New contemporary choreography in Atwater Village and downtown; jazz dance in Lake Forest; cirque tents in Santa Monica; Kabuki-infused Sondheim extended in Little Tokyo; the first Nutcracker ballets for 2024 crack their shells, more SoCal dance this busy week, and a peek at next week.
Live This Week
(through December 5)
New for winter
Lots of new choreography is in store for the winter edition of CalArts Dance, showcasing work by LA-based former students now making their way as professionals. The lineup includes Kyreena Breelin Alexander, Brigette Dunn-Korpela, Jobel Medina, and Chorong Yang. REDCAT at Disney Hall, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown; Thurs.-Fri., Dec. 5-6, 8:30 pm, $20. REDCAT.

Enter through the alley
Opening its third season, Work in Progress/LA spotlights Charissa Kroeger and TRIN Dance Theatre Organized by choreographers Kate Wallich, Stephanie Zaletel and Belize Wilheim, this artist-run collective partners with this venue to “stir up deep dance discourse” in the LA dance community. The changing lineups for the monthly Monday events run through next April. A peek and preview of what some of LA’s cutting-edge choreographers are up to. G-Son Studios, 3218 Glendale Blvd., Atwater Village, 3218 Glendale Blvd. (enter through the alley), Atwater Village; Mon., Dec. 2, 7:30 pm, $15. WIP LA.

For their final concert of the year, Jazz Spectrum Dance Company brings two showings of The Full Spectrum with original choreograph by Christine Bales, plus recreated and original jazz dance from Janell Burgess. Contemporary company Nannete Brodie Dance Theatre makes a guest appearance. Spectrum Studio Theatre, 22661 Lambert St., Ste. 204, Lake Forest; Sun., Dec. 1, 5:30 & 7:30 pm, $50. Jazz Spectrum Dance Company.

An extended overture
When East West Players chose Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures for the 50th anniversary of the show’s Broadway premiere, it also lured back former artistic director Tim Dang who directed the show when EWP moved to its current mid-sized theater in Little Tokyo. Dang not only brings a background in dance, he brought in three additional choreographers, Broadway dancer/choreographer Yuka Takara, Kabuki consultant Kirk Kanesaka (aka Gankyō Nakamura), and fight director Amanda Noriko Newman. The show continues EWP long history presenting Sondheim in a theater sized to allow audiences to see the full show and still hear every precious lyric. David Henry Hwang Theater in the Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Little Tokyo; Thurs., Fri. & Mon, 8 pm, Sat. 2 & 8 pm, Sun. 5 pm, thru Dec. 8. $15-$74. East West Players.

Back on the Beach
The granddaddy of all the cirques, Cirque du Soleil, returns with its signature tent and the show Kooza, brimming with acrobats and clowns. The two month run offers lots of time to catch the show, maybe more than once? Under the Big Top at Santa Monica Pier, 1550 Pacific Coast Hwy., Santa Monica; thru Sun., Jan. 5, $58-$344. Details on the many dates and times at the website. Cirque du Soleil.

This Week’s Nutcracker Ballets
A complete round up of the season appeared Tuesday 11/26)
Los Angeles Ballet at Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena; Fri., Dec. 6, 7:30 pm, Sat, Dec. 7, 6 pm, Sun, Dec. 8, 2 pm, $44-$137. Performances at other venues at website. $44-$137. .
Debbie Allen’s Hot Chocolate Nutcracker at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach; Thurs.-Sat., Dec. 5-7, 7:30 pm, Sat.-Sun., Dec. 7-8, 2 pm, $86.39-$149.99. Eventbrite.
American Contemporary Ballet — Nutcracker Suite at Bank America Plaza, 333 S. Hope St., Suite C-150, downtown; Thurs. Dec. 5, 5 pm, Thurs.-Fri., 8 pm, Sat.-Sun., 2 & 5 pm, thru Sun. Dec. 22, then Mon., Dec. 23, 8 pm, Tues., Dec. 24, 1 pm, $75-$135. American Contemporary Ballet.
Westside Ballet with the Santa Monica College Symphony at the Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica; Sat.-Sun., Nov. 30-Dec. 1 & Dec. 7-8, 1 & 5 pm, Fri., Dec. 6, 7 pm, $66.50. Westside Ballet.
Anaheim Ballet with Symphony Irvine at City National Grove, 2200 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim; Fri., Nov. 29, 7 pm, Sat., Nov. 30, 2 &7 pm, $50-$95. Anaheim Ballet, Ticketmaster.
A Peek at Next Week (December 6—12)
Little Women Ballet (full ballet) at Wilshire Ebell Theatre, 4401 W. 8th St., Hancock Park; Sat., Dec. 7, 2:30 & 7 pm, $28-$40. Little Women Ballet.
Pilobolus — re:Creation at Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Cal State University Long Beach, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach; Sat., Dec. 7, 8 pm, $55. Carpenter PAC. Also at Smothers Theater, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu; Sun., Dec. 8, 7 pm, $28-$58. Pepperdine University.
Invertigo Dance Theatre — Turing Tests, Apples, and Queens at California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena; Fri.-Sat., Dec. 6-7, 8 pm, $30-$40, $10 students w/ ID. Caltech.

Mixed eMotion Theatrix — So Now You Know, Personal Stories in Motion: The Queer Community at the Glorya Kaufman Cultural Center, Wende Museum, 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City; Fri., Dec., 6, 2 & 8 pm, Sat., Dec. 7, 8 pm, free. Eventbrite.
The Realm Company — Krampus at Convoy Studios, 3764 Glendon Ave., West LA; Fri.-Sat., Dec. 6-7, 3:30 pm, Sun., Dec. 8, 3 pm, $53.65 -$90.41. Tickets.
rafa esparza & MUXX Collective — Live Night: Cruising Bodies, Spirits, and Machines at the United Theater on Broadway, 929 S. Broadway, downtown Arts District; Sat., Dec. 7, $47.28 to $71.28. CAP UCLA