Dancing With a Volcano

Visitors from Canada and Bali in Santa Monica, dancing with red in Orange, new choreography in Irvine and Long Beach, plus more So Cal dance this week.

5.  Those who “teach” also “do”

The annual showcase of works by UC Irvine dance department faculty, Dance Visions 2018, boasts dances by big name choreographers Lar Lubovitch, Molly Lynch, Donald McKayle and Lisa Naughle performed by graduate and undergraduate students. The performances are backed by live music from the UCI Symphony Orchestra. Irvine Barclay Theater, 4242 Campus Dr., Irvine; Thurs.-Fri., Feb. 22-23, 8 p.m., Sat., Feb. 24, 2 & 8 p.m., $12-$25. http://thebarclay.org.

Dance Visions 2018. Photo courtesy of the artists.
Dance Visions 2018. Photo courtesy of the artists.

4.  A suite/sweet seven

A septet of new works variously inspired by a Frances Macdonald McNair painting, Dante Alighieri texts, original scores and struggling to realize personal potential fueled student choreographers for 2018 Contemporary Dance Concert. The dancemakers are Toria Painter, Adrien Padilla, Spencer Jensen, Katelyn Sanchez, Jasmine Mosher, Jan Matthew Sevilla, and Megan AuYeung. Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater, Cal State University Long Beach, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach, Thurs.-Fri., Feb. 15-16, 8 p.m., Sat., Feb., 17, 2 & 8 p.m., $20, $16 seniors & students. 562-985-7000, http://www.csulb.edu/dance.

2018 Contemporary Dance Concert. Photo by Adrien Padilla.
2018 Contemporary Dance Concert. Photo by Adrien Padilla.

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3.  Dancing in a sea of red

A swath of shifting red balls are part of the set design in Elasticity of the Almost one of three works as contemporary choreographer Jennifer Backhaus and her dynamic dancers take the stage. The evening also includes two world premieres Beyond the Noise and The Empty Room. Musco Center, Chapman University, One University Dr., Orange; Thurs., Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., $27-$47. http://muscocenter.org/event/title-tbd-elasticity-tales.

Backhausdance. Photo by Jack Hartin.
Backhausdance. Photo by Jack Hartin.

2.  Moving through trauma

Two Canadian companies, Kidd Pivot and Electric Company Theatre, join forces in choreographer Crystal Pite’s Betroffenheit. Directed by Pite and written by Jonathon Young, the starting point was the death of Young’s daughter, but the overarching theme is how humans move through and emerge from trauma. The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica; Wed.-Fri., Feb. 14-16, 7:30 p.m., $45-$95. http://thebroadstage.org.

Çudamani. Photo courtesy of the artists.
Çudamani. Photo courtesy of the artists.

1.  Dancing at the volcano

On the nightly news, Bali’s Mt. Agung volcano is seen spewing rock and lava, a fitting intro as Çudamani takes the local stage. The 25-member troupe, Bali’s premier music and dance ensemble is based in a village at the foot of the volcano and rehearsed for this visit amid the volcano’s rumbling and eruptions. Performances are primarily events presented as a spiritual offering at temples, generally not on view for tourists. For this visit, the company offers a family friendly matinee, but for the evening concert, the ensemble premieres Bhumi-Mother Earth, a subject close to the performers’ hearts as they consider their upcoming return to that lava gushing volcano. The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica, Sun., Feb. 18, 2 p.m. (family matinee), 7 p.m., $20-$50. http://www.festivalofsacredmusic.org.

Other Dance of Note:

In conjunction with a Degas exhibit, a classic dance drenched movie musical is offered with museum admission each Friday in February. This week it’s Gene Kelly in American in Paris (1951) and the series closes with Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain (1952). Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; Fri. thru Feb. 23, 5:30 p.m., free with museum admission $15, $12 seniors, free 18 & under. 626-449-6840, http://nortonsimon.org.

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