The Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre
Friday, September 29, 2023 / 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 30, 2023 / 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 1, 2023 / 2:00 p.m.
Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center Hubbard Street Dancer Simone Stevens. Photo by Frank Ishman.
Jeff Dunham Nov. 9
Cast, performances, who’s who, director’s notes and donors
8 In the Wings Akram Khan Dance Company's Jungle Book Reimagined at BroadStage in Santa Monica; the new season brings plenty to celebrate at the Colburn School downtown.
Nearly 100 organizations up and down the state collaborate in November's California Festival, an expansive celebration of musical innovation.
BassamFellows introduces a sleek new indoor-outdoor collection to complement an entire portfolio reflecting the company’s “Craftsman Modern” aesthetic
Innovative chef Ray Garcia's Asterid, in the former Patina space at Walt Disney Concert Hall, reflects the constant evolution of L.A. dining.
Performances’ new program platform for shows and concerts can be accessed from any digital device.
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FROM INFLUENTIAL choreographer Akram Khan comes Jungle Book Reimagined, based on the much-loved Rudyard Kipling classic. The Akram Khan Company presents the multimedia dance work Oct. 26-28 at BroadStage. The mesmerizing and haunting new spin recasts young Mowgli as a refugee in a world devastated by climate change. Bold movement, startling animation,
and video and sound design serves to “remind, relearn and reimagine” a new world together. “We are living in unprecedented and uncertain times, not only for our species but for all species on this planet,” Khan says. “We inhabit it, we take from it, and we build on it, but we have forgotten to return our respect for it.” 1310 11th St., Santa Monica, 310.434.3200, broadstage.org
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THIS SEASON MARKS a pair of anniversaries at the Colburn School: Its Conservatory of Music celebrates 20 years and its Zipper Hall 25 years. The school also participates in the California Festival: A Celebration of New Music (see page 12): San Francisco Symphony music director Esa-Pekka Salonen—head of Colburn School’s conducting pro-
gram—leads the Colburn Orchestra at the Soraya in Northridge on Nov. 4; Colburn Chamber Music Society presents flutist Jennifer Grim in woodwind works Nov. 12; the Colburn Contemporary Ensemble performs Nov. 16; and Emmy Award winner Kris Bowers—who scored Bridgerton for Netflix and Academy Award-winning films King Richard
and Green Book—offers a program of his music Nov. 19. Among nonfestival highlights, Colburn Chamber Music Society presents trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth Oct. 22, and the Colburn Center, a campus expansion designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry, is about to break ground. 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.621.2200, colburnschool.edu
Nearly 100 organizations up and down the state collaborate in November’s California Festival, an expansive celebration of musical innovation.
/ BY SHERRY STERN /Yet it’s much more.
The festival, fully called California Festival: A Celebration of New Music, is an unprecedented collective of performances from 95 organizations happening Nov. 3-19 (see complete schedule at cafestival.org).
Both wide-ranging and focused, the festival is described as a showcase of “the most compelling and forward-looking voices” of works written in the past five years.
THERE’S A SENSE OF OCCASION WHEN three in-demand musical directors gather in one spot. It happened in Paris earlier this year when the schedules of California’s leading conductors coalesced for the announcement of their brainchild, the California Festival.
The festival, taking place in November, is a collaboration of those maestros and their orchestras: Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen and the San Francisco Symphony and Rafael Payare and the San Diego Symphony.
“The important thing to remember is that every institution, large or small, is presenting music that they believe in,” Salonen said in Paris. “That’s a big difference between every other festival and this one: that we are open, that we want to showcase all the talent and all the ideas in the state.”
The festival extends beyond simple geography. The three conductors, all born and trained in other countries, agree that it starts with the essence of California.
“It is a big melting pot of many, many cultures. At the same time, everybody could still be who they are, and not one is going to [say] you need to fit in,” said Payare, who, like Dudamel, studied under El Sistema, Venezuela’s acclaimed music program for young people.
Payare and the San Diego Symphony have scheduled four festival programs; they include the world premieres of Juan Colomer’s A Casual Walk to Extinction and Carlos Simon’s Wake Up: A Concerto for Orchestra
“California is a place of innovation naturally. It’s kind of that open [space] to discover new things that I find really interesting,” Dudamel said.
The LA Phil presents six programs as part of the festival. Dudamel conducts performances composed by and curated with Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz that he said are “about the identity of what is California and how California in a way is connected to Central and South America.”
Before Salonen leads two programs with the San Francisco Symphony that feature four California composers, he will be in Northridge to conduct the Colburn Orchestra in a free concert that includes a contemporary work by Elizabeth Ogonek.
“California allowed me to become the kind of musician I wanted to be because there was no external pressure,” said the Helsinkiborn Salonen. “The people were like, yeah, do whatever feels right.”
That freedom to be innovative is a recurring theme when talking with musical leaders performing and presenting new works under the initiative.
“Music is a product of where we live,” said Carl St.Clair, the /CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
It’s our boldest dance season yet, and I’m so pleased you have joined us to experience it! Welcome to the 21st season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, the West Coast’s longest-running series of dance residencies featuring some of the world’s most compelling ballet and contemporary dance companies and works by amazingly talented choreographers.
The inaugural company for this season, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, is certainly no exception. This incredible company, known as an original force in contemporary dance, takes the stage here at The Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre with two West Coast premieres — Coltrane’s Favorite Things and Dear Frankie — along with BUSK, a creation by the company’s artist-in-residence Aszure Barton, whose work we have had the honor to present in the past.
Under the leadership of its new Artistic Director, Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, a former principal dancer at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago has pushed the boundaries of contemporary dance in ways that align with our vision to deepen the cultural lives of Angelenos with captivating, innovative and thought-provoking works. Linda-Denise’s artistic vision highlights her understanding of the intersection between tradition and innovation, offering a new dimension and a renewed sense of energy and creativity. The dancers are extraordinary, with raw energy, athleticism and undeniable beauty that draws us in. Brava to Linda-Denise and to all the dancers for their accomplishments.
Linda-Denise’s joining Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is a prime example of the rise of female artistic leaders in dance companies, a trend that is transforming the dance field. This diversification of artistic voices brings unique perspectives and narratives to the forefront, often with a more distinctive range of choreographic styles and thematic explorations. This season, we are proud to present works by strong, incredible women and about strong, dynamic women. I hope you will go on this journey with us as we explore artistry that is contributing to a vibrant future for dance.
We’ll take a short break for the holidays but will be back on February 9–11, 2024, at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, for The Rite of Spring (Pina Bausch) paired with common ground[s], a new work created, performed and inspired by the lives of two remarkable women who juggled roles as choreographers, professors and grandmothers. I know this will be a very special experience as we witness the talents of a specially assembled company of 34 dancers from 14 African nations.
We are enormously grateful for the support and dedication of our series namesake, Glorya Kaufman, and offer much thanks to Center Dance Arts, founding supporter of our dance series, for their commitment to The Music Center and to dance and dancing in Los Angeles.
Enjoy the performance!
Rachel S. Moore, President & CEO
Cindy Miscikowski Chair
Robert J. Abernethy Vice Chair
Darrell R. Brown Vice Chair
Rachel S. Moore President & CEO
Diane G. Medina Secretary
Susan M. Wegleitner Treasurer
William Taylor Assistant Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Charles F. Adams
William H. Ahmanson
Jill C. Baldauf
Susan E. Baumgarten
Phoebe Beasley
Thomas L. Beckmen
Kristin Burr
Dannielle Campos
Elizabeth Khuri Chandler
Amy R. Forbes
Greg T. Geyer
Joan E. Herman
Jeffrey M. Hill
Mary Ann Hunt-Jacobsen
Carl Jordan
Richard B. Kendall
Terri M. Kohl
Lily Lee
Cary J. Lefton
Keith R. Leonard, Jr.
