The annual — sometimes biannual — performance by Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet has come to feel like a special L.A. summer tradition, akin to s’mores around a beach fire pit or music at the Hollywood Bowl amphitheater. This year, that single performance at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State L.A. (thank you, Wendy …
Review: Barak Ballet New Repertory
The opening tableaux of “Pretty, Peculiar Things” is an announcement that Melissa Barak has good things in store. Unexpected things, like the backward toss of a ballerina. Subtle humor. And a lively stage atmosphere overflowing with a deep kinetic intelligence of what movement can express. Barak keeps it fresh. She’s a dance-maker’s dance-maker. Here’s the …
Missing Bella
At age 81, Los Angeles’ modern dance pioneer Bella Lewitzky closed down her dance company. That was 22 years ago and her works have been revived only sporadically since then. A good portion of her repertory is in danger of being gone for good, which would be a terrible outcome. A few people, happily, have …
Review: ‘Pepperland’ & Raymonda, etc.
Mark Morris — that most-musical choreographer and sometimes-conductor, who was the 2013 director of the Ojai Music Festival — has shown little interest in setting his dances to rock ’n’ roll or other popular music. So “Pepperland,” seen this weekend at the Segerstrom Center, is an outlier. The piece was a commission, made for the …
A Breakthrough Season
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills announced this week that its 2019-2020 dance season will be stocked with Los Angeles-based dance companies--only. It is, I believe, the first time a Los Angeles theater presenter has programmed a complete dance season just with L.A.-based companies. Quite a milestone. Artistic director Paul …
Review: Misty, Calvin & ABT’s ‘Harlequinade’
“Les millions d’Arléquin” was a fluff-ball of a ballet, popular with audiences from its debut in 1900 until its last performance in 1929. It had a goofy comedic story, a lovely score by Italian composer Riccardo Drigo and unvarnished yet gracious choreography from the French-Russian ballet master, Marius Petipa. Now, American Ballet Theatre has staged …
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Review: ‘The Nutcracker’
It’s the day before Christmas and so, no surprise, the question has come up, “Laura, how many times have you seen the ‘Nutcracker’?” I haven’t keep count. More than 200? Could be. But I continue to go—and not just because I have to. I guess it must be something like love. That’s the case with …
