The Music Center kicks off a new initiative this summer, called The Music Center on Location. The downtown performing arts center is moving off campus, presenting two smaller dance companies and music artists at the Ford Theatres: Aszure Barton Dance in "Awáa" on Aug. 18 and Jacob Jonas The Company on Aug. 19, in shared program with …
Category: Behind the Scenes
3 Questions: Raiford Rogers
Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet's last local concert was two years ago, when the company presented the debut of "Still Life," a stirring, three-movement work Rogers choreographed to an orchestral score by Zbynek Mateju. The Czech composer had proposed a collaboration with Rogers via email, and the two worked for more than a year without having …
Home Grown @ Bootleg: A Leg up for Los Angeles Dance
A pilot program with exciting potential to promote local dance by giving companies more performing opportunities--which is what Los Angeles dancers say need and want--debuts in February. It is called Home Grown @ Bootleg and the first weekend of concerts will feature Antics, which under the direction of Amy “Catfox” Campion combines street dance with …
Continue reading Home Grown @ Bootleg: A Leg up for Los Angeles Dance
L.A. Dance Summit
"It feels that things are simmering, if not percolating" in the L.A. dance community.--Choreographer David Rousseve, artistic director of REALITY That was just one of the interesting comments made during the morning session of the L.A. Dance Summit, which took place today (June 8) at downtown Los Angeles' Japan America Theatre. I think David is right, …
Melissa’s Barak Ballet
Choreographer Melissa Barak, a onetime company member with New York City and Los Angeles ballets, has spent the past two years planning for her own contemporary ballet company to be based in Los Angeles, her hometown. Sunday night was the "pre-launch performance" and about 300 turned out at the new Ann and Jerry Moss Theater …
Glorya Kaufman responds to my LAT article
In my Dec. 16 article for the Los Angeles Times wrapping up the year in dance, I expressed my disappointment with how heavy-hitter philanthropist Glorya Kaufman chose to lavish millions of dollars (exact amount undisclosed) on USC to start a new school for dance. I argued that donations are most urgently needed for daily operations to support …
Pentacle director to take a step down
Ivan Sygoda, the longtime co-director of the arts management non-profit organization called Pentacle, will be stepping back from his duties this July, the New York-based organization announced this week. Sygoda will still be involved in some of Pentacle's projects, but he is handing off the day-to-day running of the organization to a group of in-house leaders …
One more from (and for) Yvonne
Hundreds of people filled Wadsworth Theater in Los Angeles yesterday (Oct. 14) to pay tribute to Yvonne Mounsey, who passed away Sept. 29. It was a beautiful service with music, photos and a video that had been made for Yvonne's 93 birthday, three years ago. Her daughter Allegra Clegg (whom we, her older ballet classmates, …
Upcoming dance season: Los Angeles Ballet
The lowdown: Los Angeles Ballet begins its seventh season with "The Nutcracker" in December, and then it is devoting its two repertory programs to the works of George Balanchine - throwing a Balanchine Festival, in fact. Seven ballets will be presented over two programs, and the company is planning other events as well, not yet …
Upcoming dance season: Luckman Theatre
The Luckman, at Cal State Los Angeles, is a great for dance, with excellent sight lines. Curtains in the auditorium can close off seats, making it feel comfortable whether it's a sold-out house of 1,152 or a comfy group of 500. After an early, active period of regular dance offerings (the theater opened in 1994), the …