David B. Lippman
Susan M. Matt
Elizabeth Michelson
Darrell D. Miller
Teresita Notkin
Michael J. Pagano
Cynthia M. Patton
Karen Kay Platt
Joseph J. Rice
Melissa Romain
Beverly P. Ryder
Maria S. Salinas
Corinne Jessie Sanchez
Mimi Song
Johnese Spisso
Michael Stockton
Philip A. Swan
Timothy S. Wahl
Jennifer M. Walske
Jay S. Wintrob
Rollin A. Ransom
Wallis Annenberg
Peter K. Barker
Judith Beckmen
Ronald W. Burkle
John B. Emerson **
Richard M. Ferry
Brindell Gottlieb
Bernard A. Greenberg
Stephen F. Hinchliffe, Jr.
Glen A. Holden
Kent Kresa
Edward J. McAniff
Mattie McFaddenLawson
Fredric M. Roberts
Richard K. Roeder
Claire L. Rothman
Joni J. Smith
Lisa Specht **
Cynthia A. Telles
James A. Thomas
Andrea L. Van de Kamp **
Thomas R. Weinberger
Alyce de Roulet
Williamson
** Chair Emeritus
Current as of September 11, 2023
Hubbard Street Dancers Alysia Johnson and Abdiel Figueroa Reyes. Photo by Michelle Reid. Styling by Imani Sade.
The Music Center is a cultural anchor in Los Angeles and home to some of the world's greatest and most highly regarded artistic programs and events.
Rooted in a strong commitment to equity, excellence and access, TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center’s theatres, on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center, outside at Gloria Molina Grand Park — a 12-acre adjacent green space — and in schools and neighborhoods all over Los Angeles County. From Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center to free and low-cost concerts and events, to customized
learning experiences for all ages and more, TMC Arts' programs reflect the diverse voices and interests of the many communities in Los Angeles County, bringing Angelenos together in ways that enable them to discover their shared humanity. TMC Arts' programs connect people, offering participatory and immersive experiences with the chance to get creative and learn.
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The stage crew, wardrobe crew and box office staff are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States of America and Canada, AFL-CIO, CKC, Local Numbers 33, 768 and 857, respectively.
The House Managers employed by The Music Center are represented by the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers.
Dive into a network where business meets passion. Become a part of The Music Center’s Business Partners for the Arts — a dynamic alliance of forward-thinking businesses that recognize the transformative power of arts philanthropy in reshaping our society.
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• Forge Valuable Connections: Engage with a community of visionary business leaders, united by a shared commitment to the arts.
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Stand out. Make a difference. Celebrate the arts with us.
Center Dance Arts (CDA) is a dynamic community of patrons with a passion for dance. CDA brings dance to life in Los Angeles by promoting The Music Center’s world-class dance performances, extensive arts learning and free, low-cost community experiences; and celebrates local dance, helping ensure that all may know and experience the transformative power of this incredible art form.
Connect with arts patrons and dance enthusiasts in a variety of fun social settings around Los Angeles.
Celebrate
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Inspire
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Membership begins at $1,000. Join before the end of 2023 to receive 10 – 20% off membership. To learn more about becoming a member, please contact us at (213) 972-3359 or cda@musiccenter.org.
From all of us at The Music Center, we thank Center Dance Arts members for their unwavering support of dance. We welcome you and look forward to many seasons of dance ahead!
Susan Baumgarten President
Jane Jelenko*
Founding President
Liane Weintraub*
Founding Chair
Mattie McFadden Lawson
Chair Emerita
Catharine Soros
Chair Emerita
Charlene Achki-Repko
Jane ArnaultFactor, Ph.D.*
JoAnn Bourne
Mira Hashmall
Joan Herman
Liz Levitt Hirsch*
Edward Lazarus
Judith Reichman, M.D.
Dominque Shelton Leipzig
Julia Strickland
Bradley Tabach-Bank
Sue Tsao
Ana T. Valdez
Diane Wittenberg
DANCE SPONSOR ($25,000+)
Allen and Anita Kohl Charitable Foundation
Jane Arnault-Factor*
Marie H. Song
DANCE AMBASSADOR ($10,000 – $24,999)
Charlene Achki-Repko
Susan Baumgarten
JoAnn and Wayland Bourne
Walter and Ruth Chameides
Helen Funai Erickson
Joan A. Friedman, Ph.D. and Robert N. Braun, M.D.
J. Mira Hashmall, Esq.
Joan E. Herman
Liz Levitt Hirsch*
Jane Jelenko*
Patrick Kinsella
Maddocks Brown Foundation
Max Factor Family Foundation
David Minning and Diane Wittenberg
Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, Inc.
Anthony and Olivia Neece
Judith Reichman, M.D.
Dominique Shelton
Julia Strickland
Bradley Tabach-Bank and Dee Dee Dorskind
Sue Tsao
Cynthia Watson, M.D. and David B. Katzin, M.D., Ph.D.
Anna T. Valdez
Alyce Williamson*
DANCE ADVOCATE ($5,000 – $9,999)
Karla and Richard Chernick
Terri and Timothy Childs Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles
Elizabeth and Brack Duker
Lisa Field
Edward Lazarus and Amanda Moose
June Li
Anita Lorber
Mary Nichols
David and Janet Polak
DANCE ENTHUSIAST ($2,500 – $4,999)
Donna Altmann
Barry Baker
Paul N. Barkopoulos, M.D.
Catherine Cristall
Sharon Davis
Lynne and James DeWitt
Jennifer Diener*
Gerry Friedman*
Leslie and Frederick Gaylord*
Bonnie Oda Homsey and Philip R. Homsey II
Freya and Mark Ivener
Jay Kinn and Jules Vogel
Aliza Lesser
Beth Michelson
Kathy and Michael Moray
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Ellen Pansky
Kathleen Reiss
Julia M. Ritter
Helene Rosenzweig, M.D.
Catharine and Jeffrey Soros
I.H. Sutnick
Stuart M. Warren
DANCE PATRON ($1,000 – $2,499)
Josephine Baurac
David Bender
David Shaw and Sheila Blackwell
Irene and Stuart Boyd
Rose Chan and Warren Loui
Nancy Cotton
Henry Fetter and Lois Fishman
Susan Friedman*
Paul Greenberg
Leonie Gross
Marcy Gross
Penny Haberman
Claire and Robert Heron
Christine M. Hessler
Linda and David Kagel
Household
Barbara and Richard Kernochan
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Rosanne Lapan
Carl Large
Paula Marcus
David Richard Pullman
Richard Rho and Steven DeMille
Hadley and Lee Rierson
Ken Ballard and Renee Rinaldi
Nancy Lee Ruyter
Desiree Samuels
Maxine Savitz
Bob and Helene Schacter
Sherie and Alan Schneider
Roni Tunick
Laurie Vender and Stephen Halper
Daniel and Janice Wallace
Marcia and Charles Wasserman
CDA Meet The Artists receptions. Left and right photos: Will Tee Yang. Center image: Michelle Shiers.It takes all of us to create meaningful arts experiences that champion the diverse voices and communities of Los Angeles. Join The Music Center as we bring together artists, children, teachers and people of all ages and backgrounds to make Los Angeles a better place. Your gift to The Music Center’s annual fund supports unforgettable performances, immersive programs for all, learning in hundreds of schools and community partnerships across L.A.
