DANCING WITH THE DIGITAL

Dance at the Music Center programs have proved even more popular online.

BY LIBBY SLATE

WHEN THE POPULAR FRIDAY night summer Dance DTLA program migrated online because of the coronavirus pandemic, Music Center administrators made a discovery: The events, in which instructors lead participants through the steps of a particular dance genre, were even more popular online.

“We’ve had much bigger audiences; more people see this and participate than we would have had in the physical space,” says Rachel S. Moore, Music Center president and CEO, herself a former dancer with American Ballet Theatre.

Digital programs under the Music Center Offstage banner continue in the fall and winter. The Digital Dance Experiences “Inside Look” series serves as a prelude to the hoped for return in March of the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center series at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

SOLOMON DUMAS OF ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER

Offerings have included a conversation with Pina Bausch company scenic designer Peter Pabst and the opportunity to learn choreography from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater seminal work Revelations.

CHOREOGRAPHER CAMILLE A. BROWN

An upcoming “Inside Look” features a discussion with choreographer Camille A. Brown and video excerpts of her works. “She’s an extraordinary African American artistic director and choreographer,” Moore says. “She’s created her own works in regular proscenium theaters for dance companies but also choreographed Porgy and Bess for the Metropolitan Opera and [the Tony Award-winning revival Once on This Island on] Broadway. To talk about the similarities and differences between concert and commercial dance will be interesting.”

In their approach to programming, Moore says, “we talk a lot about engaging with the arts. It’s art by, with and for the people of Los Angeles. We weren’t just interested in art that was for—for people sitting passively and watching. Programming where people could be involved—dance with, learn choreography —was really important.”

Official guidelines permitting, the Dance at the Music Center series will present the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in March, the Eifman Ballet in April, the Paul Taylor Dance Company in June and American Ballet Theatre, starring Misty Copeland in Romeo and Juliet, in July. Some digital aspects will be retained during the live season.

It’s been a challenging time, Moore acknowledges before mentioning a favorite source of inspiration. “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has a beautiful quote that I think is really relevant: ‘Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.’

“I think we’re starting to see some of the glimmers of light that will hold us until we emerge on the other side,” she says. “I think of these digital opportunities as little stars that we probably wouldn’t be doing if it weren’t for this situation.”