blue13 Dance Company Presents World Premiere of MISCHIEF

blue13 dance company, Achina S. McDaniel and Highways Performance Space, Leo Garcia, will present the World Premiere of MISCHIEF at Highways Performance Space at the 18th Street Arts Center; 1651 18th Street; Santa Monica, CA 90404 on Friday and Saturday, March 12 and 13, 2010 at 8:30 p.m., and on Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

blue13 dance company's Artistic Director, Achinta S. McDaniel and her cast of raucous performers return in their 3rd consecutive season at Highways Performance Space to entice audiences with their latest dance theatre adventure - three nights of Bollywood induced flashbacks, frivolity, melodrama and sexy, scandalous behavior not befitting good Indian girls and boys. MISCHIEF bursts with blue13's signature "Bollywood-Tech" style, celebrating the diversity of its cast and techniques from Jazz, Contemporary and Hip Hop, to Bhangra, Kathak and Tap, all fueled by the power and drama of Bollywood. The show will feature blue13's new contemporary Bollywood works, restaged audience favorites and new collaborations with Special Guests, Molodi, Las Vegas's step troupe.

Tickets are $20 each for General Admission and $15 each for Students, Children and Dance Resource Center Members. To purchase tickets, please call Highways Box Office at 310-315-1459 or buy online at www.highwaysperformance.org. There is a parking lot and street parking available on 18th Street or Olympic Boulevard. To learn more about blue13 dance company, please visit www.blue13dance.com.

The blue13 cast will include: Principals - Achinta S. McDaniel (of Venice), Kory Keith (of Studio City), Arun Mathai (of West Hollywood), Rashi Birla (of Santa Monica), Jimmy Arguello (of North Hollywood), Rohit Bal (of Calabasas), Sanjana Seelam (of Santa Monica); Ensemble - Tammie Johnston (of Hollywood), Dana Nott (of North Hollywood), Miquelle Franzese (of Marina del Rey), Beejoli Shah (of Santa Monica), Akiko Muraishi (of North Hollywood), Shiva Ware (of North Hollywood), Daniel Valentine (of Hollywood), Kritika Kailash (of Westwood), Eric Dawkins (of North Hollywood), and Special Guests - Molodi (of Las Vegas - the ensemble has performed with Step Africa and Stomp Out Loud).

Production personnel will include: Achinta S. McDaniel, Artistic Director/Choreographer; Arun Mathai, Assistant Choreographer; Tej Gill, Music Supervisor. blue13's signature style, Bollywood-Tech is contemporary dance theatre rooted in the traditions and inspirations of Indian dance, music, and culture. blue13 is renowned for its experimentation with international techniques and its multi-ethnic, multi-genre ensemble work.

Achinta S. McDaniel (Artistic Director, Choreographer and Dancer) is a pioneer of mixed genre contemporary dance in the United States, working as a leading choreographer both on stage and on camera throughout the nation for over 10 years. In 1999, she founded blue13 dance company, and has since enjoyed great success in creating live, critically acclaimed dance productions internationally in her signature styles, Neo-Kathak and Bollywood-Tech. She is known for her experimentation with a wide variety of multi-ethnic, multi-genre movement styles, fueled by a commitment to athletic and fluid contemporary dance theatre. A prolific choreographer, performer, and instructor, McDaniel's powerful style encompasses techniques from ballet, modern dance, jazz, tap, and hip-hop, to Bollywood, Bhangra, African, Moroccan and classical Indian Kathak.

blue13 dance company (blue13) is dedicated of the advancement of experimental and non-traditional contemporary dance while preserving and cultivating the cultural and classical forms of India. Passionately translating dance into enduring societal contributions, blue13 dispels cultural stereotypes and connects diverse communities through cross-genre and multicultural classes, workshops and live performances that inspire global unity and togetherness.

blue13 has performed for sold out audiences all over Los Angeles, the U.S. and abroad, recently performing live with world renowned singer Kavita Krishnamurthy, and touring the show, Fez- Queen of Cities to sold out audiences in Los Angeles, New York, Morocco and Paris. Since 1999, blue13 has performed nationally, both onstage and on screen, in a variety of genres, including McDaniel's signature Bollywood-Tech and Neo-Kathak styles, as well as in contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip hop, fire dance, aerial arts and more. The ensemble's performance style introduces audiences to this new genre of work: contemporary dance theatre fueled by story-telling, and a multi-ethnic cast with multi-genre influences. blue13 is the subject of a soon to be released feature length documentary by McSand Films, entitled Merde!

Dance education is central to blue13's long-term community goals. Under the umbrella of blue13, Artistic Director Achinta S. McDaniel created The Blue School in 2003, continuing, with her dancers, to teach Indian dance forms to children and adults in the Los Angeles area. McDaniel's classes, including the trademark Bollywood Bhangra Beats, have become the most popular of their kind, and can be found at The Pretenders Studio (in Santa Monica), Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio (in North Hollywood), International Dance Academy (in Hollywood), Swerve (in Los Angeles), MnR Dance Factory (in Brentwood) and at UCLA (in Westwood).

Molodi is Las Vegas's own progressive step troupe that takes body percussion to the extreme. The performers have been stepping, tapping, rhyming, snapping, flipping and clapping from coffee shops and poetry circles to Stomp Out Loud and the #1 hit movie Stomp The Yard. With speed and precision, Molodi blends traditional percussive dance forms such as tap, stepping and gumboots with guerilla style theatre and robust personalities that bring to life an experience that leaves people saying "Gimme Some MO!" For more information, please visit www.molodi.net.

Highways Performance Space is Southern California's boldest center for new performance. In its 18th year, Highways continues to be an important alternative cultural center in Los Angeles that encourages fierce new artists from diverse communities to develop and present innovative works. For a complete season schedule, directions to the venue and parking information, please visit the website www.highwaysperformance.org.

Highways Performance Space Presents
blue13 dance company, Achinta S. McDaniel, Artistic Director
In The World Premiere of MISCHIEF
Friday and Saturday, March 12 and 13, 2010 at 8:30 p.m.
And Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

WHO: Highways Performance Space, Leo Garcia, Artistic Director and blue13 dance company, led by Artistic Director Achinta S. McDaniel, present the World Premiere of MISCHIEF, with new collaborations with Special Guests, Molodi, Las Vegas's step troupe.

WHAT: MISCHIEF Director, Achinta S. McDaniel dares to satirize Bollywood in blue13's flirtatious and wild weekend of contemporary Indian dance. The show will feature blue13's new contemporary Bollywood works, restaged audience favorites and new collaborations with Molodi, Las Vegas's step troupe.

WHERE Highways Performance Space at the 18th Street Arts Center; 1651 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404.

WHEN: Friday and Saturday, March 12 and 13, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

HOW: Tickets are $20 each for General Admission and $15 each for Students, Children and Dance Resource Center Members. To purchase tickets, please call Highways Box Office at 310-315-1459 or buy online at www.highwaysperformance.org. There is a parking lot and street parking available on 18th Street or Olympic Boulevard. To learn more about blue13 dance company, please visit www.blue13dance.com.