Contact Friends of TMC Arts at (213) 972-4349 or membership@musiccenter.org | musiccenter.org/give
Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center Presents
The Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre
Sep. 29–Oct. 1, 2023
— The New York Times
Support for this presentation is provided, in part, by:
Glorya Kaufman Foundation
Tina and Jerry Moss/Moss Foundation
Center Dance Arts
Dorothy Buffum Chandler Program Fund
Elisabeth Katte Harris
The Music Center Foundation
The Music Center Annual Fund
Hubbard Street Dancer Simone Stevens. Photo by Frank Ishman.“Hubbard Street Dance Chicago ought to bottle itself as a cure for the ills of the era.”
LINDA-DENISE FISHER-HARRELL, Artistic Director
DAVID McDERMOTT, Executive Director
LOU CONTE, Founder
THE COMPANY
ALEXANDRIA BEST*
JACQUELINE BURNETT*
AARON CHOATE
MORGAN CLUNE
MICHELE DOOLEY
ABDIEL FIGUEROA REYES*
ELLIOT HAMMANS
JACK HENDERSON
ALYSIA JOHNSON*
SHOTA MIYOSHI
DAVID SCHULTZ*
SIMONE STEVENS
CYRIE TOPETE
MATT WENCKOWSKI
HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO STAFF
LEADERSHIP
LINDA-DENISE FISHER-HARRELL , Artistic Director
DAVID MCDERMOTT, Executive Director
ARTISTIC STAFF
JONATHAN E. ALSBERRY, Senior Rehearsal Director & Director of Summer Intensives
CRAIG D. BLACK, JR.*, Rehearsal Director
KRISTA ELLENSOHN, Manager of Training Operations
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
ABBY OLSON, General Manager
JESSICA ADLER, CORINNE KIBLER, JEN SOLOWAY, ARTS FMS
Financial Management Services
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
KATIE GROGAN, Director of Development
MELISSA ROSENBERG, Special Events & Development Operations Manager
HALEY GILLESPIE, Development Coordinator
NIKKI HORWITZ, Grants Coordinator
ERIK KAIKO, Director of Marketing & Communications
MEGAN MORAN, Manager of Marketing & Communications
YOUTH, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
EBONÉ HARDEN, Director of Education
PRODUCTION
HARRISON PEARSE BURKE, Director of Production
KATE DARBY, Stage Manager and Head of Props
JACK HORWITCH, Head Electrician
JENAH HENSEL, Head of Wardrobe
MICHAEL KROLL , Head Carpenter
* Denotes Princess Grace Award Recipient
The mission of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) is to bring artists, art and audiences together to enrich, engage, educate and change lives through the experience of dance.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago grew out of the Lou Conte Dance Studio at LaSalle and Hubbard Streets in 1977, when Lou Conte gathered an ensemble of four dancers to perform in senior centers across Chicago. Barbara G. Cohen soon joined the company as its first executive director. Conte continued to direct the company for 23 years, during which he initiated and grew relationships with both emerging and established artists including Nacho Duato, Daniel Ezralow, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Twyla Tharp.
Conte’s successor, Jim Vincent, widened Hubbard Street’s international focus, began Hubbard Street’s collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and cultivated growth from within, launching the Inside/ Out Choreographic Workshop and inviting Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo to make his first work. Gail Kalver’s 23 years of executive leadership provided continuity from 1984 through the 2006–2007 season, when Executive Director Jason Palmquist joined the organization. Glenn Edgerton became artistic director in 2009 and, together with Palmquist, moved this legacy forward on multiple fronts.
In 2021, former company dancer LindaDenise Fisher-Harrell was named the fourth artistic director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Season 44: RE/CHARGE marked her debut season as the artistic leader of the organization, with the goal of continuing to diversify the company’s repertoire and ensemble while building on the incredible legacy and reputation that HSDC had already established. Along with David McDermott, executive director since 2017, the company is looking forward to expanding its audience reach and increasing the local, national and global reputation of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
For 46 years, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago has been one of the most original forces in contemporary dance — bringing top choreographers and works to Chicago and beyond. HSDC's ever-evolving repertory, created by today’s leading choreographic voices, makes them a company that dancers aspire to join and performance venues all over the world are eager to host. To date, the main company has performed globally in 19 countries and 44 U.S. states.
At home in Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago performs 20 times a year and delivers renowned education programs in 50 classrooms across 17 Chicago schools. HSDC Education utilizes the choreographic process to teach essential problem-solving skills, creativity and collaboration — expanding its reach beyond traditional concert dance audiences, ensuring that everyone has access to world-class dance and instruction.
Company Premiere: 2021
Choreography & Direction: Aszure Barton
Stager: Jonathan E. Alsberry
Music: V. de Moraes, August Söderman, Ljova, Moondog, Daniel Belanger, Camille Saint-Saëns, David Wikander
Musical Arrangement & Editing: Aszure Barton with Jonathan E. Alsberry
Costume Design: Michelle Jank
Lighting & Stage Design: Nicole Pearce*
Originally created by Aszure Barton & Artists, BUSK was conceived at The Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara during a residency hosted by Dianne Vapnek’s DANCEworks. The work was further developed in residency at The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. BUSK was made possible by generous support from DANCEworks, The Banff Centre for Arts, and the Ringling International Arts Festival, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in association with the Baryshnikov Arts Center. Additional support also provided by White Oak Conservation Center, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and The Canada Council for the Arts. BUSK, in its original form, is a full evening length work. Official premiere: Aszure Barton & Artists, October 8, 2009, Ringling International Arts Festival.
Dancers: The Company
Music: Euridice composed by V. de Moraes, performed by Slava Grigoryan, courtesy of SME Australia Pty Ltd, by arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment (Canada), published by Universal Music Publishing Canada on behalf of Universal Music Corp. Ett Bondbrollop composed by August Soderman and performed by Orphei Drangär & Eric Ericson, performed with kind permission by BIS Records, Sweden. Plume composed and performed by Ljova. Queen Elizabeth Whistle composed and performed by Moondog, courtesy of Concord; these selections are used by special arrangement with Concord Music Group, Incl, on behalf of Prestige Music. All is Loneliness composed and performed by Moondog, courtesy of Concord; these selections are used by special arrangement with Concord Music Group, Incl, on behalf of Prestige Music. Amusements composed and performed by Daniel Belanger, (p) 2007 Daniel Bélanger
(exclusive licensed to Audiogram). Love Potion Expired composed by Ljova, performed by Ljova and the Kontraband. Saltarelle composed by Camille Saint-Saëns and performed by Orphei Drangär & Eric Ericson, performed with kind permission by BIS Records, Sweden. Kung Liljekonvalje composed by David Wikander and performed by Orphei Drangär & Eric Ericson, performed with kind permission by BIS Records, Sweden ©Nordiska Musikförlaget/2007 Gerhrmans Musikförlag AB.
Company Premiere: 2023
Choreography: Lar Lubovitch
Stager: Jonathan E. Alsberry
Music recording: John Coltrane Quartet’s live performance of “My Favorite Things”
Music by Richard Rodgers and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Scenery: Jackson Pollock, “Autumn Rhythm (Number 30)”
Lighting: Jack Mehler*
“In his time, the music of John Coltrane was described as ‘sheets of sound’, due to the aural environment created by his innovative wall-towall, top-to-bottom, overall constancy of sound. Simultaneously, mid-century artist Jackson Pollock was creating pictures depicting a visual environment for which the entire surface of the canvas itself was an overall ‘action field,’ the term coined to describe his paintings. In this dance, I have sought to draw a parallel between Coltrane’s sheets of sound and Pollock’s field of action.” — Lar Lubovitch
Dancers:
Duet: Alexandria Best, Shota Miyoshi (9/29 + 9/30); Cyrie Topete, Abdiel Figueroa Reyes (10/1)
Quartet: Morgan Clune, Matt Wenckowski, Jaqueline Burnett, Aaron Choate (9/29 + 9/30); Alysia Johnson, David Schultz, Michele Dooley, Jack Henderson (10/1)
Trio: Elliot Hammans, Abdiel Figueroa Reyes, Jack Henderson (9/29 + 9/30); Shota Miyoshi, Simone Stevens, Matt Wenckowski (10/1)
Music: My Favorite Things. Music by Richard Rodgers. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. This selection is used by special arrangement with Rodgers & Hammerstein: A Concord Company, concord.com. All Rights Reserved.
