Dance

New York City Ballet

Mona Day Dance, Dine, See, stage

One of the world’s premier dance companies, New York City Ballet, will return to The Music Center June 24 through June 28 after over 20-years. The company will present two programs with a roster of company dancers and repertory that showcase the company’s storied legacy.  Both programs feature recorded music and live performances by the New York City Ballet Orchestra.

Rooted in founder George Balanchine’s revolutionary choreography, NYCB has shaped the ballet canon for over 75 years with its masterpieces by Balanchine and New York City Ballet Co-Founding Choreographer Jerome Robbins along with  groundbreaking contemporary works by Ulysses Dove, Justin Peck, Tiler Peck, Gianna Reisen and Christopher Wheeldon.  

Program A includes 4 pieces – Signs, Red Angels, A Suite of Dances, and The Times Are Racing – and runs for about two hours with two 20-minute intermissions.   

A contemporary ballet set to the music of Philip Glass, Signs is a highly athletic and introspective piece for 10 dancers.   

The dynamically charged, abstract work Red Angels  highlights the power and athleticism of its four dancers with bold choreography and intense lighting.  

A Suite of Dances, performed with an onstage cellist, is both a witty and pensive tour de force for its solo male dancer.

 

Dubbed a “sneaker ballet,” The Times Are Racing is a hyper-modern ballet that merges classical ballet technique with tap, hip-hop, and street dancing in a  high-energy performance in sneakers and streetwear. 

Program B also includes four pieces – Concerto Barocco, Allegro Brillante, This Bitter Earth, Concerto for Two Pianos – and has a run time of approximately one hour and 50 minutes with two 20-minute intermissions.

One of Balanchine’s greatest masterpieces, Concerto Barocco is music made visual as two elegant lead ballerinas depict a piano. 

An expression of Russian romanticism, Allegro Brillante is one of George Balanchine’s most joyous, pure dance pieces set to Tschaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 3 that the composer created from sketches for a composition that was intended to be his Sixth Symphony.  

This Bitter Earth is a breathtaking,  poetic pas de deux  set to the haunting, tenuous melodies of a remix of Dinah Washington’s soulful rendition of This Bitter Earth and Max Richter’s On the Nature of Daylight.

Concerto for Two Solo Pianos is a ballet for three soloists with  twelve female dances set to Stravinsky’s music and performed with two onstage pianos.  Its complex, percussive arrangement is  played out with intricate steps and partnering by its lead dancers in a modern, edgy style. The central female dancer in white is pulled between its two male dancers, one in red the other in black representing a piano theme that unites in a final pas de trois.

The Sunday June 28 will feature a Dance Talk at 1:15 pm by The Music Center’s President & CEO Rachel S. Moore offering insights into the programming.  

For more information and tickets, please visit https://www.musiccenter.org/

DANCE CAMERA WEST

Mona Day art, celebration, Dance, Entertainment, Film, See

Dance Camera West will present the 2026 edition of its dance film festival on January 22-25, with events on January 22-24 anchoring at Theatre Raymond Kabbaz in West Los Angeles. 

Continuing the Festival  tradition of honoring a major dance figure, the Festival opens January 22, 7:30 pm with a  Gala Retrospective and Tribute to David Roussève.   The evening will screen four of his films –  Bittersweet,  Hold your Heads to the Sky, Two Seconds of Laughter and Chili Pepper followed by a moderated discussion and a gala reception.

Roussève’s three-decade career weaves  movement, text, and multimedia to probe identity, race, queerness, and resilience and has resonated across generations. His company, David Roussève/REALITY has performed to much nationally and internationally to wide acclaim. 

Preceding the main program will be Stories and Tales, a selection of five short dance films from the US and the UK telling stories and creating portraits through dance and film.

Next day January 23, 7:30PM will present Shorts, a selection of 13 short experimental dance films with  a Francophone focus from France, Québec, and Belgium, along with an international selection from Finland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, and Spain.

January 24, 2:00PM will Doc Day Afternoon with two films.  The first, Dance to the End celebrates dancer, choreographer, artist and writer Eileen Kramer who lived and travelled the world for 60 years and continued working after returning home at age 99. 

The second film Origins  is a cinematic odyssey into the heart and mind of world-renowned choreographer Alonzo King, offering an intimate look at his creative process and his profound belief in the limitless potential of the human spirit. 

Saturday, January 24, 2026, 7 pm  will present LA Pops Up at the  Colburn in Downtown LA.  The new project spearheaded by Hysterica Productions and Dance Camera West celebrates a vibrant mix of styles spanning contemporary, hip-hop, poppin’, jazz, and more.   The screening will be followed by a filmmaker discussion.

