Dancing on Hiatus

Contemporary ballet in East L.A.; Balinese dance in Westwood; new works and 30 troupes in Santa Monica; Mexican folkloric in Hollywood, the end of NOW, a start up showcase and high rise ballet downtown, and more SoCal dance this week.

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5.  The last of 2017 NOW

A known incubator for cutting edge dance and other performing arts, REDCAT’s New Original Works (NOW) Festival concludes with a trio of artists for the last of NOWS’ three weekends. Gina Young’s Butch Ballet has no ballet, but boasts a cast of gender nonconforming and non-binary performers celebrating female masculinity. Artaud in the Black Lodge considers psychic connections between Artaud, Wiliam S. Burroughs and David Lynch. Luis Lara Malvacías and Jeremy Nelson continue their commitment to structured improvisational duets that proceed through the alphabet from A to ZREDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown; Thurs.-Sat., Aug. 10-12, 8:30 p.m., $20, $16 students. 213-237-2800, http://redcat.org.

REDCAT New Original Works (NOW) Festival's Luis Lara Malvacías & Jeremy Nelson. Photo by Laura Fuchs
REDCAT New Original Works (NOW) Festival’s Luis Lara Malvacías & Jeremy Nelson. Photo by Laura Fuchs.

4.  2017 Mix Match opens

Opening night of the Mix Match Festival presents an array of styles with a sampling of the 30 companies performing during the four day festival. Now in its 11th year, the host company Hart Pulse Dance knows how to put on a festival. A complete list of the performers at http://HartPulseDance.com. Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica; Thurs.-Sat., Aug. 17-19, 7:30 p.m., Sun., Aug. 20, 2 p.m., $18. http://HartPulseDance.com.

Mix Match Festival. Photo courtesy of the festival
Mix Match Festival. Photo courtesy of the festival.

3.  A line up of New Shoes

The latest edition of New Shoes showcases emerging and established choreographers and ensembles including Jamie Carr/Authenticity: Grooves, Madison Clark, Belle Jessen/indigo projects, Keri Prokopidis, Pia Vinson, and Amanda Kay White. They tackle subjects that include vulnerability, intimacy that doesn’t quite fit, memories of the past, being in the present, grieving, and learning from experience. Highways Performance Space, 18th Street Arts Center, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., Aug 11-12, 8:30 p.m., $20, $15 students & seniors. 310-315-1459, http://highwaysperformance.org.

New Shoes' Amanda Kay White. Photo by Emily Duncan.
New Shoes’ Amanda Kay White. Photo by Emily Duncan.

2.  Gamelon for a new century

A five-part kinetic sculpture developed by artist/composer Aaron Taylor Kuffner in consultation with Balinese master gamelon makers, the Gamelatron Bunganya Dewa (translates from Indonesian as Flowers of the Gods) is the centerpiece of these special 30-minute performances by dancer/choreographer/musician I Nyoman Wenten to improvised music from Kuffner. The dancing is this one day, the installation is on view through Aug. 13. UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood; Sat., Aug. 12, 2 & 4 p.m., free. http://hammer.ucla.edu.

Gamelatron Bunganya Dewa' I Nyoman Wenten. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Gamelatron Bunganya Dewa’ I Nyoman Wenten. Photo courtesy of the artist.

1.  What dancers do on summer break

L.A. based choreographer Raiford Rogers takes advantage of high quality dancers on hiatus during the summer to assemble his Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet, including familiar faces from Los Angeles Ballet like Kate Highstrete, Liz Walker and Chelsea Paige Johnson. Also returning is the commanding Bobby Briscoe. This time Rogers’ architectural choreography enjoys live music from the Jacaranda Chamber Orchestra playing Stravinsky’s Concerto in D for Strings, Zbynek Mateju’s Still Life and a new work set to Mateju’s Joshua Tree Symphony. Rogers’ returns after  more than a year.  This concert marks his welcome return and the return of some striking dancers before a scheduled tour to the Czech Republic next year. Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Cal State University Los Angeles, 5151 State University Dr., E.L.A.; Sat., Aug. 12, 8 p.m., $40-$60, $25 students. http://luckmanarts.org.

Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet. Photo courtesy of RRMB.
Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet. Photo courtesy of RRMB.

Other dance of note:

The world of opera ballet dominates American Contemporary Ballet’s Le Fate in Italia. Artistic director Lincoln Jones decided the fairies in the ballet Sleeping Beauty needed new music and new variations, going with music from Rossini’s opera Guillaume Tell. In a second new work, Jones turns to Leon Delibes’ opera Lakmé blending ballet and Indian dance. The evening also offers live chamber music and singers. ACB Studios, 700 S. Flower St., Suite 3200, downtown; Thurs.-Fri., Aug. 10-11, 8 p.m., Sat., Aug. 12, 6 & 8 p.m, Sun., Aug. 13, 2 & 4 p.m., $50-$105. http://acbdances.com.

American Contemporary Ballet. Photo by Will Davidson.
American Contemporary Ballet. Photo by Will Davidson.

Blending traditional folkloric and contemporary dance, Pacifico Dance Company explores early Mexican history, myth and folktales accompanied by the musical talent of Mariachi Los Toros. Ford Theatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood; Sat., Aug. 12, 8:30 p.m., $37-$47. http://fordtheatres.org.

The start time shifts slightly each week since Lisa Wahlander’s The Impermanent Sky is a ritual performance geared to begin at sunset and be performed in relation to the change in light from sunset to dusk. Composer Jeremy Zuckerman composed the score. Doors open at 7 p.m. and given the nature of the performance, there is no late seating. Pieter Performance Space, 420 W. Avenue 33, Lincoln Heights; Sun., Aug. 13, 7:21 p.m., Aug. 20, 7:13 p.m., Aug. 27, 7:04 p.m. free with non-monetary donation of food or beverage, but reservations required. https://eventbrite.com/e/the-impermanent-sky-tickets-35674971801.

Lisa Wahlander. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Lisa Wahlander. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Sample new works from L.A.-based choreographers at the series Dance in Progress.  This edition includes Dasha Tertova, Sarah Burney, Kai Hazelwood, and Laurie Muniz + Contemporary Arte in Movement. Downtown Dance & Movement, 1144 S Hope St., downtown; Sun., Aug. 13, 8 p.m., $12. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dance-in-progress-tickets-36499710617.

Dance in Progress. Photo courtesy of DIP.
Dance in Progress. Photo courtesy of DIP.

Come to watch or join in as Mike’s Country Dancing hosts line dancing in this edition the JAM series. Ford Theatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood; Mon., Aug. 14, 7 p.m., free. http://fordtheatres.org.

The family friendly Big World Fun welcomes the Kutturan Chamoru Foundation presenting Micronesian Pacific Island Chamoru dance. Related craft events precede the show starting at 9 a.m. Ford Theatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood; Sat., Aug. 12, 10 a.m., $5 adults, free for children. Reservations at http://fordtheatres.org.

Modern dance legend Martha Graham is brought to life by performer Christina Carlisi in her one woman show Martha. Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; Wed., Aug. 16, & Sept. 20, 8 p.m., $25. http://www.marthasoloplay.brownpapertickets.com

With the title Shake it Off, this free series screens popular dance films throughout August, this week with two different movies. As a Cinderella tale of a Pittsburgh welder and aspiring ballerina dancing in a bar/club, Flashdance (1983) launched Jennifer Gray’s acting career aided by Marine Jahan’s body double dancing. Going in the other direction, Breakin’ (1984) follows a classically trained dancer drawing on street dance to up her game with help from Adolfo “Shabba Doo” Quinones and Michael “Boogaloo Shrimp” Chambers. Complete film line up at http://hammer.ucla.edu. . UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood; Flashdance: Tues, Aug. 15, 7:30 p.m., Breakin’: Wed., Aug. 16, 7:30 p.m., free. http://hammer.ucla.edu.

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