Coltrane’s Favorite Things was commissioned in part by Ronald E. Creamer Jr., Elysabeth Kleinhans, W. Patrick McMullan III, Maxine Pollak, Dale L. Ponikvar and Lewis R. Steinberg. Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), 1950. Jackson Pollock (American, 1912-1956). Enamel on canvas, H. 105, W. 207 in. (266.7 x 525.8 cm), George A. Hearn Fund, 1957 (57.92) © 2010
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York. Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, U.S.A. Photo credit: Image copyright © The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Art Resource, NY. Choreography copyright © Lar Lubovitch 2010
Choreography: Rennie Harris
Music: Darrin Ross, Rennie Harris
Costume Design: Imani Sade
Lighting Design: James Clotfelter
Assistant to the Choreographer: Angel D. Anderson
Letter to Frankie written by: Rennie Harris
“This work is an homage to the city of Chicago, the godfather of House Music DJ Frankie Knuckles, the infamous dance club The Warehouse and its club members. Frankie Knuckles and the other noted Chicago DJs introduced House music to the world. As a result, Chicago’s unique sound and dance have impacted not only music but fashion, television, film, radio and pop, and underground culture as we know it today.” —Rennie Harris
Dancers: The Company
Music: Requiem For Jay B, Lights Eternal, and We Gon Be Alright, composed, produced and mixed by Darrin Ross. Dear Frankie composed by Darrin Ross, produced by Darrin Ross and Rennie Harris. Letter to Frankie written by Rennie Harris. Vocals by Rennie Harris, Darrin Ross, Church Triumphant Choir, Hubbard Street Dancers.
*United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE is the union representing Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound, and Projection designers in Live Performance
LINDA-DENISE FISHERHARRELL, Artistic Director, (she/her) ascended to this role in 2021 after an extraordinary career as a professional dance artist and educator. She was born in Baltimore, MD, and began her dance training at the Baltimore School for the Arts under the guidance of Sylvester Campbell and Stephanie Powell. She was an apprentice with the Capitol Ballet in Washington, D.C., and a full fellowship student at The Ailey School. While a student at The Juilliard School, she was invited by Hubbard Street founder Lou Conte to join the main company at the age of 19, thus beginning her professional dance career. After three seasons with Hubbard Street, she became a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, under the direction of Judith Jamison. During her 13-year tenure with the company, she performed all over the world and was featured in the works of Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Talley Beatty, Ron K. Brown, John Butler, Donald Byrd, Ulysses Dove, George Faison, Rennie Harris, Geoffrey Holder, Judith Jamison, Louis Johnson, Alonzo King, Lar Lubovitch, Donald McKayle, Elisa Monte, Jennifer Muller, David Parsons and Dwight Rhoden. She was invited to give a number of special performances throughout her career, including The White House State Dinner in honor of the President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki and the 12th Annual Kennedy Center Gala with Nancy Wilson and Liza Minnelli. She has led a distinguished career as a dance educator in her hometown of Baltimore where, since 2005, she has been a professor of dance at Towson University and has served on the faculty of the Baltimore School for the Arts. Her research and scholarship in continuing the Ailey legacy within the Towson University and Greater Baltimore community has resulted in the Ailey II residencies from 2011–2019 hosted by Towson University and the establishment of AileyCamp Baltimore at Towson University in 2014 where she served as director. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in dance from Hollins University and is an ABT® Certified Teacher. As a scholar, her entry Alvin Ailey has been published by the Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism. She and her husband have three children.
DAVID MCDERMOTT, Executive Director, (he/him), manages organization-wide strategy and administrative functions including oversight of Hubbard Street’s finances, operations, marketing and development departments. Most recently, he led Hubbard Street through a post-COVID restructuring, guided its new access-first digital strategy, and directed the
company’s recent move to Water Tower Place. Prior to joining Hubbard Street, he served as the first deputy commissioner at the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. In this role, he managed the day-to-day operations of the department and played instrumental roles in major initiatives such as creating the Chicago Cultural Plan, revitalizing the Taste of Chicago and ensuring the success of the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Prior to his employment with the city, he led Senator Durbin’s Department of Community Outreach, served as the Senator’s political director and has managed political campaigns at the congressional, county and municipal levels. He recently completed a fellowship at the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy and holds a degree in public policy from Trinity College at the University of Dublin.
LOU CONTE, Founding Artistic Director, (he/him), established the Lou Conte Dance Studio in 1974 after a performing career that included roles in Broadway musicals such as Cabaret, Mame and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Three years later, he founded what is now Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Originally the company’s sole choreographer, he developed relationships with emerging and worldrenowned dancemakers Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Margo Sappington and Daniel Ezralow as the company grew. He continued to build Hubbard Street’s repertoire by forging a key relationship with Twyla Tharp in the 1990s, acquiring seven of her works as well as original choreography. It then became an international enterprise with the inclusion of works by Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato and Ohad Naharin. Throughout his 23 years as the company’s artistic director, he received numerous awards including the first Ruth Page Artistic Achievements Award in 1986, the Sidney R. Yates Arts Advocacy Award in 1995 and a Chicagoan of the Year Award from Chicago Magazine in 1999. In 2003, he was inducted as a laureate into the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, the state’s highest honor, and, in 2014, was named one of five inaugural recipients of the City of Chicago’s Fifth Star Award. He has been credited by many for helping raise Chicago’s international cultural profile and for creating a welcoming dance culture in the city, where the art form now thrives.
JONATHAN E. ALSBERRY, Senior Rehearsal Director & Director of Summer Intensives, (he/him), from Normal, IL, is a dance educator, creator and coach focused on inspiring excellence and joy in the study of ballet, jazz, and modern techniques with a constant dedication to the exploration of artistry and the creative process. Currently the senior rehearsal
director and director of Summer Intensives with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, he began dancing with his mother Lyndetta and went on to graduate from The Chicago Academy for the Arts where he has since been a guest faculty member. In 2006, he received his BFA from The Juilliard School where he met Aszure Barton. Alsberry is now dancer, rehearsal director and creative collaborator with Aszure Barton & Artists and has assisted Barton in over a dozen creations for dance companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Bayerische Staatsballett and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2007, he also joined the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and is currently a performer, rehearsal director and teaching artist with the company. He has shared two tours with Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance as well as Evolution with Alessandra Ferri and Herman Cornejo. Other credits include The Chase Brock Experience, Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Nilas Martins Dance Company, and Eisenhower Dance Ensemble. Since 2007, he has been teaching, coaching and creating work at various educational institutions including Arts Umbrella, Harvard University; University of California; Irvine; Springboard Danse Montreal; Ballet Hispánico and University of Southern California.
