1950s swing dance in Glendale; Chinese dance goes nightclubbing in Little Tokyo; intriguing escapism in Lincoln Heights; art gallery dance in Mid-City; Irish dance anniversary tour in Costa Mesa; contemporary dance in El Sereno, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Burbank, and Downtown LA Arts District; more SoCal dance this week, plus a peek at next week.

Live This Week (thru May 21)

Going solo

 
Since joining LA Dance Project in 2020, Shu Kinouchi has been a stand out. It’s not intentional. LADP’s cadre of top notch dancers are all splendid, incredibly versatile, yet the clarity of Kinouchi’s dance seems to carry an interior spotlight. For Wall-Body, Kinouchi goes solo, collaborating with architect Hiroshi Kaneko to explore how walls “organize relationships through confrontation, enclosure, incarceration, and transgression.” LA Dance Project presents this singular dancer as he considers architectural space and humans’ relationships with inanimate objects. In this case, a dozen movable ten-foot high “walls.” At 2245, LA Dance Project, 2245 E. Washington Blvd., Downtown LA Arts District; Sat., May 16, 8 pm, Sun., May 17, 7 pm, $35. LA Dance Project.

With a mountain view

 
Selected social dances from the 1920s to the 1950s, including Savoy Swing, Charleston, and Lindy Hop, are on the dance card as LA Swing Dance Posse (LASDP) closes out the Brand Library Dance Series. Thoughtfully curated by Jamie Nichols with performances sited with a view of the San Gabriel mountains, this event is the last chance this year to enjoy dance at this special venue. At the Brand Library & Art Gallery, 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale; Sat., May 16, 6 pm, free. Brand Library.

Four for the feet

 
Four world premieres come to the stage as Nancy Evans Dance Theatre presents Works 2026: WANTED. Jenn Logan and Nancy Evans Doede collaborated on the satiric For Me (Infamy), Ashleigh Doede goes for adventure In Pursuit, Jackie Pierce explores AI and humans in CAPTCHA, and Sophia Bernardo brings Charlatan. At ARC (A Room to Create), 1158 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; Sat., May 16, 7 pm (gala), Sun., May 17, 4 pm, $30 – $100, $25 students/seniors. Nancy Evans Dance Theatre.

Know their stories

 
Known for its site-specific rendering of The Great Gatsby, Mixed eMotion Theatrix brings another of its dance/theater works to the stage. Choreographer Janet Roston, dramaturge Ryan Bergmann and the company’s dancer/actors shaped personal stories drawn from the LGBTQIA community into So Now You Know. This performance opens this venue’s 2026 BEHOLD! Queer Performance Series. At Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri., May 15, 8 pm, $30.75 (w/fee). Mixed eMotion Theatrix.

Mesmerizing

 
From flashy appearances in the Emmy and the Grammy awards, and America’s Got Talent, to years of world wide tours, the jaw-dropping, split second choreography of artistic director Jacques Heim and his LA-based Diavolo/Architecture in Motion has earned popular and informed acclimation. The company is home, reprising Escape that finds the dancers and gymnasts in a visceral exploration of individuals trying to break free. The tv appearances may have spread the word, but can’t begin to capture the interplay of the movers and crescendo of powerful movement in a live Diavolo performance. This chance for the live experience of Diavolo should not be missed. At L’Espace Diavolo, 616 Moulton Ave., Lincoln Heights; Fri.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 6 pm, thru Sun., June 14, $39. Diavolo-Veterans Project.

Library dancing

 
Continuing to bring dance to untraditional venues throughout LA, Benita Bike’s DanceArt offers three works–Aspects of Me, Schoenfield Dances, and its newest, Flock Struck. The visit includes a chance to ask questions and learn more about modern dance and its dancers. At Buena Vista Branch Library, 300 N. Buena Vista St., Burbank; Sat., May 16, 3 pm, free. Benita Bike’s DanceArt.

Showing the work

 
The workshop choreographer Milka Djordjevich oversees as Dance and Crafts concludes with a showing of works generated during the seven weeks. Contributors include Merce Abrahamian, Sarah Leddy, Marina Libel, Peter Hernandez, Rikki Rothenberg, Kirsten Michelle Schnittker, and Jen Watkins. At the Stompling Ground, 5453 Alhambra Ave., El Sereno; Fri., May 15, 7 pm, free. Dance and Crafts.

