Celebrating its 7th year of bringing attention to the best contemporary dance in LA, Los Angeles Dance Festival (LADF) – this year partnering with the Luckman Fine Arts Complex and California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) gives the community programming over a month’s time – and an annual gathering place where the public can experience curated programs featuring the wide range of concert dance that is produced here. LADF also offers ways for the public to participate directly with the creators who work in this vibrant art form. LADF features top talent in the dance scene who are recognized locally, nationally and internationally. The dancers and choreographers in LADF work in both the concert and commercial, Hollywood industry. Their work is featured onstage around the world in theaters and in feature films, television shows, music videos, commercials and concert tours.
The companies of the main stage at The Luckman include Ate9, Backhausdance, BE MOVING, BODYTRAFFIC, BrockusRED, Bryn Cohn + Artists, CARLON, DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion®, HD Theater, Ido Tadmor, Invertigo Dance Theatre, Iris Company, Kevin Williamson + Rosanna Tavarez/ LA DANSA DANSA, Sarah Elgart /Arrogant Elbow, and String Theory. The Fringe companies include Akomi Dance, Benevolence, Fabe Dance, Mecca Vazie Andrews, SiZa Dance Company, THE ASSEMBLY, Project21Dance, Bernard Brown/bbmoves, Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, Ken Morris Project, Bodies in Play, FUSE Dance Company, Charlotte Katherine & Co, JESS HARPER & Dancers, Eternity Dance Theatre, S A U M A | m v m t , Pony Box Dance Theatre, Emergent, Deborah Rosen and Dancers, Carpool Dance Collective, Nancy Evans Dance Theatre and Seoul International Dance Festival .
LADF main stage takes place April 12 -14 at the Luckman Theatre, in the Luckman Fine Arts Complex, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles CA 90032. Tickets are available through luckmanarts.org. VIP packages and Student Discount tickets are only available through the Box Office. LADF Fringe festival takes place April 26 – 28 at the Diavolo Studio Black Box in the Arts District, 616 Moulton Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90031. In addition, LADF connects to the community with an array of dance classes and workshops mixing different dance styles from modern to avant-garde in a festival setting – April 5-17 and April 27-28. For Fringe and master class information, please visit ladancefest.org or call 562-412-7429.
LADF was founded in partnership with Diavolo; the dance company is LADF’s neighbor and is widely known from its series of appearances on America’s Got Talent. Diavolo was the co-producer, with LADF, for the first two years of the festival. Deborah Brockus, LADF artistic director, said “We celebrate and draw attention to the voices of SoCal artists in the LA dance community – and are about making dance accessible and affordable to all audiences. In 2012 the then Diavolo Company manager and I had a drink during winter break and decided to do a festival in our spaces. I had been seeing a lot of regional US dance and was beginning to understand how different we are here in Los Angeles and how unrecognized in the establishment of American dance we are out here. With the film and television culture so prominent here, we even felt unknown by our own local public. I wanted to see how that could change.”
“There was an immediate response from the dance community here. Four months later the first LADFD – in co-production of Diavolo Dance Theatre, which is still a participant — happened with 16 companies performing over the course of two shows. This year – featuring fifty companies over eight evenings in three venues during four weeks — LADF has its largest, most diverse offering in our history, coming out of the LA dance industry that is constantly growing. The Festival gives its audience and its participants a true snapshot of place and time, and represents the city itself — people from so many different ways of living, cultures, and counties make art in their voices here. There is such a bounty of dance making here that we have the luxury of rotating companies – which helps us stay fresh.” “This year, working with the Luckman Theatre at Cal State LA, which is under the direction of Wendy Baker, we have arrived to a major stage at the Luckman Theater, which has welcomed dance throughout its entire history. Increasingly we are aware that more and more of our audience are people who have travelled here to check out the city’s dance scene taking advantage of one massive gathering under the one umbrella of LA Dance, both to watch shows, also to audition for companies, and engage with choreographers here.”
LADF at the Luckman Theater will also feature an LA Dance Photography exhibit and pre- show performances by some of the pre-professional students that we train in local colleges and high schools. LADF Fringe at Diavolo Space will host the Seoul International Dance Festival as four choreographers are visiting Los Angeles. Previously the New Zealand Dance Festival (LA’s Sister City) had attended the festival in 2017. The City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department provides some funding support for LADF.
More about LADF
LA Dance
We are. we be. we do
We do not talk about it, We do it
There are no obstacles, only fresh new solutions
Existing in a dry flooded land on fire
We Create
Rubbing shoulders with people from all lands and levels
We create
And what we make is different
Drowning in flavors of different sources
Sprinkled with understanding that
Damn it is hard
“I have a passion for dance, and for Los Angeles. Our dance in LA is big, bold and powered by year round sun. For much of our history we had a lot of space – with that sense of space, we could create and move larger in our dance, and our dances have a more positive vibe.”