CRAIG D. BLACK JR., (he/they) from San Jose, CA, is the rehearsal director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He was appointed to this role in 2022 for the company’s 45th Anniversary: Sapphire Season
At the age of 10, Black began dancing at South Bay Dance Center and continued his dance training at Abraham Lincoln High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. In 2011, Black received his BFA from The Juilliard School. He obtained additional training at Springboard Danse Montréal, Nederlands Dans Theater, and the School at Jacob’s Pillow. Black is a recipient of the 2010 Princess Grace Award in Dance as well as the 2011 Lorna Strassler Award for Student Excellence from the School at Jacob’s Pillow. For six seasons, Black performed and toured with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet under the direction of Tom Mossbrucker and Jean-Philippe Malaty. In 2017, Black joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) where he danced for five seasons before transitioning into the HSDC rehearsal director position. He has had the privilege of dancing works by Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Cherice Barton, Rena Butler, Alejandro Cerrudo, Peter Chu, Nacho Duato, Jorma Elo, William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Fernando Melo, Robyn Mineko-Williams, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite and Cayetano Soto Ramirez, among many others. Black has had the pleasure of co-choreographing and rehearsal directing Cardi B and Offset’s 2019 BET Awards performance. Black is a passionate teacher and mentor. He is certified in IMAGE TECH for Dancers™ introductory through advanced level.
Black is on faculty for Dupree Dance and has served as guest faculty for the Hubbard Street Professional Program, Steps on Broadway, Peridance Center, The Joffrey Academy and New York City Dance Alliance.
ASZURE BARTON has collaborated with celebrated dancers and companies including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Misty Copeland, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, English National Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, National Ballet of Canada, Nederlands Dans Theater, Sydney Dance Company and Teatro alla Scala, among many others. She is a Bessie Award winner and has received numerous honors including the prestigious Arts & Letters Award, joining the ranks of Oscar Peterson, Karen Kain and Margaret Atwood. She was the first Martha Duffy resident artist at the Baryshnikov Arts Center and is an official ambassador of contemporary dance in Canada. She is the founder of Aszure Barton & Artists, an interdisciplinary international dance project.
RENNIE HARRIS is known for bringing social dances to the concert stage and coining the term Street Dance Theater. He has broken new ground as one of the first Hip-Hop choreographers to set works on ballet-based companies such as Ballet Memphis, Colorado Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco), Giordano Dance Chicago, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and more. He is also the first street dancer commissioned to create an evening-length work on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and to serve as a resident artist at The Ailey School. He’s received three Bessie Awards, five Black Theater Alvin Ailey Awards, a Herb Alpert Award and been nominated for a Lawrence Olivier Award (U.K.) He has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award in choreography (McCullum Theater, 2019). Harris was also voted as one of the most influential people in the last 100 years of Philadelphia’s history (City Paper) and has been compared to Basquiat, Alvin Ailey and Bob Fosse. In addition, he has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, PEW Fellowship, a USA Artist of the Year Fellowship, a Governor’s Artist of the Year Award, and is noted as the first street dancer to receive two honorary doctorate degrees from both Bates College (Lewiston, ME) and Columbia College (Chicago). He served as a cultural ambassador
for Ronald Reagan’s U.S. Embassy Tour in 1986 and was invited to The White House by the Clinton administration in 2001 to share in the recognition of African American artists making a difference in the world. Rennie Harris Puremovement has performed for such dignitaries as the Queen Elizabeth II and the Princess of Monaco, and was chosen as one of four U.S. companies to serve as cultural ambassadors for President Obama’s Dance Motion USA and toured Israel, Jordan, Ramulah, Egypt, Palestine and surrounding countries. Lorenzo “Rennie” Harris is atop the Hip-Hip heap as its leading ambassador. Harris is a recent recipient of the 2020 Doris Duke artist award.
LAR LUBOVITCH is one of America’s most versatile and widely seen choreographers. He founded the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in 1968. Over the course of 53 years, it has gained an international reputation as one of America’s top dance companies, produced more than 120 dances and performed before millions across the U.S. and over 40 countries. Many other major companies throughout the world have performed the company’s dances, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Joffrey Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company and more. Lubovitch has created ice-dancing works for Olympians John Curry, Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, Brian Orser, JoJo Starbuck and Paul Wylie, and he has created feature-length ice-dance specials for TV: The Planets for A&E (nominated for an International Emmy ® Award, a Cable AceAward, and a Grammy Award®) and The Sleeping Beauty for PBS and Anglia TV, Great Britain. His theater and film work includes Sondheim/ Lapine’s Into the Woods (Tony Award® nomination), The Red Shoes (Astaire Award), the Tony Award®-winning revival of The King and I (on Broadway and in London’s West End), Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame in Berlin, and Robert Altman’s movie The Company (American Choreography Award). In 2016, he premiered The Bronze Horseman, based on the Pushkin poem, for the Mikhailovsky Ballet in Russia. In 1987, he conceived Dancing for Life, which took place at the Lincoln Center. It was the first response by the dance community to the AIDS crisis, raising over $1 million dollars. Together with Jay Franke, in 2007, Lubovitch created the Chicago Dancing Festival, in collaboration with the City of Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Art. It presented 10 seasons entirely free to the public. Recent awards: 2007 named Chicagoan of the Year by the Chicago Tribune; 2008 named similarly by Chicago Magazine; 2011 designated a Ford Fellow by United States Artists and received the Dance/ USA Honors Award; 2012 his dance Crisis Variations awarded the Prix Benois de la Danse for outstanding choreography at the Bolshoi Theatre; 2013 honored
for lifetime achievement by the American Dance Guild; 2014 awarded an honorary doctorate by The Juilliard School; 2016 received the Scripps/American Dance Festival Award for lifetime achievement and the Dance Magazine Award, named one of America’s Irreplaceable Dance Treasures by the Dance Heritage Coalition and appointed a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Irvine. In honor of his company’s 50th anniversary in 2018, he was presented with the Martha Graham Award for lifetime achievement.
ALEXANDRIA BEST (she/ her) is a native of Raleigh, NC, where she began her preprofessional dance training. During that time, she acquired knowledge from instructors across programs such as American Ballet Theatre, Arts Umbrella, Carolina Ballet, DamianiDance, French Academie of Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She is a 2021 graduate of Pace University where she earned her BFA in dance, with a concentration in performance and pedagogy, and a minor in business. Immediately following postgrad, Best joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as a company dance artist under the new direction of Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell. Now going into her third season, she has had the opportunity to perform many great works by many great-minded artists alike. She is thrilled to be announced as a 2023 Princess Grace Foundation Award winner in Dance and to be joining its community of artists, including many past and present Hubbard Street Dance Chicago members as well. Best is elated to continue her time growing her artistry and community with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in its upcoming season.
JACQUELINE BURNETT (she/ her) received her formative classical ballet training in her hometown of Pocatello, ID, from Romanian Ballet Master Marius Zirra. She moved to New York in 2005 for the Ailey School/ Fordham University joint BFA program, graduating magna cum laude with honors (2009). She joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2008 as a Center Apprentice and joined the main company in 2009. She received a Princess Grace Honorarium in 2011 and, with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, was part of DanceMotion USA 2013, a cultural diplomacy tour in Algeria, Morocco and Spain. She has also served as an artistic lead and teacher for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Summer Intensives, a repetitor for Penny Saunders and a freelance dancer with Robyn Mineko Williams and Artists and Seattle Dance Collective. She recently choreographed for Milwaukee Rep’s Murder on the Orient Express and premiered a new work, cochoreographed with David Schultz, for Danza Visual in Mexico City.
