Afro-Cuban festival in Leimert Park; street dance fest in Burbank; Louisa May Alcott goes site specific in Heritage Square; contemporary ballet in Venice and Irvine; jazz dance in Dominguez Hills; contemporary dance in La Crescenta, Hollywood, and Santa Monica; more SoCal dance this week, plus a peek at next week.

Live This Week

Let’s get together

Dancer/choreographer Andrew Pearson displays his impresario chops as he and his bodies in play gather a half dozen LA-based dance artists for Dance is Pleasure. Look for works by Bernard Brown/bbmoves, Marisa Ervin & Emma Vicaña, Nathan Kim, LORDMAN, Mackenzie Martin, Muda, Owen Scarlett, and Pearson. The press material cautions the program contains “adult language, sexually explicit gestures, brief depictions of drug use, and references to police brutality and AIDS.” The free event is part of the WeHo Pride Arts Fest sponsored by the City of West Hollywood and the venue. Los Angeles Los Angeles LGBT Center, the Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1123 N. McCadden Pl., #229, Hollywood; Sun., May 25, 3 pm, free. bodies in play.

Resilient 

Choreographer Chasen Greenwood and his ballet troupe The Realm Company, celebrate the resilience of victims of February’s wildfires in Phoenix Rising. Set to an original score by Taylor Briggs, the story follows a young woman rising above adversity, just like the Phoenix bird of legend and so many Angelenos affected by the fires. A reception and dancing follows the show. Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Sat., May 24 & Fri., May 30, 7:30 pm, Sun., May 25 & Sat., May 31, 3 pm., $69.40 (w/ fees). Realm-Phoenix Rising.

You can go home again

Celebrating its comeback following the devastating Eaton fire that swept through Altadena, Emma Andres brings her Little Women Ballet back to the preserved Victoria homes that provided the setting for previous performances of this immersive ballet rendition of Louisa May Alcott’s novel. The dancers lead the audience through the preserved Victorian homes, unfolding the story of the March sisters. A reception with refreshments follows each show. The venue is not ADA accessible, but in June, the show will move to a proscenium theater. Heritage Square Museum, 3800 Homer St., Montecito Heights; Fri., May 23, 6:30 pm, Sat.-Sun., May 24-25, 3 & 6:30 pm, $66 (w/ fees). Little Women Ballet. Also at Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena; Sat., June 22, 2 & 7 pm, Sun., June 23, 2 pm, $42-$42. Little Women-Pasadena Playhouse.

Street to studio

Arguably LA’s premiere street dance organization, Versa-Style Dance Company, opens its studio for the 20th Anniversary Street Dance Festival, its annual multi-day event packed with workshops and battles culminating in a performance. Day one is workshops, then a day of preliminary battles, a day of final battles, and then the final Street Dance Theater Showcase. The final battles and the showcase performance encourage spectators, a great chance to see top talent gathered together, displaying their best moves. Mihran K Studios Burbank, 135 N. Victory Blvd., Burbank; Battles- Sat., May 24, 2 pm, $20 (spectators),  Street Dance Theater Showcase – Sun., May 25, 5 pm, $10. Versa-Style Street Dance Company

Decoding dance

Known for offering informal performances in non-traditional venues including parks and libraries, Benita Bike’s DanceArt is presents contemporary dance in a way that entertains and explains how dance is made. Dancers include Sarah Chan, Lauren Gold, Dakota Merritt, Dalya Modlin, and Emily Wallace. La Crescenta Library, 2809 Foothill Blvd., La Crescenta Sat., May 24, 2 pm. free. Benita Bike’s DanceArt.

And all that jazz

This year’s Jazz Dance Conference West wraps up two days of master classes with performances. Saturday features pre-professional dancers. Sunday’s line up has the pros, plus presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Jackie Sleight, a multi-hyphenate dancer/choreographer/director/entrepreneur, and jazz dance leader. Full schedule at Jazz Dance Conference West. CSU Dominguez Hills, University Theater, 1000 E. Victoria St., Dominguez Hills; Sat., May 24, 7 pm, Sun., May 25, 7:30 pm, $25. Tickets.

Afternoon in the park

An afternoon of dance, music, and wellness includes Afro-Cuban dance from Ocandeniye Dance Company (2:15 pm) and drumming and dancing from Shine Masuwi (2:30 pm). Full list of workshops and classes for Arts in the Park at the website. Leimert Park & Peoples Street Plaza, 4337 Degnan Blvd, Leimert Park; Sat., May 25, noon-4 pm, free w/reservation at Invertigo Dance Theatre donation page.