Flavored with optimism because
We know we are strong enough to deal with
Any problems
“This land – Los Angeles – does not carry the established rules of how things are done – there is an absence of hierarchy or ‘gate keepers.’ There is great freedom here, there is also a lack of path, or maybe more a requirement to create a new and untrodden path, and it is a place where the spirit of the west exists — where anything you dream of, you are free to try.”
Bathed in sunlight and wide, open deserts
Beaches and soaring mountains
Rich with world’s humanity
We create
Our Art makes a statement
“LA has always been ahead of the curve, or perhaps more accurately defined a new curve — because we followed nothing. Other cities have emigrants, but possibly because our city has less history here, we seem to blend and share more- both in food, rhythm and movement.
And try is what Los Angeles dance makers have done for a century. This is where – created mostly by women – modern dance flourished giving the world – Isadora, Ruth St Dennis, Ted Shawn, Jack Cole, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Lester Horton, Alvin Ailey, Carmen De Lavallade and Bella Lewitzky. We had the first interracial dance company under Lester Horton in the 40’s; and we always mixed concert and commercial, social and theatrical dance. The roots were here long before reality television co-opted the idea.”
“The people in history who founded Concert and Commercial dance in LA had all of this behind them and we are their great, grandchildren following in their footsteps.” “Fresh is an important part of our DNA. Lacking the standard funding and rules found on the East Coast and in Europe, LA dance is forced to do things differently. A long time ago, Gene Kelly burst into films – fresh – much because of his athleticism, which is still celebrated seventy years later. Dance made in LA tends to be very athletic, very technical movement; it pulls from various styles seamlessly; emotionally, I find we move more towards light than dark; we cover expansive spaces and our work seems to take up more room, reflective of our natural vistas.”
“Choreographers here teach and create for many different gigs. So we always have to stay “alert” and focused. We are nimble and work fast, and are very tough. And the landscape is booming. The dance vocabulary that will be on display at the Festival in our concert dance setting, will range from the commercial to the avant-garde, often with the space of a single performance.”
Observations:
- We have more local theaters producing dance and more of them supporting local companies now that we are getting national and international recognition.
- We self produce so we know all the aspects of the business of dance.
- We specialize in alternative space, site-specific work – there is a lack of traditional performance venues here so we just started using any place we could find.
- We collaborate with other art forms in performance – visual art/ fashion designers, musicians, etc.
- Choreographic works are less abstract, we have something we want to say concretely
- Even more merging of different art forms in our work
- More out of towners are moving here, now that we are hot and noticed in the East Coast press
About Deborah Brockus
I get crazy creative ideas while stuck on freeways. I think “Big Picture” and long term. I love this city and love the dance that happens here. Deborah Brockus has been labeled ‘the single most important person in Southland dance,” an “impresario”, ‘ the mother superior of LA dance” and ”tireless” by the Los Angeles Times for her involvement in establishing the local dance scene as a producer, choreographer, teacher. Deborah Brockus has made her mark in many ways in the dance field of Southern California. She is a dancer, choreographer, showcase producer, teacher, studio owner and pre-professional school director.
Followers of L.A.’s modern-dance scene know that, “when it comes to talent Deborah Brockus is a big name, with a great company (Brockus Project Dance Company) and a keen eye for talent” City Beat. She is the artistic director of Brockus Project Dance Company founded in 1991. Her choreographic style blurs the line between modern and jazz techniques, reflecting both European influences and East & West Coast training. Brockus is the producer of the Los Angeles Dance Festival, and the Dance in LA showcases, which include: Spectrum (local professionals), New Perspectives (High School Invitational), Split (mixing local and out of state companies), Caught Between (multi-media) and Why We Dance Series (dialogue between artists and audiences). “Curated by Deborah Brockus, these events are unmatched in assembling some of the best dancers and choreographers from a spectrum of dance styles and an unparalleled way to catch up with the local dance scene” LA Weekly. The Spectrum Dance in LA series received a Lester Horton award for “Outstanding Production of a Festival or Series” in 2002 and was nominated again in 2003 for Split and in 2004 for Spectrum.
I moved here in the 1970 as a child with my family. I have been dancing my whole life. I was put into ballet to help me walk. I graduated with two degrees from University of California, Irvine’s dance program. I am the only artist in a working class family. Brockus is a dance educator working at many levels. She has been choreographing on her company Brockus Project Dance Company (BPDC) since 1989; BPDC has toured the US and in France, and is a 501-c3 non-profit company, receiving funding from the LA County Arts Commission, City of LA Cultural Affairs Department, California Arts Council, Culver City Arts Council, City of Long Beach Arts Council, The Miller Foundation, CCI and donors.