AARON CHOATE (they/them) of Lexington, KY, is a graduate of The Juilliard School class of 2022. After studying at Diana Evan's School of Dance in Kentucky, they were named a 2018 Presidential Scholar in the Arts. They have performed the works of renowned choreographers, such as Aszure Barton, Ohad Naharin, Justin Peck, Jamar Roberts, Bobbi Jene Smith, Rennie Harris, Spencer Theberge, Lar Lubovitch, and Ted Shawn. They are also an avid choreographer. Most recently, they had a process at Gibney Dance called the Moving Towards Justice Fellowship, created by Scott Autry. In 2022, they presented a work at 92nd Street Y as a part of the Future Dance Festival. In 2021, they received the George J. Jakab Grant Award from Juilliard to create a dance film, and upon graduation, they were awarded the Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship.
MORGAN CLUNE (she/her), from Barrington, IL, graduated from The Chicago Academy for the Arts in 2018. She was recognized as a National YoungArts Winner in New York for Contemporary dance in 2018 where she performed solo at Baryshnikov Arts Center. Upon graduation from Juilliard, Morgan was awarded the Martha Hill Prize for her achievement and leadership in Dance as well as a Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship for her promise as an entrepreneur and engagement in the arts. She is an emerging choreographer, recently choreographing at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s CREATE summer intensive and The Juilliard School in 2023. Clune is currently entering her second season with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago under the direction of Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell.
MICHELE DOOLEY (she/he/they) is a dance artist and teacher from Philadelphia. She began her dance training at The Institute of the Arts, graduated from The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, and later earned her BFA in dance from The University of the Arts. She has completed programs with Bates Summer intensive, BalletX Summer Program and DCNS Summer Dance Intensive and has worked with choreographers Gary Jeter, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Aszure Barton, Jermaine Spivey, Milton Myers, Spenser Theberge and Nora Gibson. She has had the privilege of working with Eleone Dance Theatre and Spectrum Dance Theater. She is thrilled to be back for her third season with the company!
ABDIEL FIGUEROA REYES (he/ they), from Las Vegas, NV, was born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, before moving to the U.S. in 2011. Figueroa Reyes' training includes: The Rock Center for Dance, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, The Joffrey Ballet summer intensive, Complexions summer intensive and Contemporary West Dance Theater (under Bernard H. Gaddis). In 2017, Figueroa Reyes became a member of Hubbard Street’s Professional Program HS Pro (under Alexandra Wells with mentorship from Peter Chu, Claire Bataille, Glenn Edgerton, Jonathan Alsberry, and more). In 2018, he became an Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) apprentice and, in 2019, joined the main company. Dance Magazine named him a Top 25 to Watch and recognized him as one of four LatinX Dancers Breaking Boundaries in 2020. Starting his fifth year as a company member, Figueroa Reyes is delighted to be a 2022 Princess Grace Award Winner and was recently recognized on Forbes 30 Under 30 Local Chicago. He is grateful to continue his growth and development with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and the Chicago community.
ELLIOT HAMMANS (he/him) from Santa Fe, NM, began his formal dance training in 2008 with Robert Sher-Machherndl and continued his ballet and modern dance education with Moving People Dance in Santa Fe, under the direction of Curtis Uhlemann. He joined Moving People Dance Company as an apprentice in 2010, trained on full scholarship at the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center in San Francisco and attended Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s 2011 and 2012 Summer Intensives. Following studies abroad at Austria’s Tanzzentrum SEAD (Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance), he earned his BFA in dance in 2014 from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. He joined Hubbard Street 2 as a full company member in August 2014 and was promoted to Hubbard Street’s main company in August 2016.
JACK HENDERSON (he/him) grew up in Livermore, CA, where he began dancing at his local dance studio Tiffany's Dance Academy. He attended summer intensives and workshops during this time, including San Francisco Ballet, Dutch National Ballet and Hubbard Street intensives. In 2017, he moved to Vancouver, B.C., to attend Arts Umbrella’s pre-graduate program under the direction of Artemis Gordon. In 2018, he joined the graduate program at Arts Umbrella, performing repertoire and new creations by Crystal Pite, Lukas Timulak, Amos Bental, Ihsan Rustem and Jonathan E. Alsberry, to name a few.
ALYSIA JOHNSON (she/her) from Dallas, TX, first found dance at Dallas Black Dance Theatre and later went on to graduate from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where she studied ballet, modern and composition. A graduate of The Juilliard School and a two-time recipient of Juilliard’s Entrepreneurship Grant, she has served the Dallas dance community by founding and directing programs that cater to young artists in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex since 2015. Recently, she was awarded the Princess Grace Honoraria Award for Dance, and she is endlessly thankful for the dance community at large for their support and unmatched creativity.
SHOTA MIYOSHI (he/him) from Kanagawa, Japan, started to train in Jazz and ballet at Nakura jazz Dance Studio. He received his BFA in dance from SUNY Purchase in 2022. He has performed works by Norbert De La Cruz III, Jamar Roberts, Martin Løfsnes, Doug Varone, George Balanchine, Martha Graham and José Limón. Additional training includes MOVE|NYC|’s S.W.E.A.T and Paul Taylor Summer Intensive. He hopes to become a versatile dancer who is able to collaborate with a variety of musicians in order to create something the world has never seen before.
DAVID SCHULTZ (he/him) from Grand Rapids, MI, began his training with the School of the Grand Rapids Ballet, where he then performed for four seasons with its company, the Grand Rapids Ballet. He joined Hubbard Street 2 in 2009 and was promoted to the main company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, in 2011 where he has worked with many of the world's leading contemporary choreographers. He is a recipient of a 2012 Princess Grace Award. As a choreographer, he has had the honor of creating works for DanceWorks Chicago, Chambered Squared, Boston University and a co-choreographed piece with Jacqueline Burnett for Danza Visual in Mexico City. When he is not dancing or choreographing, he has spent many years studying music and has performed and scored many pieces for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as well as for his own works.
SIMONE STEVENS (she/her) from Atlanta, GA, received her dance training in her hometown of Stone Mountain, GA at En Pointe School of Dance before graduating from Kennesaw State University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Minor in Anthropology.
Upon moving to Chicago in 2018, Stevens studied on scholarship at the Lou Conte Dance Studio while simultaneously performing as a freelance artist throughout the city. Since joining the company in 2021, Stevens has been recognized as one of Dance Magazine's 25 To Watch. Stevens has also actively sought to further expand her community as an instructor, both regionally at The Rooted Space and Chicago Movement Collective, as well as at her alma mater. Stevens is forever grateful for the spaces that continue to welcome her and the communities that continue to uplift.
CYRIE TOPETE (she/they) is from Peoria, AZ, where she trained in competitive dance starting at the age of 13. She then moved to New York City and received her BFA at The Juilliard School, class of 2022. During her time at Juilliard, she was given Juilliard’s FENDI Vanguard Award and attended programs including Springboard Danse Montreal, Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program, B12 in Berlin, Germany, Youngarts LA, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and more. She was also recognized for choreographic opportunities including Juilliard’s Choreography and Composers in 2021, National Sawdust’s Blueprint Fellowship in 2019, and Juilliard’s Choreographic Honors in 2019. Topete has had the opportunity to perform works by Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Alan Lucien Øyen, Kyle Abraham, Bobbi Jene Smith, Rennie Harris, Peter Chu, Justin Peck, Aszure Barton, Rena Butler, Jenn Freeman, and Jamar Roberts. During her first season with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, she was featured in Dance Magazine’s “On the Rise”.
