Devilish dance in Hollywood and Beverly/Fairfax; site-specified sorties in Pasadena; Big Apple ballet in Orange; memories amok in Santa Monica; hip-hop battles in Burbank; dance leaders confer in Lincoln Heights and El Sereno; more SoCal dance this week, plus a peek at next week.
Live This Week
Time travel
Venture into the 1950’s to 1999 as the dancers and storytellers of Lineage Dance unveil a site-specific performance series at the historic Pasadena edifice known as the Gamble House. In A Matter of Time, the audience follows the dancers through the house, as each room tells a tale of that era’s important cultural, political and historical events. The Gamble House, 4 Westmoreland Pl., Pasadena; Mon. Oct 21, Thurs., Oct. 24, Sat.- Sun., Oct. 26-27, Wed., Oct. 30, Fri.-Sun., Nov. 1-3, 7 pm, $75, $45 students & seniors. Lineage Dance.
Contemporary ballet by George Balanchine, William Forsythe, and Robert Garland are among the repertoire New York’s celebrated Dance Theatre of Harlem brings for this visit. Musco Center, Chapman University, 415 Glassell, Orange; Thurs., Oct. 24, 7:30 pm, $45.50-$83. Musco Center.
A conference with dancing
Performances by LA ’s Contra-Tiempo Dance Theatre, Brockus Project Dance, Vidya Patel, and Ephrat Asheire, plus dance films, panels and workshops are on tap as LA hosts dance leaders from across the U.S. for the 2024 Women in Dance Leadership Conference. Events occur at several venues, including the Stomping Ground, 5453 Alhambra Ave., El Sereno; Brockus Project, and Diavolo Studios, both at 618 Moulton Ave., Lincoln Heights; Thurs.-Sat., Oct. 17-19, various times. Full conference schedule including performance locations, dates, times, and prices are at Women in Dance.
Minding the gap
In its immersive, multi-media work Gasket, the GĒR Collective considers a conceptual “gasket” that seals past and present memories, but remains prone to leak or rupture, and what happens when that occurs. The two part event begins as audiences encounter an installation with ruins of a forgotten world and in the next space untangle the before and after of the encounter of the first kind. Highways, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 18-19, 8 pm, $20. Highways Performance.
Nonchalant
Four artists offer works in process, presented by LA Performance Practice under the banner Casual. The two dance entries are an ensemble dance from Victoria Marks titled A Deer Walks Into a Dance and a solo dance from Cayla Mae Simpson titled Phoenix. The evening also includes a multi-media performance from CadeMoga with Jack Ironstone and live music from Anuj Bhutani. Note: A corrected media release says the date is Friday, but the ticket link still says Saturday. No response from LAPP at press deadline. LGBT Center 1118 N. McCadden Pl., Hollywood; Fri., Oct. 18, 8 pm, $10-$49. Tickets.
A sequel
Led by Yaron Lifschitz, the ten member Australian cirque troupe, Circa, returns with a new installment of Humans 2.0. Wallis Annenberg Theater, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills; Fri., Oct. 18, 7:30 pm, Sat., Oct. 19, 2 pm, $39-$99. The Wallis.
Dance in a blend
Taking inspiration from author William S. Burroughs, Black Lodge is a three part event blending industrial rock, classical strings, dance, theater, and film. The story, screenplay and film/stage direction is by Michael VQ, with the opening segment BARDO created and directed by Sandra Powers. United Theater on Broadway, 929 S. Broadway, downtown; Sat., Oct. 19, 6:30 pm, $47.78-$71.28. Tickets.
Into the night
The contemporary company, Benita Bike’s DanceArt, offers a free performance as part of ARCNight Pasadena. ARC Pasadena, 1158 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; Fri., Oct. 18, 6 pm, free. City of Pasadena. Info on the company at DanceArt.
Skirmishes
The Hip Hop 1 v 1 Battle this week is the fourth event lead-up to the 2025 Versa Style Dance Company Festival next May. The victor automatically qualifies for the festival without competing in the preliminaries. Mihran K. Studios, 135 N. Victory Blvd., Burbank; Fri., Oct. 18, 8:30 pm, $15 (to watch or compete). Versa Style Dance.
Nightclub museum preview
The company of Trisha Brown brings the late choreographer’s Floor in the Forest (1970) to a nightclub stage in the second of three Tuesday previews of the Performing Arts Museum. Under the banner 21 & Over, this preview series samples the dance, art, music, opera, nightlife, rave culture to be showcased at the museum when it opens next year. Along with Trisha Brown, the evening’s other performers are Carmina Escobar, Terence Koh, Linda Mary Montano, Guillermo Gómez-Peña & Balitrónica (La Pocha Nostra) with Sarah Stolar, and Elliot Reed, with host Miss Barbie-Q. The final line up next week has Rocío Boliver (La Congelada de Uva), Nao Bustamante, Patrisse Cullors, Hugo Hopping, and Keioui Keijaun Thomas, with host Dynasty Handbag. Catch One, 4067 W. Pico Blvd., Arlington Heights; Tues., Oct. 22, 8 pm-12 am, $38.27. Tickets. Also Tues., Oct. 29, 8 pm-12 am, $38.27. Tickets.