Calendar Information
LADF (Los Angeles Dance Festival) 2019
3 venues + community classes in 4 different locations in the greater Los
Angeles area
9 shows of concert dance
50 choreographers
35 classes
Amazing artistry
The creative talent of LA on stage for audiences to enjoy
www.LAdanceFest.org
Phone for festival: 562-412-7429
Main Stage at The Luckman
Luckman Theatre, Luckman Fine Arts Complex,
5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles CA 90032
Website: www.LAdanceFest.org
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com
Phone for Luckman Box Office: 323-343-6600
Friday 4/12 at 8:30 pm
DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion® www.diavolo.org
Ate9 www.ate9dancecompany.com
BODYTRAFFIC www.bodytraffic.com
Ido Tadmor www.chapman.edu/our-faculty/ido-tadmor
BEMOVING kaufman.usc.edu/faculty/bret-easterling/
String Theory www.stringtheoryproductions.com
Saturday 4/13 at 8:30 pm
Invertigo Dance Theatre www.invertigodance.org
Backhausdance www.backhausdance.org
Sarah Elgart / Arrogant Elbow www.sarahelgart.com
Kybele Dance Theatre www.kybeledance.com
BrockusRED www.BrockusRED.org
HD Theater
ROSANNA GAMSON /WORLD WIDE www.rosannagamsonworldwide.org
Sunday 4/14 at 6:30 pm
Kevin Williamson + Company www.williamsonkevin.com
Rosanna Tavarez/LA DANSA DANSA www.rosannatavarez.com
CARLON www.jaycarlon.com
Pennington Dance Group https://www.penningtondancegroup.org
Iris Company https://www.sophiastoller.com
Bryn Cohn +Artists www.bryncohnandartists.com
Acts of Matter www.Rebeccalemme.com
Each program
Visual art related to dance exhibit featuring dance photography and film
Pre-show dances by high school and college groups in outside location
Site Specific — during intermission by professional company
VIP reception each night after the show Fringe
April 26-28 at the Diavolo Studio Black Box in the Arts District
616 Moulton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90031
ladancefest.org
3 nights double shows each night is different companies
Guest Artists from The Seoul International Dance Festival in each performance
Friday 4/26 at 7:00 and 9:30 pm
Jordan Sanez www.Jordansaenz.com
AkomiDance www.akomidance.com
SIZa Dance Company https://www.facebook.com/sizadance/
SAUMA/m v m t https://katsaumaterial.wordpress.com/profile-2/
Charlotte Katherine@ Co. www.charlottekatherinedances.com
Carpool Dance Collective https://youtu.be/M1hO2nbr8lc
fabe dance https://malloryfabian.com/
Saturday 4/27 at 7:00 and 9:30 pm
Nannette Brodie Dance Theater www.nannettebrodiedance.org
Project21Dance www.project21dance.org
Bodies in Play https://www.bodiesinplay.com/
Ken Morris Project https://youtu.be/N09mp5F_1ZU
THE ASSEMBLY https://theassemblydance.co/
Bernard Brown/bbmoves http://bbmoves1.wixsite.com/bbmoves
Eternity Dance Theatre https://youtu.be/aOVFanOllOQ
Mecca Vazie Andrews
Sunday 4/28 at 5:00 and 7:00 pm
Emergent Dance Company https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR7hKcWzsqoPa7mieI0-KzA
Deborah Rosen and Dancers https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx_2O3dM2enyiSYx_JOMrkw
JESS HARPER & Dancers https://www.chapman.edu/our-faculty/jessica-harper
Pony Box Dance Theatre www.ponyboxdance.org
FUSE Dance Company www.fusedanceco.com
Each night choreographers from South Korea will perform as part of the
exchange between LADF and the Seoul International Dance Festival in Tank, which
will have its second festival this summer in Seoul.
The Korean Group is composed of 4 people:
Moonea Choi, who is a director of The Korean Group
Jeong Mi Young, who is a choreographer and performs for her work
Kim Yeun Hwa, choreographer & performer, and Lee Ju Hyun (Kim’s dancer)
Master Classes
Brockus Project Studios
618 B Moulton Ave, Los Angeles CA 90031
April 5-7, April 9 & 15, April 27-28
Visual Art Exhibition at Luckman
Denise Leitner
Cheryl Mann
Taso Papadakis
Joelle Martinec
Marie Elena Martingano
Gilberto Godoy