Environmental collaborations in Culver City, “royal” ballet from England downtown, traditional and contemporary folkloric in Hollywood, a family-friendly summer series opens in Brentwood, and more SoCal dance this week.
5. A Bowl-ful of flamenco
Spend a balmy evening in Spain as Siudy Flamenco Dance Theatre joins the L.A. Phil for a performance of Manuel de Falla’s El Amor Brujo (The Love Wizard). Assistant conductor Paolo Bortolameolli also conducts the orchestra in selections from Falla’s Three Cornered Hat and Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso (Morning Song of the Jester). Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood; Thurs., July 11, 8 p.m., $1-$162. https://www.hollywoodbowl.com.
4. A summer series starts
Inspired by messages of freedom and authenticity, the family-friendly series Free to Be kicks off a summer-long line-up with two dance companies. Contemporary troupe BODYTRAFFIC entertains on Saturday and urban Latin company Contra Tiempo takes the stage on Sunday with two shows each day. From now to mid-August, each weekend offers dancers, musicians or story-tellers. Full line up at the website. Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Brentwood; Sat. & Sun., July 6 & 7, noon & 2 p.m., free with admission, $12, $9 seniors & students, $7 children 2 to 12. https://www.skirball.org.
3. Mayan to Mexican
Traditional and contemporary folkloric dance inspired by the Mayan empire and the southeast Mexico states of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Tabasco comes to the stage as Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company brings the Magia del Sureste (Magic of the Southeast). Ford Theatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood; Sat., July 6, 8:30 p.m., $35-$55. https://www.fordtheatres.org/.
Photo by Gennia Cui.
2. Considering the life of plastic
After helming the LA Dance Festival and mid-June’s Shift/West showcase for emerging choreographers, Deborah Brockus takes a turn with her own choreography and her contemporary company BrockusRED in Dust/Permutations of the Unknown. Collaborating with visual artist Richelle Gribble plus composers Peter Askrim and Zac Greenberg, Brockus considers larger issues of the environmental crisis and specifically the question of “When does plastic become dust?” Some potential answers to that question may come from the Sustainability Plastic Replacement Fair accompanying the performances. Ivy Substation, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City; Fri.-Sat., July 5-6, 8 p.m., Sun., July 7, 2 p.m., $25-$35. https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4268539.
1. Royals Behaving Badly
Britain’s Royal Ballet returns with two different weekends that demonstrate this isn’t the polite British company that last visited 25 years ago. First up, sex, drugs and pointe shoes in Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling, Like his well-known Romeo & Juliet, Mayerling is entangled with palace politics, this time the sumptuous Habsburg court of the Austro Hungarian empire. Unlike R&J’s tragic innocents, Mayerling’s protagonist is crown prince Rudolf, a syphilitic sexual predator, drug addicted and death obsessed who prowls the stage for three acts dancing a marathon of ferocious, emotional, erotic pas de deux that culminate with a double death. Yet somehow Rudolf elicits a modicum of sympathy, a masterful MacMillan accomplishment. Next weekend, the company displays its contemporary chops in Adès & McGregor: A Dance Collaboration with the company’s resident choreographer McGregor melding with new music composer/conductor Thomas Adès. Music Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Mayerling: Fri.-Sat., July 5-6, 7:30 p.m., Sun., July 7, 2 p.m., Adès & McGregor: Fri.-Sat., July 12-13, 7:30 p.m.,$38-$138. https://www.musiccenter.org/.
Other dance of note:
Summer’s JAM Sessions continue with Ballet Folklorico Ollin introducing dancers to the wooden dance platform known as a “tarima.” The instruction will end with the group performing a fandango. Come prepared to dance or to enjoy those who are dancing. This Monday series offers an array of free dance classes that take participants around the world without leaving town. Ford Theatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood; Mon., July 8, 7 p.m., free. https://www.fordtheatres.org/.
Dance and music from Latin America is the specialty of the Riverside-based group El Santo Golpe, this week’s installment in the hour-long family friendly the Big World Fun series. Nature and craft activities begin at 9 a.m. with the show at 10 a.m. Ford Theatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood; Sat., July 6, 10 a.m., $5 adults, free for children.
https://www.fordtheatres.org/calendar/big-world-fun-el-santo-golpe.
Warm summer nights mean it is time to dance under the stars with Dance DTLA. From now until September, the series affords different ways to move on most Friday nights. Free beginner dance lessons at 7 p.m. are followed by a chance to dance or to just watch and enjoy until 11 p.m. This summer includes three new entries but this week includes the popular line dance & two step return. With the Music Center Plaza still closed off for renovation, the action moves around, this week shifting to Disney Hall. Each week’s dance style and specific location at https://www.musiccenter.org/tickets/events-by-the-music-center/danceDTLA/. Disney Hall, BP Lecture Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown; Fri., July 5, 7 p.m., free. https://www.musiccenter.org.
Hoofers rejoice! The tap-filled musical Dames at Sea has extended its run to August 3. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m., thru Aug. 3. $45, $40 senior, $25 21 & under. http://www.sierramadreplayhouse.org/.