Seasonal spooky #1
For the Halloween season, American Contemporary Ballet puts three of artistic director Lincoln Jones’ ballets in rotation, two each 90-minute show. Inferno rifts on Dante’s poem, Rite takes on Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, and Burlesque is just that. Which shows are which night are at the website. These performances also mark ACB’s move to a new venue. CBS Television City, 7800 Beverly Blvd., Beverly-Fairfax; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 18-19, 25-26, Thurs., Oct. 17, 24 & 31, 8 pm, $65-$140. ACB.
Seasonal spooky #2
The Devil made them do it in Blood/Love: A Vampire Popera. The immersive rock musical is in residence this month at the aptly named Crimson, a Hollywood pop up gothic nightclub. Running through November 2, the vampire-meets-rock-star event injects a devilish romance into the spooky season. The Crimson, 6356 Hollywood Blvd., First Floor, Hollywood; Thurs.-Sat., thru Sat., Oct. 19, 7 & 9:30 pm, then, Wed.-Sat, Oct. 23-Nov. 2, 7 & 9:30 pm, $59-$119. Blood/Love.
Taking flight
Commissioned by the Latino Theater Company, A Girl Grows Wings, from Organización Secreta Teatro (Secret Organization Theater), blends dance with theater, video, sound design and live music in a wordless tale of an immigrant who blooms despite obstacles. Written by Marisela Treviño Orta, the work is directed by Rocío Carrillo. LA Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., downtown; Thurs.-Sat., Oct. 17-19, 8 pm, Sun., Oct. 13 & 20, 4 pm, $10-$45. Latino Theater Co.
Another Swan swims through
For the second time in a month, a touring company stops off at various local venues with a production of Swan Lake. The identity and other information about the new arrival, ICBT Pace Ballet is rather opaque, but suggests they once boasted about their Russian roots and now emphasize the dancers’ home countries, most of which were once part of the former Soviet Union. Good dancers and good ballet deserve an audience and attention wherever they are from, yet the lack of transparency is troubling. There’s enough disinformation and redirection in politics without it bleeding into ballet. The Alex Theater, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale; Thurs., Oct. 17, 7 p.m., Fri., Oct. 18, 2 & 7 pm, $71-$169. Ticketmaster. Also at La Mirada Theatre, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada; Sun., Oct. 20, 2 & 7 pm, $15.40-$121. Tickets.
Trending
Among the day-long events connected with Behind the Scenes of K-pop, look for USC’s Spade A Dance at 1:15 pm. Check the link for a complete schedule. Free with reservations which are full as of press time, but one can join the waiting list at the link. Annenberg Auditorium, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, University Park; Fri., Oct. 18, 9:45 am to 5 pm, free with reservation at Visions and Voices USC.
Somber swirls
Suchi Branfman and her collaborators at Dancing through Prison Walls offer a free performance of Vortex: Swirling Centers of Energy. The event is part of the day-long 2024 Taste of Soul Festival. Lula Washington Dance Theater, 3773 Crenshaw Blvd., Crenshaw; Sat., Oct. 19, 1 pm, free. Info on festival at Taste of Soul LA. Dancing Through Prison Walls.
Teasing
The title says it all: The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody. The show returns after its 2022 run at this venue. The Montalbán Theatre, 1615 Vine St., Hollywood; Thurs., 7:30 pm, Fri., 7 pm, Sat., 7 & 9:30 pm, Sun., 4 pm, thru Dec. 1. $44-$109. The Empire Strips Back.
A Peek at Next Week (October 25-31)
LA Dance Project Presents — Launch:LA 4 at LA Dance Project, 3325 E. Washington Blvd., Arts District; Fri., Oct. 25, 8 pm, Sat., Oct. 26 2 & 8 pm, Sun., Oct. 27, 6 pm, $25, $20 seniors & students. LA Dance Project.
L.A. Contemporary Dance Company (LACDC) — where the water is warm at the Gloria Kaufman Performing Arts Center, 3200 Motor Ave., Cheviot Hills; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 25-26, 7:30 pm, $25-$65. where the water is warm.
State Street Ballet — Scheherazade and The Firebird at the Granada Theatre, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara; Sat., Oct. 26, 7:30 pm, Sun., Oct. 27, 2 pm, $35-$125. Tickets.