Jazz dance for wildfire benefit in Lincoln Heights; a dance fest considers resilience in West LA; contemporary ballet in Beverly Hills and Laguna Beach; contemporary dance in University Park, Orange, Atwater Village, and downtown; cinematic dance in East Hollywood, a family-friendly lunar new year dance in Sierra Madre; plus a peek at next week.

Live This Week

What we are

In a prior, shorter version presented in the Brand Library’s Dance Series, choreographer Boróka Nagy and the dancers of her contemporary Re:born Dance Interactive drew a standing ovation for Home, an exploration of family, resilience, and identity. The work has been expanded and takes the stage as part of the Dance at the Odyssey Festival co-curated by Barbara Mueller-Wittman. The festival paused during the worst of the fire and air emergencies, but is back up with Home taking on even deeper meaning than before. Odyssey Theatre, 2955 S. Sepulveda Blvd., WLA; Fri.,-Sat., Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 8 pm, Sun., Feb. 2, 2 pm, $25. Odyssey Theatre.

Dance with a purpose

Two evenings offer dance, food, and drinks under the banner Jazz Club as BrockusRED combines performance, party and purpose to raise funds for acclaimed jazz dancer/teacher/choreographer Hama who lost his home in the recent fires. Brockus Project Space, 618 #B, Lincoln Heights; Sat., Feb. 1, 8 pm, Sun., Feb. 2, 6 pm, $25. Venmo.

Encore

Those who missed last year’s highly-praised premiere of artistic director Melissa Barak’s Memoryhouse for Los Angeles Ballet, have another chance with these encore performances. The title and much of the ballet’s structure is drawn from British-German composer Max Richter’s 2002 album. Barak kept the album’s 18 tracks in order, retaining the electronic voices, sounds, and touches that are part of the original recording. The choreographer has described the work as an abstract consideration of World War II and particularly, the holocaust. At a time when the lies that fueled Nazi Germany are being shamelessly voiced again across multiple contexts, such considerations gain an unfortunate timeliness. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd.; Beverly Hills; Thurs.-Fri., Jan. 30-31, 7:30 pm, Sat., Feb. 1, 2 & 7:30 pm, $64-$119. The Wallis.

X marks the spot

Marking its 20th anniversary, the Laguna Dance Festival presents another curated lineup of dancers and companies. The mainstage festival opens with two nights of the vibrant contemporary company Ballet X from Philadelphia (Thurs. & Fri.). Stars of the Dance (Sat. eve & Sun. mat.) includes dancers from Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and JA Collective in classical and contemporary choreography including a world premiere by festival founder/artistic director Jodie Gates in collaboration with the Laguna Beach Music Festival. Full details and ancillary events at the website. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach; Thurs.-Sat., Feb. 6-8, 7:30 pm, Sun., Feb. 9, 2 pm, $75, $25 student. Laguna Dance Festival.

Bringing three

The New York-based Doug Varone and Dancers returns with three works from its namesake choreographer. Two recent works are Double Octet (2021) and Restore (2024), plus Home (1988) from the company repertoire. Chapman University, Musco Center for the Arts, 415 N. Glassell, Orange; Sat., Feb. 1, 7:30 pm, $21.25 – $58. Musco Center.

Enter through the alley

Opening 2025, Work in Progress/LA spotlights Max Martin & Mandolin Burns and NICK + JAMES with Tara Jane O’Neil. 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 line up for the monthly Monday events runs through 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., Feb. 3, 7:30 pm, $15. WIP LA.

Set adrift

In the West Coast premiere of Weathering, choreographer Faye Driscoll sets her dancers adrift on a raft, surrounded by the audience, to explore how large events impact individual bodies. The New York Times review found “the performers seem like the last holdouts of a civilization clinging to survival.” The media release cautions there is nudity and loud sounds.  REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown; Thurs.-Sat., Feb. 6-8, 8:30 pm, $27, $22 student. https://www.redcat.org/events/2025/faye-driscoll

Compare and contrast

Curated and hosted by lecturer Amy O’Neal, the series Kaufman Converge pairs two artists with contrasting dance aesthetics in a session that is part performance, part salon and part lecture lecture. This event features Teresa “Toogie” Barcelo and Rauf “Rubberlegz” Yasit. USC, Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center, 849 W. 34th St., University Park; Tues., Feb. 4, 7 pm, free w/reservation at Visions and Voices USC.

Lions and puppets

As part of its lunar new year celebrations this family friendly event features a Lion Dance by the East Wind Foundation as well as a puppet making workshop with the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 West Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre; Sat., Feb. 1, 11 am, $12. Sierra Madre Playhouse.

Cinematic dancing  

The celebrated Dance Camera West 2025 continues its five day festival with films from around the world and the U.S.A. Among films and documentaries from local dance figures, Keith Glassman’s documentary Lives Beyond Motion focuses on notable men who dance, and includes LA Dance Chronicle founder/editor Jeff Slayton who talks about a career that included dancing with Merce Cunningham. In the wake of the wildfire devastation, the festival announced special ‘pay what you can’ and other steps including postponement of the David Rousseve retrospective to next year. Details on the festival and the myriad of programs available at the website. Screenings at Barnsdall Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., East Hollywood (venue for most events); Wed.-Sun., Jan. 29-Feb. 2, times, ticket price, and film specifics at website “schedule.” One event is at The Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Feliz; Sat., Feb. 1, 7 pm, 20. Dance Camera West.

A Peek at Next Week

Spenser Theberge — Intimates at Odyssey Theatre, 2955 S. Sepulveda Blvd., WLA; Fri.-Sat., Feb. 7-8, 8 pm, Sun., Feb. 9, 7 pm, $25. Odyssey Theatre Ensemble.

Co-Show9 — Performance and Party at Pink Box Studio, 966 E. Pico Blvd., downtown Fashion District, Fri., Feb. 7, 8 & 10 pm, $20-$52. Tickets.

Alonzo King Lines at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa; Fri., Feb. 7, 7:30 pm, $44.07-$134.47. SCFTA.

An Evening of Dance at Stomping Ground LA, 5453 Alhambra Ave., El Sereno; Fri.-Sat., Feb. 7-8, 6 pm, $20. Eventbrite.

MashUp Contemporary Dance Company — Choreography Open Mic Night at Frogtown Studio, 2926 Gilroy St., Elysian Valley; Sat., Feb. 8, 7 pm, $15. MashUp Dance.

Kayamanan Ng Lahi Philippine Folk Arts — Pagdiriwang – A Celebration of Philippine Culture at Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 West Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre; Sat., Feb. 8, 11 am, $12. Sierra Madre Playhouse.

Matthew Bourne — Old Friends at Music Center, Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Sat., Feb. 8, – Sun., March 9, official opening Thurs., Feb. 13, then Tues.-Fri., 8 pm, Sat., 2 & 8 pm, Sun., 1 & 6:30 pm, $25 – $195.50. Center Theatre Group.