Shakespeare moves

Adapter, director and choreographer John Farmanesh-Bocca returns with Lear Redux: A Quantum Fantasia, the latest in his “Redux” series boldly reconsidering the classics. The event also reunites him with choreographic collaborators Not Man Apart-Physical Theatre Ensemble along with New American Theatre and the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. Jack Stehlin tackles the part of King Lear, surrounded by Eve Danzeisen, Dennis Gersten, Dash Pepin, Jade Sealey, Ahkei Togun, and Emily Yetter. The Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., WLA; opens Thurs., May 22, 8 pm, then Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm, Wed. June 11 & 25, 8 pm, $20-$43. Odyssey Theatre Ensemble.

Paying tribute

The chamber ballet company, Ballet Project OC, pays tribute to iconic singers in Legends Reawakened with four works choreographed by company members. The program draws on Edith Piaf’s C’est La Vie choreographed by Mate Szentis, Elvis Presley’s One for the Money by Anthony Cannarella, Christina Ghirardi’s Made in the Shade, and artistic director Ally Hellman’s Pitseh. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Dr., Irvine; Thurs., May 22, 7 pm, $20-$50. Irvine Barclay Theatre.

A rising tide

Since its founding four decades ago providing after school support for local youth, The Wooden Floor and particularly its dance unit, has developed young dance talent who are given a chance to strut their stuff at an annual concert, often in works provided by name choreographers. This year the 42nd annual concert, Curious Currents of Possibilities, features work by choreographers Billy Smith, Eva Stone, and the program’s artistic director Jennifer Bassage Bonfil. Irvine Barclay Theater, 4242 Campus Dr., Irvine; Thurs.-Fri., May 29-30, 8 pm, Sat., May 31, 2 & 8 pm,  $20-$50, children half-price. The Wooden Floor Tix.

Who needs CGI?

Jaw-dropping puppetry anchors The Life of Pi, the award-winning theatrical retelling of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel about a 16-year old shipwreck survivor adrift in a lifeboat with four animals, notably a Bengal tiger. Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell created the puppetry for the original, Olivier award-winning British production that went on to Broadway and won several Tony awards. Anyone who sniffs that puppetry isn’t dance or choreography should watch the multiple actors’ tightly orchestrated manipulations as well as the puppet’s choreographed moves, and then just shush up. Everyone else can sit back and marvel. Music Center, Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Tues.-Fri., 8 pm, Sat., 2 & 8 pm, Sun., 1 & 6 pm, also Thurs., May 29, 2 pm, thru Sun., June 1. $37.95 -$166.75 (w/fees). Ahmanson.

The last move

Choreographer Marissa Herrera set the moves for hip hop infused The Last Play by Rickérby Hinds. The play, written by Hinds and directed by Daphnie Sicre, was commissioned by the Latino Theater Company. The action follows an Afro-Latino playwright as he conjures characters from previous plays, seeking inspiration for what he believes will be his final play. What could possibly go wrong? The Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., downtown; Thurs.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 4 pm, thru Sun., May 25, $10 (Thursdays), $48, $24 students/seniors/veterans/LAUSD teachers w/ ID. Latino Theater Company at The Los Angeles Theatre Center.

Maddie Showonek — Fowler Out Loud series at UCLA Fowler Museum. This event has been postponed until further notice. Fowler Museum.

A Peek at Next Week: (May 30 to June 5)

No Easy Props — West Coast Funk & Soul Theatre Show at the Brand Library & Art Center, 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale; Sat., May 31, 5 pm, free. Brand Library.

Donna Sternberg & Dancers — Glimpses at Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., May 30-31, $20.50 (w/ fees). Highways.

BODYTRAFFIC — This Feeling Reminds Me of You at the Avalon Hollywood, 1735 N. Vine St., Hollywood; Thurs., June 5, 7 pm, $60. BODYTRAFFIC.

FUSE — Choreographer Showcase at Brea Curtis Theater, 1 Civic Center Circle, Brea; Fri.-Sat., May 30-31, 8 pm, $25, $20 students. Tickets.

American Contemporary Ballet at Television City, 7800 Beverly Blvd., Stage 33, Fairfax District; opens Thurs., June 5, 8 pm, then Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, thru Sat., June 28, $65-$140. American Contemporary Ballet.

Los Angeles Performance Practice — LAX Micro Fest at Pieter, 2701 N. Broadway, downtown; Fri., May 30-Sun., June 1, times vary, individual tickets $14-$15, passes up to $65. Los Angeles Performance Practice.

Mixed eMotion Theatrix — Gatsby Redux at Greystone Mansion & Gardens, 905 Loma Vista Dr., Beverly Hills; Thurs.- Sun., June 5-8 & Wed.-Sat. June 12-14, 7 pm, $30. Gatsby Redux.

Westside Ballet — Masters of Movement at the BroadStage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica; Fri.-Sat., May 31-June 1, 1 pm, $50; Sat., May 31, gala 5:30 pm, performance 7 pm, $195. Tickets.