MATT WENCKOWSKI (he/him) from St. Charles, IL, received his early training at Moves Dance Studio in North Aurora and trained as a competitive dancer with Excel Dance Productions. In 2009, he joined The Joffrey Academy’s pre-professional programs under the direction of Alexei Kremnev and Anna Reznik, performing in The Nutcracker and more. He studied at Lou Conte Dance Studio under the guidance of Claire Bataille and joined DanceWorks Chicago in 2013, under the direction of Julie Nakagawa. In 2015, he joined the Grand Rapids Ballet performing soloist roles in classical and contemporary works. He has performed pieces by Alejandro Cerrudo, Trey McIntyre, Ben Stevenson, George Balanchine, Yuri Possokhov, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Val Caniparoli, Robyn Mineko Williams, Penny Saunders and more. He is thrilled and grateful to be part of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and would like to thank his parents for all they have done to support him.
Imagine a child experiencing his first live performance, a teacher discovering new ways to inspire students, a couple enjoying a world-renowned dance company and a family learning new dance moves together. Know it is your everlasting kindness that allows The Music Center to provide these meaningful experiences that enrich the lives of all Angelenos.
Imagine the impact your legacy gift can make!
We invite you to consider a gift that will create inclusive arts and cultural experiences that champion the diverse voices and communities of Los Angeles for generations to come. The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Society honors and recognizes the generous individuals who have made a commitment with a planned or endowed gift to The Music Center.
To learn more about the Dorothy Chandler Society and other ways to meet your financial and charitable goals, contact Cheryl Brown at (213) 972-3316 or visit MusicCenterLegacy.org.
● Include a gift in your will or living trust
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“I hope to see The Music Center grow and develop for generations to come."
— Shirley Ashkenas, Dorothy Chandler Society MemberGloria Molina Grand Park's Día de los Muertos. Photo by Michelle Moro for Gloria Molina Grand Park and The Music Center. PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P19
Thank you for sustaining the arts!
The Music Center is grateful for the generosity and support of our contributors who have established endowments and planned gifts in their estate plans. Over the years, planned gifts have significantly impacted our programs, and we are thankful for the foresight of these dedicated individuals who have made legacy gifts.
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BassamFellows introduces a sleek new indoor-outdoor collection to complement an entire portfolio reflecting the company’s “Craftsman Modern” aesthetic.
FURNITURE MANUFACTURER BassamFellows is headquartered near the architecturally notable community of New Canaan, Connecticut, where the Bauhaus movement took root in America and the site of Philip Johnson’s iconic Glass House. The “Craftsman Modern” aesthetic developed by Australian architect Craig Bassam and American creative director Scott Fellows suits Los Angeles, whose residential heritage is shaped by both traditional and contemporary styles.
“For us, Louis Kahn is a continual source of inspiration,” says Bassam. “He mixed traditional materials like brick, stone and wood with modern materials such as glass, concrete and steel for the perfect balance of opposites." Bassam notes that the architect’s projects were extremely detail-oriented.
Says Fellows of the Tractor Stool, the partners’ first signature product, “We liked the functionality of the tractor seat, designed over 100 years ago to provide comfort without the need for a back."
The idea of reimagining the tractor seat was not original, but Bassam and Fellows were the first to artistically carve it from a solid block of wood. Their stillpopular Tractor Stool represents that elusive balancing of opposites: minimal design versus traditional, warm materials; handcraftsmanship versus industrial production; functionalist simplicity versus meticulous detail.
The new Rail collection from BassamFellows was originally designed for a pool pavilion in New Canaan, but the indoor-outdoor lifestyle it accommodates has
greater utility in L.A. Rail system pieces are framed in horizontal planes (“rails”), available in iroko, a durable African hardwood. The furniture is upholstered in a hemp-based performance fabric—UV-resistant as well as soft to the touch—from a 150-year-old Italian mill.
“Rail is rooted in the Arts & Crafts movement, but is lighter, more sculptural and more pared down, continuing our commitment to our minimal artisanal vision of 'Craftsman Modern,’” explains Bassam. The collection represents a high-performance solution to the need to
endure outdoor elements, whether Northeast rains or, in Southern California, the scorching sun. “Rail is the perfect anchor to any space, creating a balance of architectural rigor with sculptural, organic silhouettes.”
The firm is obsessed with handcraftsmanship, Fellows says. “For all of our products, we slow things down and return to something ... more considered, which takes a little bit more time.” Its rare calf leather from France is sourced from a tannery with a 16th-century heritage.
The Daybed, another BassamFellows signature, is partially inspired by daybeds from Mies van der Rohe, Charlotte Perriand and Hans Wegner, the partners’ modernist heroes. “Ours is distinguished by a solid wood frame by expert cabinetmakers using buttersoft leathers from the finest tanneries in Scandinavia,” Fellows explains.
A Wood Frame Lounge series was originally designed for British Airways’ first-class lounges. Its deconstructed traditional lounge seating exposes wood frames that suggest fine cabinetry and thin, layered cushions for comfort.
“We think a lot about who we’re designing for—and ultimately, we design products for ourselves,” says Bassam. “In doing so, we’ve found many other likeminded people who appreciate the beauty of proportion, meticulous craftsmanship and high-quality materials.”
BassamFellows furniture is available locally at the eponymous showroom/atelier of designer Una Malan in the La Cienega Design Quarter.
BassamFellows, bassamfellows.com. Una Malan, 800 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A., 310.734.7077, unamalan.com
Asterid, in the former Patina space at Walt Disney Concert Hall, reflects the constant evolution of L.A.
Innovative chef Ray Garcia's Asterid inherited the coveted space long occupied by celebrated Patina at Walt Disney Concert Hall last year; closed by the pandemic, Joachim Splichal's fine-dining spot never reopened. Asterid offers an entirely different set of merits.
BA Collective (formerly Belzberg Architects), the original designers of Patina, returned to reconfigure the dining room for a new chef and a new attitude. The result is a stripped-down but seductively illuminated space whose floor-to-
ceiling windows make it feel more connected to the Grand Avenue scene than the cloistered sanctuary of Patina.
Further connecting Asterid to the streetscape is a wraparound patio steps above the sidewalk, providing very pleasant alfresco dining amid spectacular downtown views.
A curvilinear bar, encountered immediately upon entering, suggests that this is a place where a mezcal cocktail may be more appropriate than a first-growth Bordeaux. Gone is the crisp white linen, revealing
simple polished wood table surfaces with flickering amber flames.
The classically trained Garcia is best known for downtown’s muchlamented Broken Spanish, which offered a refined Mexican-inspired cuisine, and the also defunct B.S. Taqueria. His ¡Viva! in Las Vegas further establishes the chef’s expansive, contemporary approach to Mexican-American cuisine.
Garcia’s menu at Asterid is also informed by his Mexican heritage, but in quintessential L.A. fashion, it transcends the Americas to also
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encompass culinary influences from the Mediterranean to Japan.
The menu’s shareable dishes change periodically. Recent small plates included a memorable chicken liver mousse topped with pickled mustard seeds, nectarines, pearl onions and crunchy bits of fried chicken skin, accompanied by thick slices of grilled sourdough. Caviar
Bites brings an artistically plated trio of honeynut squash tamal disks also topped with crema.
Garcia’s risotto—carnaroli rice stained a dramatic purple by red beets and garnished with golden beets, crème fraîche and dill—is luxurious but not heavy. Feathery maitake mushrooms—coated in potato starch and lightly fried, plated with a dollop of aioli vibrantly transformed by turmeric—are addictive.
A perfectly cooked branzino is topped with fennel, preserved lemon and salsa Veracruz and presented in a pool of smooth, smoky romesco sauce. True to Garcia’s approach, the dish celebrates Mediterranean flavors with a coastal Mexican accent. Other entrees include a lamb shank plated with garbanzo beans and ancho chile sauce and an impressively bronzed half chicken with Tuscan kale and salsa verde.
