Crowd-favorite contemporary dance downtown; ballet captures Shakespeare in Costa Mesa; contemporary moves in Culver City and the Arts District; modern ballet downtown and in Santa Barbara; dance infiltrates a circus in Hollywood, a play in Pasadena, and a theater fest in North Hollywood; more SoCal dance this week, plus a peek at next week.
With suspicious minds
Like Othello, the plot of Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale is fueled by jealousy, with the noble Leontes’ misreading of his friend’s concern for Leontes’ pregnant wife unwinding everyone’s lives (literally and figuratively). Rest assured choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet version articulates Shakespeare’s maneuverings to have everything turn right side out by the end of the third act. Created for Britain’s Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada in 2014, American Ballet Theatre now brings the ballet to SoCal for five performances. Reviews of the Royal Ballet performances found that in Wheeldon’s hands, ballet solved various problematic staging issues in the play while giving a half dozen ballet stars ample dramatic and dance opportunities to make this a winner. ABT found recent success with Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate and before that with his Alice in Wonderland. Is this an ABT/Wheeldon three-peat? Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Thurs.-Fri., April 3-4, 7:30 pm, Sat., April 5, 2 & 7:30 pm, Sun., April 6, 1 pm, $44.07-$157.07. SCFTA.
Dancing the gospel
The ever-popular Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns with two programs, each a combination of new work and repertory favorites. Each show closes with the company’s signature, Ailey’s gospel-infused masterpiece Revelations. Program A also includes Sacred Songs, Many Angels, and Treading. Program B includes Grace, Ailey Excerpts, and Cry. Currently in the second year an exclusive residency that apparently means the company is annually performs in SoCal exclusively at this venue. Music Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Wed.-Sun., April 2-6, 7:30 pm, Sat. & Sun., April 5-6, 2 pm, $49-$179. Music Center.
Afternoon dance
Repertoire works by choreographer Louise Reichlin, performed by Louise Reichlin & Dancers/ Los Angeles Choreographers & Dancers are scheduled for this free performance. The dancers include Alana Astor, Carmen Tienda, Camille Imperial, Sophie Kim, Alice Lousen, Ashley Magana, Emily Mcguire, Coree McKee Gonzalez, Mcknnly Moren, Brooke Sinton, and Reichlin. Culver City Senior Center, 4095 Overland Ave., Culver City; Sat., March 29, 1:30 pm, free. LA Choreographers & Dancers.
What they found
The always intriguing choreographer Rosanna Gamson concludes one of her Go workshops with a Go Presentation & Talkback. The live performance invariably contains promising nuggets. In the past, what comes out of the limited workshop time often later takes the stage in expanded form, but seen here first with an important chance for audience feedback. Pieter Performance Space, 2701 N. Broadway, downtown; Mon., March 31, 6 pm, $12.51. Eventbrite.
When dancers create
New contemporary choreography from the dancers of State Street Ballet highlight Evenings. The dancers/choreographers include Arianna Hartanov, Amber Hirschfield, Saori Yamashita, Aimee Le, Ryan Lenkey, Ethan Ahuero, Maria Rita Rapisarda, and Noam Tsivkin. The program of eight works includes a chance for audience discussion with the artists. Gail Towbes Center for Dance, 2285 Las Positas Road, Santa Barbara; Fri.-Sat., March 28-29, 7:30 pm, $30 in advance, $35 at door, space permitting. Tickets.
The stage calls
Presented by the LA Women’s Theatre Festival, the 32nd Annual Solo Festival features dance solos among the theater offerings. The kickoff (March 27) is a champagne gala and awards ceremony that includes a performance by Vannia Ibarguen. Among the five shows that follow, Maggie Cee, Mayuri Bhandari, Laura Elaine Ellis, and Sona Lewis present dance and the Saturday matinee is co-hosted by Lula Washington and Rosie Lee Hooks. Performance details at the website. Theatre 68, 5112 Lankershim Blvd. North Hollywood; Thurs.-Fri., March 27-28, 8 pm, Sat., March 29, 3 & 8 pm, Sun., March 30, 3 & 7 pm, $20-$150. Eventbrite.
