Legendary folkloric in Cahuenga pass; street dance battle in Burbank; Evita reconsidered downtown; West LA festival finale; contemporary dance in Culver City; 1964 avant garde revived in Brentwood; tap masters in Huntington Beach; more SoCal dance this week, plus a peek at next week (July 12-17).
Live This Week
Festival week #2
Week 2 of Dance at the Odyssey festival closes with choreographer Leah Zeiger’s somatic infused You Live in My Spine. Dancers Alexis Amundarain, Alondra Perez, Amanda Sun, and Amina Yufanyi tackle how emotional and physical memory, daily habits, and mindsets reside in the body. Odyssey Theatre, 2955 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Thurs., July 11, 8 pm, $25. Odyssey Theatre.
Festival week #3
Five different performances over three days provide the finale for this summer edition of Dance at the Odyssey. On Friday, physical theater from hasten dance and Kaia Makihara focuses on human grief and regret in Bounded by Intervals. Dancers include Chelsea Roquero, Jen Lacy, Orlando Agawin, Toby Echevarria, Krystal Masteller (hasen dance) and Makihara. On Saturday two companies share both the matinee and evening. First up, Rupture, T O R R E N T and Caitlin Javech’s consideration of the aftermath of disasters, both natural or human-caused. Dancers are Joe Davis and Rebecca Lee. Sharing the bill, choreographer Gianna Burright’s As if everything was perfect, a collaborative creation with performers Natalie Allen, Nicole Hagen, and Alex Rix. Sunday’s final program is also a double-bill. In Dégagez, il n’y a rien à voir (“Move along, there is nothing to see), choreographer Hélène Bouboulis revisits classical ballet after a 28 year hiatus. Also on the program, Genna Moroni and G.U.M. (Gorgeous Ugly Movement Collective) conclude the festival with Calling from the Void with dancers Marlie Couto, Maija Knapp, Baylie Olsen, Jordan Saenz and Marirosa Crawford. Odyssey Theatre, 2955 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA; Fri., July 12, 8 pm, Sat., July 13, 2 & 8 pm, Sun., July 14, 2 pm, $25. Odyssey Theatre.
Bowling
Established in 1952, as Ballet Folklórico de Mexico, the company became a lodestar for traditional Mexican dance. Eventually, the name was expanded to Ballet Folklórico de Mexico de Amália Hernández to capture the role of its founder as much as to distinguish itself from the wealth of folkloric ensembles its popularity help spawn in Mexico and the U.S. Seven decades on, the company is now led by artistic director Viviana Basanta and comes to LA for a Hollywood Bowl program celebrating Mexico’s music and culture with the LA Phil conducted by Maestro Carlos Miguel Prieto. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood; Thurs., July 18, 8 pm, $15-$150. Hollywood Bowl.
Dried-eyed Buenos Aires
In recent years, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s choreography has mined the field of singular women. Coco Chanel, Frida Kahlo, Maria Callas, all became subjects, as well as Argentina’s iconic first lady in the 2022 full-length Doña Perón for Ballet Hispánico. This exploration of the woman who rose from rags to riches, became Argentina’s first lady, and made musical theater history as Evita provides the closing event for this year’s Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance. Music Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Fri.-Sat., July 12-13, 7:30 pm, Sun., July 14, 2 pm, $38-$149. Music Center.
Getting’ up!
Led by choreographer Louise Reichlin, LA Choreographers & Dancers brings all six dances that comprise Metro Transformation, Gotta Get Up!, also a reimagined version of Urban and Tribal Dances, plus REBOOT! REBOOT! and the local premiere of HEART, Part 1. Reichlin shares choreography credit with Jill Elaine Collins and McKnnly Moren. Dancers are Alana Astor, Jill Elaine Collins, Julie Hackett, Alice Lousen, Eve Metsäranta, Mcknnly Moren, Yaya Ruiz, and Kohl Lewis. Ivy Substation, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City; Fri., July 12, 7 pm (preview), Sat.-Sun., July 13-14, 2 pm, $25. Eventbrite.
Mirroring
New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) recently brought a restaging of artist Joan Jonas’ ground-breaking, site-specific Mirror Pieces 1 & 2 (1964/2024) in conjunction with MOMA’s major retrospective of Jonas’ work. The Getty isn’t getting the retrospective exhibit, but persuaded Jonas to present the restaged performance here with LA dancers. New York reviews of the MOMA performances found the work as compelling today for its use of dancers moving mirrors in ways that periodically place the spectators on view, and as when created 1964. Arrival Plaza, Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr., Brentwood; Sat.-Sun., July 13-14, 4 pm, free. Getty.
