A new and dramatically revamped dance series will kick off at Glendale’s Brand Library later this month. Sponsored by Brand Associates, the new series under the direction of veteran Celebrate Dance producer Jamie Nichols with co-curator Hilary Thomas, will bring three exceptional companies to perform both indoors and outdoors at the library through June. Nichols who produced 10 years of successful concerts with top Los Angeles based dance companies at the Alex Theater will bring back two companies from those programs along with the new and adventurous contemporary dance company, Szalt.
Opening the series Saturday May 20th will be the Los Angeles theater dance powerhouse Invertigo Dance Theatre in an afternoon outdoor program “Ascending Spring” on the library’s front porch and plaza. The work will be choreographed by company dancer, Sadie Yarrington. The company has been a veteran of performances in local theaters as well as non-traditional venues throughout Los Angeles including the Ford Theater.
Szalt will continue in an evening performance on Friday May 26th with a version of their “Water Stories” originally co-produced at Highland Park’s offbeat MorYork Gallery. The work features the installations of textile artist Amabelle Aguiluz, a collage of spoken narratives, and original music by composer Louis Lopez. The audience will be able to move through the galley performance space and find their own vantage points for watching this collaborative adventure. Aguiluz will join other artists as part of a separate show set to open on Saturday May 13th in the library’s main exhibition gallery.
Concluding the performances on Saturday June 24th will be Viver Brasil, the flagship Los Angeles company dedicated to Brazilian dance. As always, the program will feature live music and a brilliant percussion ensemble along with dance drawn from the traditional samba school and capoeira. This outdoor afternoon performance invites viewers to join them in a processional as well as performance stops at locations on the library grounds.
Nichols’ vision has been to develop the new series as an alternative to standard gallery dance performances and make an interactive dance experience that suits new companies and capitalizes on the many extraordinary locations available around the library’s hillside setting.
(Dates and times are as follows: Invertigo Saturday | May 20, 2017 | 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM, Szalt Friday | May 26, 2017 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM, Viver Brazil Saturday | June 24, 2017 | 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM. A reception follows each event.)
Top photo: Invertigo Dance Theatre
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Steven Woodruff
Steven Woodruff lives in Los Angeles where he is a professional musician, dancer, educator, and writer. His writing includes original poetry and translations as well articles on film, stage, television, and culture. He reviews dance and music covering national and international touring concert programs as well as local companies for DancePlug, DanceChannelTV, and BachTrack in the UK.