Choreographer Laura Gorenstein Miller’s fascination with vampires and nightmares predates the current pop culture phenomenon to a time she lived in a haunted house and experienced firsthand the seductive duality of attraction and horror. That personal history fuels her latest, Beautiful Monsters, which Miller and her Helios Dance Theater unveil just in time for Halloween. The seven-member cast is led by Melissa Sandwig who was a Helios regular long before she rose to national prominence as the “naughty ballerina” on So You Think You Can Dance. Among Miller’s impressive collaborators, painter Sharon Ellis provides an original backdrop; animator-director Chris Miller brings hand-drawn animation to the mix, and film composer Paul Cantelon contributes an original score that features Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Angela McCluskey. In the wake of UCLA Live’s refocus this season, the selection of this highly praised local troupe for this major venue is an encouraging recognition that great dance doesn’t just come from out of town.

Sat., Oct. 23, 8 p.m., 2010

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