Sunday, January 25, 2026 1:00 pm will present Experimental Experts at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Feliz.   The afternoon will feature Embodied Filmmaking with Karen Pearlman,  a screening of six films by Shirley Clarke.  The book launch and discussion celebrates the publication of Shirley Clarke: Thinking Through Movement.   

The workshop will audience to participate in a series of exercises designed to develop concepts, images, sounds, movement motifs, structures, and rhythms for new screen dance works. 

Camille A. Brown & Dancers

Mona Day Dance, stage, Theater

The 2025 – 2026 season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance with the Music Center kicks off  with Five-time Tony® Award-nominated director and choreographer Camille A. Brown’s West Coast premiere of I AM at the Ahmanson Theatre for three performances only:  7:30pm on evenings of Friday  9/12, and Saturday  9/13, and a Sunday 2pm matinee on  9/14.  The company is  known for blending visceral movement into stories and inviting socio-political dialogue about race, culture, and identity. 

Drawing inspiration from a narrative within HBO’s Lovecraft Country and the pulse of the film Drumline, the work features original live music, interweaving of African diasporic dance ranging from Modern, Hip hop, African, Ballet, and Tap to tell stories that connect history with contemporary culture. Strongly character-based, it expresses each topic by building from little movie-like moments that blend theater, poetry, visual art, and music of all genres into powerful storytelling and celebration of cultural identity, joy and resilience.   

Founded in 2006, the CBDC company has performed at major national and international venues, including The Joyce Theater, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, American Dance Festival,  New York City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival, Celebrate Brooklyn. In 2014, CABD received the Bessie Award for Outstanding Production for “Mr. TOL E. RAncE.”

The Music Center’s 2025/2026 Dance Season is Dedicated to the Memory of Glorya Kaufman.

For more information and tickets, please visit https://www.musiccenter.org/

SWAN LAKE

Mona Day Dance, See, stage, Theater

The 22nd season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center will conclude its 2024-2025 season with one of the most recognized pieces in the classical canon – the iconic Swan Lake.  The performance by Boston Ballet June 26–29 marks  the company’s  long-awaited debut at the Music Center.

Swan Lake tells the story of Princess Odette, who is cursed by the sorcerer Von Rothbart to be a swan during the day and a woman at night, and only true love can break the spell.  Prince Siegfried, captivated by her beauty, pledges his eternal love, but the sorcerer tricks Siegfried into breaking his vow leading to her tragic fate by conjuring an illusion of Odette. 


This timeless story of love, betrayal, deceit and sacrifice in a world of sorcery and romance is set to Tchaikovsky’s soaring score. The second act, originally choreographed by Lev Ivanov, is widely considered one of the finest pieces of classical choreography ever created for the corps de ballet.  

Boston Ballet’s artistic director Mikko Nissinen and the company’s adaption of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece dazzles with stunning audiovisuals highlighting  Robert Perdziola’s impeccable set and costume designs, and amplifying the emotional rendering and technical precision of the company’s dancers. The performance will be accompanied by a live orchestra conducted by Boston Ballet music director Mischa Santora. 

Boston Ballet’s has been performing to international acclaim since 1963 and has cultivated a compelling and dynamic collection of classical, neo-classical and contemporary repertoire.  

Artistic director Mikko Nissinen has been defining the company’s image since 2001.  Born in Finland, Nissinen trained at The Finnish National Ballet School in Helsinki and the Kirov Ballet School. He danced professionally with The Finnish National Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Basel Ballet and San Francisco Ballet where he was a principal dancer for a decade. Nissinen is committed to developing the art form and the future of dance and actively promotes progressive new works and creations.

Boston Ballet’s Los Angeles stop will extend its visit beyond the Music Center stage to lead  a free outdoor movement workshop on Saturday, June 28, 10:00 a.m.–11:00 am, on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center on Saturday June 28, 10:00 a.m to 11:00 a.m. Taught by two of the company’s artists, Associate Director of Boston Ballet Joan Boada and Principal Dancer Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy, the free special workshop ‘Plié & Play: A Swan Lake–Inspired Movement Workshop’ is open to the public and will explore the elegance and expression of ballet and the joy of movement in a fun, accessible way. No dance experience or special attire is needed; participants of all ages are encouraged to wear comfortable clothes and be ready to move. For more information and tickets, please visit musiccenter.org/bostonballet or call (213) 972-0711.