When pottery dances
Choreographer Freddie Chavez took time from his roles as lead dancer and choreographer with his home company Ajolote to work with high school theater students who developed Ancestral Connections: Yanculia/Restoration in conjunction with a Getty Villa exhibit, Picture Worlds: Greek, Maya, and Moche Pottery. The resulting performance is on view at two venues. Plaza de la Raza, 3540 N. Mission Rd., Lincoln Heights, Thurs., July 18, 7 pm, free w/tickets at Eventbrite. Also at Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu; Sat., July 20, 3 pm, free w/ticket at Getty.
Moving movie ability
In conjunction with the Academy Museum’s day-long program Disabilities, Representation + Film, dancers of Infinite Flow Dance bring their dance shoes and wheelchairs for a free lobby performance in addition to the ticketed event’s workshops and panel discussions. Dancers include Adelfo Cerame Jr., Mia Schaikewitz, Shaheem Sanchez, Natalie Trevonne, Dmitriy Kim, Lionel Taplin, Ryann Mason, and artistic director Marisa Hamamoto. A ticket to the main program gives access to all museum exhibits and the day’s special programs. The lobby performance does not require a ticket. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’s lobby, 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Fairfax District; Sat., July 13, 3:30 pm, free. Full day’s program $25, $19 seniors, $15 students. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Healing dance
The latest free concert in the series Dance Against Hate presents a strong line up of dance companies, each bringing a distinct perspective on the walls triggered by hate along with factors that help healing from trauma. The choreographers and their companies include Maura Townsend Dance Project, Joshua Estrada-Romero with his Fuse Dance Company, Bernard Brown with his bbmoves, Seda Aybay with her Kybele Dance Theater, Deborah Brockus with her BrockusRed. Phillips Hall, Santa Ana College, 1530 W. 17th St., Santa Ana; July 11, 7 pm, free. Precinct Reporter Group.
Tip top tapping
Wrapping up this year’s Orange County Tap Festival, the finale concert, A Night in Time, invites attendees to don cocktail attire as the tap masters take to the stage with help from the OC Tap Festival Jazz Band. Shorebreak Hotel, 500 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach; Sun., July 14, 7:30 pm, $27-42. OC Tap Festival Concert.
Summer dancing
Part performance, part participatory event, the free, al fresco summer series Dance DTLA continues this week with Reggaeton. A beginner/refresher lesson at 7 pm is followed by a chance to dance or just watch and enjoy until 11 pm. If this week is not your style, the full line up of upcoming dance options is at the website. Music Center, Jerry Moss Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Fri., July 12, 7 pm, free. Music Center | Dance DTLA.
Make battle, not war
Open Styles 1 v 1 is the third battle where dancers can qualify for Versa Style Dance Company‘s 2025 annual street dance festival. The winner of this battle automatically qualifies and skips the preliminaries for the 2025 festival. Mihran K Studios, 135 N. Victory Blvd., Burbank; Fri., July 17, 4 pm, $15. Versa Style Dance.
Book to stage
Following up on the burlesque parody, The Empire Strips Back, Russall T Beattie riffs on his coffee table book that tracked Gotham’s caped crusaders in comic books from 1919. What originally was announced as Gotham Follies of 1939, now is billed as Batette Follies of 1939. There will be dancing with vaudeville and burlesque along with irreverent parodies of the times and comic book personalities. Montalban Theatre, 1615 Vine St., Hollywood; Thurs.-Sun., thru Fri., July 14, 8 pm, $39-$154. Montalban Theatre.
A Peek at Next Week (07-19 to 25)
Japanese Dance — 66th Annual Obon Festival at Zenshuji Soto Mission, 123 S. Hewitt St., downtown; Sat-Sun., July 20-21, noon – 7pm, Zenshuji Soto Mission.
Dance For Life at Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, 4718 W. Washington Blvd., Mid-City; Sat., July 20, 2 & 7 pm (different companies performing at each show), $50-$150. Tickets.
Señora Corina Del Sol — FlamencoArabe at Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Sun., July 21, 3 pm, $30. Eventbrite.
Dance DTLA — Columbian Cubia at the Music Center, Jerry Moss Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown; Fri., July 19, 7 pm, free. Music Center | Dance DTLA.
A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham at Gagosian Beverly Hills, 456 N. Camden Dr., Beverly Hills, Fri., July 19, 6 pm, free. Gagosian.