Another stage calls
Choreographer Paul McGill provides the movement in John Anthony Loffredo’s Frou-Frou: A Menagerie of Sorts, a reconstructed/deconstructed/skewed view of Tennessee Wiliams’ The Glass Menagerie. Reviews of the new work praised McGill’s moves for Patrick Reilly as the son, reinvisioned as an aspiring ballerina, with a culminating male duet in the play’s last act. Boston Court, 70 N. Mentor Dr., Pasadena; Thurs.-Sat., March 27-29, 7:30 pm, Sun., March 30, 2 pm, $20-$67. Boston Court.
Jazzy homecoming
Wrapping up choreographer Lincoln Jones’ Homecoming, American Contemporary Ballet concludes its spring performances of this tribute to high school and marching bands. The shows include refreshments and live music. ACB Studios, Bank of America Plaza, 333 S Hope St, Suite C-150, downtown; Thurs.-Sat., March 27-29, 8 pm, $65-$140. American Contemporary Ballet.
Can’t wait for summer?
Celebrating LA’s resilience and the power of dance for community healing after the devastating wildfires, the Friday night summer series Music Center Dance DTLA offers a Special Edition. With spring nights seldom as welcoming as summer evenings, the event moves across the street from its usual Music Center Plaza venue to Disney Hall, offering a choice of indoor and outdoor locations to dance or watch. A lesson led by Latin dance troupe Contra Tiempo precedes the dance session. This coming summer’s dance genres will be previewed by DJs in both locations. Walt Disney Concert Hall, BP Hall and Blue Ribbon Garden, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown; Fri., March 28, 7 pm, free w/reservation at Music Center.
Audience dance
Choreography from Melissa Carvajal and Vicki Liv enliven the circus-themed musical Adanza – Show Me Your Dreams. Written and directed by Brooke Ferri and Joseph (Jilbér) Ferri, the show promises a new type of musical circus adding dance and audience participation. Eastwood Performing Arts Center, 1089 N. Oxford Ave., Hollywood; Fri., March 28, April 4, 7 pm, Sat., March 29, April 5, 3 & 7 pm, Sun., March 30, 2 & 6 pm, thru April 5. $46. Adanza.
An octet calls
It is problematic when, despite efforts, there is scant information about a show. Such is the case with We Call It Ballet. The website has nothing more than a terse description that makes reference to Sleeping Beauty, and the brief video shows only snippets of movement with a handful of dancers in tulle threaded with LED lights glowing in the dark. The ticket link offers no information on the choreography or any professional or other pre-professional affiliation of the dancers other than they are “local dancers.” The website has booking links, but no contact information for media or audience info. Nocturne Theater, 324 N. Orange St., Glendale; Sat., March 29, 4 pm, $39. We Call It Ballet.
A Peek at Next Week
Jacob Jonas The Company — Gardening at Franklin Canyon Amphitheater, 2600 Franklin Canyon Dr., Beverly Hills; Sat.-Sun., April 5-6, pre-show guided nature walk – 2:30 pm, performance – 4 pm, $55. Jacob Jonas.
Kybele Dance Theatre — An Evening of New Works by Seda Aybay at Stomping Ground LA, 5453 Alhambra Ave., El Sereno; Fri.-Sat., April 4-5, 7:30 pm, $25, $20 students. Tickets.
Benita Bike’s DanceArt at Lineage Performing Arts Center, 920 E. Mountain St., Pasadena; Sat., April 5, 8 pm, Sun., April 6, 3 pm, $30 in advance, $35 at door; $20 students, $23 at door. https://www.danceart.org/performances
Backhausdance at Cal State University Long Beach, Martha B Knoebel Dance Theater, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach; Sat., April 5, 2 & 8 pm, $45-$65, $25 students. Backhausdance.
Jay Carlon / Tsiambwuom Akuchu — Work in Progress/LA at G-Son Studios, 3218 Glendale Blvd. (enter through the alley), Atwater Village; Mon., April 7, 7:30 pm, $15. WIP LA.
LA Dance Project — Lightscape (Open Rehearsal) at LA Dance Project Studio, 2245 E. Washington Blvd., Arts District; Wed. April 9, noon, free w/reservation at Tickets. Lightscape at Marchiano Art Foundation, 4357 Wilshire Blvd., Hancock Park; Wed., April 12, noon, tickets available March 26. Marciano Art Foundation.
Will Rawls — siccer at REDCAT, 631 W 2nd St., downtown; Thurs.-Sat., April 10-12, 8:30 pm, $27. REDCAT.
High Voltage at Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Fri., April 4, 8 pm, $15. Eventbrite.
Max 10 at Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Mon., April 7, 7:30 pm, $10. Eventbrite.