Grupo Corpo:  A Thrill From Brazil

Mona Day Dance, See, stage

Leading Brazilian dance company Grupo Corpo will return to LA Performing Arts Center after 14 years for three performances May 2–4.The company whose name means ‘body group’ in Portuguese will present  two works 21 and Gira which blend classical ballet, folk traditions and bold choreography. 

The program opens with Pederneiras’ 1992  groundbreaking work 21, a ballet divided into three movements that weave the company’s 22 dancers into rhythmic and timbral combinations of the number 21. Featuring a score by Marco Antônio Guimarães, the choreography moves with precision with a series of mesmerizing movements that blend the energy of Brazilian folk dances with the formality of classical ballet. The 40-minute piece amplifies the unique sounds of Guimarães’ unusual instrumental composition which culminates in a colorful, dynamic finale.

 
For Gira Pederneiras immersed himself in the history and practices of Brazil’s Afro-Brazilian religions, particularly Umbanda, transforming the characteristic the powerful gestures of Umbanda and Candomblé ceremonies nto a universal human expression.  His choreography reconstructs the powerful gestures captures trance-like turning and movements as well as the raw and dizzying energy of their sacred rites. Set to eleven musical themes created specially for the company by Brazilian fusion group Metá Metá, Gira becomes a mesmerizing 40-minute piece of primal, ritualistic energy. 

Artistic director Paulo Pederneiras founded the company in 1975 recruiting his siblings who included choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras.  Grupo Corpo went on to become the resident dance company of the Maison de la Danse in Lyon, France from 1996–1999, and today, with over 40 works in its repertoire, the company has gained international acclaim for disciplined dancing by virtuoso dancers who seamlessly integrate disparate influences.

For more information and tickets, please visit  musiccenter.org/grupocorpo or call (213) 972-0711.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Mona Day Dance, See, stage

Dance at The Music Center will present an impressive five-day seven-performance engagement with the acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater April 2–6.  Led by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, it celebrates the legacy of Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison’s 2024 passing with LA premieres, new productions, repertory favorites and Ailey classics.

The first program (Program A) features the L.A. premieres of Sacred Songs (2024) choreographed by Los Angeles native Matthew Rushing; Many Angels (2024) choreographed by Lar Lubovitch; and a restaging of Treading (1979) choreographed by Elisa Monte. Program A will be performed on the evenings of April 2, 4 and 6 and a matinee on April 5.

The second program (Program B) includes a new production of Ailey favorites: Grace (1999) choreographed by Ronald K. Brown; Ailey Excerpts choreographed by Alvin Ailey from his Pas De Duke (1976), Masekela Langage (1969), Opus McShann (1988), Love Songs (1972) and For ‘Bird’ – With Love (1984); and Cry (1971), a tribute to Judith Jamison choreographed by Alvin Ailey. Program B will be performed on the evenings of April 3 and 5 and a matinee on April 6.

Both programs will conclude with the company’s signature masterpiece Revelations which continues to lift audiences with its grace and spiritual elation.

The L.A. premiere of Sacred Songs, created by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, features music used in the original 1960 premiere of Revelations but later omitted in its current version.  The  stirring piece resurrects the spirituals as an offering to audiences’ present need for lamentation, faith and joy. 

Many Angels features Lar Lubovitch’s lush choreography for Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, inspired by the question posed by 13th century theologian St. Thomas Aquinas “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?”  The question is not about factual truth, but faith. 


In Elisa Monte’s Treading, two dancers come together in fluid, intricate movements that combine with Steve Reich’s meditative music to create  mystery and sensuality.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Ronald K. Brown’s spellbinding Grace is set to Duke Ellington’s classic Come Sunday, Peven Everett’s hit Gabriel and Fela Kuti’s afro-pop music. Grace depicts individuals on a journey to the promised land, expanding from a single angel-like figure in white to the fireball intensity of 12 powerful dancers. The piece connects the  secular and sacred in a fusion of African and American dance.

The 16-minute solo Cry was an immediate sensation at its 1971 New York City Center premiere, propelling Ailey’s muse Judith Jamison to international stardom and later to become the company’s artistic director.  Here she represents the trials and tribulations of Black women’s African origins and their joyful triumph over hardships. In a tribute to Jamison, there will be performances of the finale of Cry set to the Voices of East Harlem singing Right On, Be Free.

Revelations is an intimate reflection of Mr. Ailey’s childhood memories of growing up in the South and attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas and pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of the African American community. Since its debut in 1960, it has been moving audiences with its powerful storytelling and soul-stirring music evoking themes of determination, hope and transcendence as it explores the emotional spectrum of the human condition.