Desserts of choice include a dark-chocolate budino layered with whipped ricotta and a coconut cream-infused rose-rice pudding with passion fruit.
The Euro-California wine list includes a value-priced Costantina Sotelo Albariño from Spain, a loftier Henri Gouges premiere-cru Burgundy from Nuits-Saint-Georges and trendy “orange” wines from Slovenia and the Czech Republic.
Cocktails include intriguingly “reimagined” martinis and El Zocalo, with mezcal, passion fruit, campari, yellow chartreuse and habanero.
Asterid cannot compete with nostalgic memories of Patina—but it doesn't need to. The restaurant is striking beautiful new notes at Disney Hall all its own.
Disney Hall, 141 S. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.972.3535, asteridla.com
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18 AT 2PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19 AT 7PM
MORTEN LAURIDSEN Lux Aeterna
BILLY CHILDS In the Arms of the Beloved* WORLD PREMIERE
In the spellbinding and rapturing Lux Aeterna, Lauridsen created a rich and intensely moving work that sparked a renaissance of choral music throughout the world. Paired with this masterpiece is the world premiere of In the Arms of the Beloved by Billy Childs – one of the world’s most celebrated jazz pianists and composers – performed by the brilliant violin virtuoso Anne Akiko Meyers along with the Chorale debuts of the Billy Childs Jazz/Chamber Ensemble and The Lyris Quartet.
PICTURED: SHARON CHOHI KIM, ALTO *This program is made possible by generous support from The Susan Erburu Reardon and George Reardon Commissioning Fund. ANNE AKIKO MEYERS, VIOLIN
/CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
Austin-born music director of Pacific Symphony since 1990. “The West is known for its inventiveness. It’s in its creative juices, which do have a particular flair.”
The Pacific Symphony’s festival offering is called “California Dreamin’,” a program that aims to celebrate the state’s legacy of experimentation and free-spirited artistry and features a new composition by Berkeley composer Gabriella Smith.
Grant Gershon, California native and Los Angeles Master Chorale artistic director, said, “There’s a certain sense of artistic freedom in California and the West Coast in general that has influenced music across the United States, and around the world now.”
The festival features 172 works composed in the last five years, including 32 premieres. The L.A. Master Chorale and
Gershon present one of the premieres, In the Arms of the Beloved by jazz pianist Billy Childs, who was born in Los Angeles. What Gershon called the California ethos has permeated all musical genres, he said.
“A lot of it has to do with the polyglot complexity of communities that make up Los Angeles, San Francisco, the urban centers, the West Coast in general,” Gershon said.
“There are so many different histories, so many different stories, so many different experiences that people are bringing with them to California.”
Such layered stories are explored in American Railroad, a roots-music work to be performed by the Silkroad ensemble in eight California cities including San Diego, Aliso Viejo and Northridge.
With American Railroad, Silkroad and artistic director Rhiannon Giddens explore the impact
the African American, Chinese, Indigenous and Irish communities had on the creation of the U.S. Transcontinental Railroad connecting the East Coast to California.
Also making several stops will be the multiyear series “Fragments” from cellist Alisa Weilerstein, who lives part-time in San Diego with her husband, the San Diego Symphony’s Payare.
“Fragments” weaves movements of Bach’s solo cello suites with works by 27 composers commissioned by Weilerstein. She performs “Fragments” at Walt Disney Concert Hall and at the Conrad in La Jolla as part of an international tour.
La Jolla Music Society, which often leans into new music, presents American Railroad and copresents “Fragments” with San Diego Symphony.
“It’s not always been easy to draw audiences to contemporary music,” said Leah Rosenthal, artistic director of La Jolla Music Society. But as the music has changed so has audience acceptance.
“For so long, there was
an idea of what new music sounded like,” she said. “It was atonal. Now it’s anything goes, from the most tonal beautiful melodies to still challenging sounds.
“It’s a work in progress and our audiences are ... more open to hearing and experiencing new music.”
Contemporary music might not first come to mind when one thinks of chamber music, the heart of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
“We’re nerds in the Baroque classical space and we’re excited to celebrate that nerdiness,” said LACO managing director Ricky Dean McWain. “So are our patrons.”
Yet LACO is so dedicated to championing contemporary composers that it has a club for audience members called South Investment; donors join to underwrite an annual commission by a composer from Los Angeles or with ties to the city.
Its program during the festival is a prime example of how LACO weaves traditional and new music. Traces, a violin concerto by Nina C. Young, makes its world premiere paired with symphonies by C.P.E. Bach and Felix Mendelssohn.
The new work by Young, associate professor of composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, is a LACO co-commission with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
LA Opera, a guardian for another art form that relies on a traditional cannon, infuses contemporary work into all aspects of its programming, said Christopher Koelsch, president and CEO.
This season, that includes El último sueño de Frida y Diego (“The Last Dream of Frida and Diego”), a new opera by Gabriela Lena Frank, a Californian, and Nilo Cruz.
Since its premiere a year ago, Frida y Diego has been, Koelsch said, “a monster hit for both San Diego and for San Francisco.”
An opera about the relationship between artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera could have been paint-by-numbers, but Frank and Cruz created something much more interesting, Koelsch said.
“I found the experience both aesthetically and spiritually deeply moving. It’s an unconventional structure and it’s an unconventional opera that people have found to be quite delightful.”
It’s scheduled for six performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion that overlap with the California Festival.
“I’m thrilled and delighted at the kismet that the two things lined up so, so perfectly,” Koelsch said.
In his 11 years running LA Opera, Koelsch said
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he has seen the audience appetite for new music grow exponentially. He gives much credit to Salonen, who made contemporary work essential during his association with the LA Phil.
“Esa-Pekka pretty much single-handedly created this marketplace for audiences for the reception of new music,” Koelsch said. “He was really the person who blew up that old model of how a symphonic program would go.”
As Salonen changed audience expectations at the LA Phil, LA Opera’s contemporary programming benefited.
“I feel like I inherited the mantle of a marketplace that he had created,” Koelsch said.
“Audiences are voting with their feet and with their wallets. They are signaling to us that they are as interested in contemporary artists as they are in the existing canon.”
The 95 organizations taking part in the festival are to one degree or another building back after the post-pandemic slowdowns.
“My hope,” McWain said, “is that a series of events like this with overlapping audiences is a boon for audience development and ... a return home for patrons of the arts.”
Performances Magazine unveils a digital program platform for shows and concerts
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CONTRIBUTORS
NO RUSTLING PAGES, no killing trees . . . Of all the innovations to have come out of the pandemic, the new Performances program platform, accessed on any digital device, may be least likely to disappear in the foreseeable future. Not only had its time come—it had been long overdue.
Performances provides the programs for 20 SoCal performingarts organizations, from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Ahmanson to San Diego Opera, where the app made its debut.
The touchless platform provides cast and player bios, donor and season updates and arts-centric features. Audiences receive a link and code word that instantly activate the app; QR codes are posted, too.
Screens go dark when curtains rise and return with the house lights. Updates—repertory changes, understudy substitutions, significant donations—can be made right up to showtime, no inserts necessary.
Other features include video and audio streams, translations and expanded biographies.
WHAT’S ON
What’s coming at a glance and ticket information.
For those who consider printed programs keepsakes, a limited number, as well as commemorative issues for special events, continue to be produced. Collectibles!
Meanwhile, there is less deforestation, consumption of petroleum inks and programs headed for landfills. For the ecologically minded, the platform gets a standing ovation.
Theaters and concert halls reopened after a long intermission. Stages are live, the excitement is back. Activate your link and enjoy the shows. —CALEB WACHS