Early signs

 
In Emergent Forms, recognized choreographers James Gregg, T. Akuchu, and Dimitri Chamblas craft new dance for students of CalArts Dance. CalArts alum Caitlin Javech (MFA 2022) also contributes new choreography. At REDCAT, Disney Hall, 631 W. 2nd St., DowntownLA; Wed.-Thurs., May 13-14, 8 pm, also streamed Thurs., May 14, 8 pm, $22, $18 students, stream-$18, $15 students. CalArts Dance.

Refreshing

 
Three decades ago, the Irish dance and music event Riverdance leapt from an intermission feature at Europe’s Eurovision song fest to become worldwide sensation, giving its stars Michael Flatley and Jean Butler international status. A reconsidered Riverdance 30 – The Next Generation retains several of the thrilling numbers from the original, led by new stars and adding other geographical references including a battle between the Irish dancers and U.S. tap dancers. The touring show makes its only SoCal stop at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Fri., May 15, 7:30 pm, Sat., May 16, 2 & 7:30 pm., Sun., May 17, 1 & 6:30 pm, $44-$149. Riverdance.

Flower Drum Song

 
The addition of traditional Chinese dance alongside the nightclub jazz dances weaves a stronger story in David Henry Hwang’s reconsideration of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song. Co-presented by East West Players and the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in the larger stage this show deserves. The triple threat dancers deserve awards for their versatility moving from sizzling jazz dance to the serenity of the classical Chinese dance that requires artful manipulation of diaphanous ‘water sleeves” extending several feet beyond the hands. At the JACCC Aratani Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St., Little Tokyo; Thurs.-Fri., 7:30 pm, Sat., 2 & 8 pm, Sun., 1 & 7 pm, thru Sun., May 31, $25-$119. East West Players-Flower Drum Song.

Going international

 
International dance is on the menu as the Santa Monica College ensemble, Global Motion World Dance Company returns for its annual concert. At the BroadStage,1310 11th St., Santa Monica; Sat.-Sun., May 16-17, 7:30 pm, $24, $21 students. Global Motion.

Preview of next gen dance

 
Among the high school artists selected annually for the Grande Finale of the Music Center 38th Annual Spotlight are two ballet dancers and two in the dance category that covers everything else. This year Afina Gosla and Manuela De Souza are the ballet finalists and Brooklyn Covington and Gracyn French are the non-classical dance finalists. The four perform along with finalists in classical and non-classical instrumental and voice. Perhaps one is the next Misty Copeland, (yes, she was a prior winner). At the Music Center, Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., DowntownLA; Sat., May 16, 8 pm, free w/reservation at Spotlight Grand Finale.

Art dance

 
Dancers from Lula Washington Dance Theatre offer roving performances reacting to the artwork and changing light in the newly reopened Geffen Gallery stretching across Wilshire Boulevard. The event may be sold out soon and no info is available about a ‘wait list.’ At the Geffen Galleries, LA County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-City; Sat., May 16, 5:30 – 7 pm, free w/reservation at Lula Washington Dance Theatre.

A Peek at Next Week (May 22-28)

 
AU.THENTICITY Dance Co. — & When the heart opens at the Stomping Ground, 5453 Alhambra Ave., El Sereno; Fri., May 22, 6:30 pm. $30 advance purchase. AU.THENTICITY.

Bellydance Evolution — Swan Lake at El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; Sat., May 23, 7:30 pm, $30-$52. Bellydance Evolution: Swan Lake.

Jazz Dance Conference West — University Theatre, Cal State University Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria St., Dominguez Hills; Sat. & Sun., May 23-24, 7:30 pm, $25. Jazz Dance Conference West.

Miana Abramson, Keli Gunn, Avery Polster, Eva Watson, Jules Mara & Bruna Gill (Ides) — BEHOLD! at Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica; Fri., May 22, 8 pm, $20.50, $15.38 student/senior (includes fees). BEHOLD!.

Tuesday Night Dance — K-Pop at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Argyros Plaza, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Tues., May 26, 6:30 pm, series runs thru Tues. Aug. 25, free. SCFTA.