Filipino American identity pugnaciously explored in Boyle Heights; commissioned contemporary debuts in Long Beach; indigenous dance traditions in Brentwood; seasonal vampires and zombies haunt El Segundo, Beverly-Fairfax and Hollywood; contemporary take on doomed romance in Beverly Hills; street dance meets club dance in Cheviot Hills; more SoCal dance this week, plus a peek at next week.
Deja vu all over again?
These LA Dance Project performances of Romeo & Juliet Suite are described as the Los Angeles premiere, yet it is more an expansion of earlier iterations with the LA Phil in 2018 at Disney Hall and 2019 at the Hollywood Bowl. Those are now described as ‘previews’ of the current issue from choreographer and LADP artistic director Benjamin Millepied that toured France. Like the earlier versions, this R&J presents a combination of onstage dance and then Millepied or associate artistic director Sébastien Marcovici trails the dancers with a steadicam that livestreams dancing in offstage portions of the theater, this time an historic post office turned theater. Fortunately, the work retains three casts of the lovers—male/female, male/male and female/female. These and other elements that made the prior incarnations thoughtful, enjoyable, and inventive seem to be present, perhaps reworked and expanded. And sadly, no LA Phil. Whatever the work’s evolution, LADP’s superb dancers are always worth a watch. The Wallis, 9390 N Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills; Thurs.-Sat., Oct. 10-12, $49-$109. The Wallis.
Taking it off campus
Presented by CAP UCLA’s new director Edgar Miramontes’ innovative Mapping Los Angeles, contemporary choreographer Jay Carlon lures the audience away from the Westside campus to an East LA nightclub for Wake. Coinciding with Filipino American History month, Carlon’s newest event explores the tensions in his Filipino American identity and promises ” performance and queer nightlife for a one-night-only immersive club experience.” The choreographer gets help (and gives event co-credit) to sound artist MICAELA TOBIN (WHITE BOY SCREAM) along with other AAPI collaborators, LA nightlife collectives: QNA and SEND NOODZ, and Filipiniana fashion house VINTA GALLERY. Don Quixote Nightclub, 2811 E. Olympic Blvd., Boyle Heights; Fri., Oct. 11, 8:30 pm, $35. RA Tickets.
This makes it four
Contemporary choreographer Kyle Abraham and the dancers of A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham return for their fourth appearance at this venue which commissioned one of the scheduled danceworks, the world premiere of 6 Lost Labors. Also scheduled are Keerati Jinakunwiphat’s Someday Soon, Rena Butler’s Shell of a Shell of the Shell, and two solos by Abraham, including one set to singer Etta James. Stay around for the post-performance Q&A with the company. Carpenter Center, Cal State University Long Beach, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach; Sat., Oct. 12, 8 pm, $40. Carpenter Performing Arts Center.
Dancing tradition
For its 2024 Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day, the Getty Center hosts a live performance of traditional dance styles and songs by WildHorse Native American Association at 11 am and 2 pm. The event also offers live music and poetry, hands-on art workshops, film screenings, garden tours. A full schedule is at the website. Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr., Brentwood; Sat., Oct. 12, 11 am-3:30 pm, free w/reservation and parking info at Getty.
Taking flight
Commissioned by the Latino Theater Company, A Girl Grows Wings, from Organización Secreta Teatro (Secret Organizaion 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 Carrillio. LA Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., downtown; Sat., Oct. 12, 8 pm, then Thurs.-Sat., Oct. 17-19, 8 pm, Sun., Oct. 13 & 20, 4 pm, $10-$45. Latino Theater Company.
Street to club
LA street dancer Slim Boogie and two USC dancers join NYC-based Laye Rhythm’s dancers, an emcee, a band, and a vocalist in the audience-influenced event Switch. This show marks the company’s West Coast debut. Founder Mai Lê Hô describes Switch as blending street and club dance energies with improvisational traditions of Black and Latinx communities. Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center, USC, 849 W. 34th St., University Park; Wed., Oct. 16, 7:30 pm, free w/reservation at Visions and Voices USC.
Seasonal spooky #1
That toothy vampire Dracula is back and West Coast Ballet has him for their third annual production. Eduard Sargsyan is the blood-hungry protagonist, Rachel Hutsell and Robbie Downey are his targets. El Segundo Performing Arts Center, 640 Main St., El Segundo; Sat., Oct. 12, 7 pm, $43.45. Eventbrite.
Seasonal spooky #2 (plus more)
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 a move to a new venue. CBS Television City, 7800 Beverly Blvd., Beverly-Fairfax; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 11-12, 18-19, 25-26, Thurs., Oct. 17, 24 & 31, 8 pm, $65-$140. American Contemporary Ballet.
Seasonal spooky #3
Twilight Saga meets Faust, with a twist, 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.
Another Swan swims in
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 Wilshire Ebell, 4401 W. 8th St., Hancock Park; Sat., Oct. 12, 2 & 7 pm, $73.34-$137.36, Eventbrite. Also at the Long Beach Terrace Theatre, 300 E. Ocean Ave., Long Beach; Sun., Oct. 13, 2 & 7 pm, $112-$155. Ticketmaster. Also at 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. La Mirada Theatre.
Taxing
In the satiric Urinetown, puns and double entendres take over a town that confiscates then charges for bathroom privileges. Liz Hoefner Adamis choreographs and Daniel Nakawatase directs for CAL REP. Studio Theater, Cal State University Long Beach, north side of the Theatre Arts Building, accessible via 7th Street and East Campus Drive, Long Beach; Wed.-Sat., Oct. 8-12, 7:30 pm, Sat., Oct. 12, 2 pm, Sun., Oct. 13, 2 pm, $25, $23 seniors. Tickets.
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; Opens Thurs, Oct. 11, 7:30 pm, then 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 18-24)
Lineage Dance — A Matter of Time at 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.
LA Performance Practice — Casual at LA LGBT Center 1118 N. McCadden Pl., Hollywood; Sat., Oct. 19, 8 pm, $10-$49. Tickets.
Dance Theatre of Harlem at Musco Center, Chapman University, 415 Glassell, Orange; Thurs., Oct. 24, 7:30 pm, $45.50-$83. Musco Center.
GĒR Collective — Gasket at Highways, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 18-19, 8 pm, $20. Highways.
BLACK LODGE at United Theater on Broadway, 929 S. Broadway, downtown; Sat., Oct. 19, 6:30 pm, $47.78-$71.28. Tickets.
Circa — Humans 2.0 at the 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.
Versa-Style Dance Company — Hip Hop 1v1 Battle at Mihran K. Studios, 135 N. Victory Blvd., Burbank; Fri., Oct. 18, 8:30 pm, $15. Versa-Style Dance Company.