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This weeks SoCal dance events include Nutcracker ballets downtown and in Santa Monica, an Irish Christmas dance, CalArts welcomes winter, and Keith Johnson/Dancers remember on World AIDS Day.
5. Winter wonderland
CalArts’ faculty member Julie Bour and guest choreographers Juel D. Lane and Douglas Nielsen provide new choreography plus a restaging of Elisa Monte’s Pigs and Fishes highlight the annual CalArts Dance Department Winter Concert. Sharon Disney Lund Dance Theater, CalArts, 24700 McBean Pkwy., Valencia; Thurs.-Fri., Dec. 1-2, 8 p.m., $10, $5 students. https://dance.calarts.edu. Also at REDCAT, Disney Hall, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown; Fri.-Sat., Dec. 9-10, 8:30 p.m., $20, $16 students. 213-237-2800, http://redcat.org.
4. How the Irish celebrate Christmas
Expect some Riverdance style high stepping as champion Irish dancers Scott Doherty and Tyler Schwartz join An Irish Christmas brimming with Irish music, song and dance. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Dr., Irvine; Mon., Nov. 28, 8 p.m., $36-$75. 949-854-4646, http://theBarclay.org.
3. Nutcracker No. 1
Since 1973 the respected training company Westside Ballet founded by Yvonne Mounsey has presented a Nutcracker and in recent years has paired with the Santa Monica College Symphony proving live music. The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica; Sat.-Sun., Nov. 26-27 & Dec. 3-4, 1 & 5 p.m., Fri., Dec. 2, 7 p.m., $45. 310-828-2018, http://WestsideBallet.tix.com.
2. Nutcracker No. 2
Barak Ballet joins the Los Angeles Philharmonic with a newly choreographed Nutcracker Suite by artistic director Melissa Barak for two LA Phil Toyota Youth Symphony concerts. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown; Sat., Nov 26 & Dec. 3, 11 a.m., http://laphil.com.
1. Why all Bodies Matter
Bodies Matter, a 30-minute solo choreographed by Keith Johnson repeated continuously from noon to 8 p.m. by an parade of eight dancers from Keith Johnson/Dancers marks World AIDS Day and remembers those lost to AIDS. Dancers include Eddie Taketa, Roz LeBlanc, Colleen Thomas, Andrew Wroblowski Palomares, Brad Beakes, Adriane Fang, Gerald Casel and Tara McArthur, plus other visual artists and filmmakers. Cal State University Long Beach, Dance Center, Studio 1, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach; Thurs., Dec. 1, noon-8 p.m., free. 562-985-4747, http://csulb.edu/dance, http://KeithJohnsonDancers.com.
Ann Haskins has written about dance for L.A. Weekly since shortly after it began publishing. She also has written about local and national dance for Pointe Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine, Dance Teacher Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, L.A. View, Coast Magazine, the Daily News, and the Herald Examiner. Among her broadcast projects, Ann hosted Inside Theater on KCRW-FM and contributed dance and theater features to both KLON-FM and KUSC-FM. She has received two Horton Awards from the Los Angeles Dance Resource Center for her coverage of dance in Los Angeles.