriguez began as rivals, sharing the top prize in a 1994 national competition in Spain. Fortunately, they decided that if they couldn’t beat each other, they should join forces. Despite their relative youth, over the past decade the duo share major credit for the......