2014 LA So-Cal Dance Invitational Set for the Ford Amphitheatre Tonight

LA So-Cal Dance Invitational, presented by South Coast Dance Arts Alliance, has been announced for tonight, June 20 at 8:30pm at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. Six acclaimed Southern California dance companies will perform: Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Andy Vaca's Jazzworks-Long Beach, COLABO Youth Dance Collective, LA Contemporary Dance Company, and Invertigo Dance Theatre.

Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, founded in 1986, is a dance company of drama, wit, joy and invention, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. For this year's Invitational, NBDT will present "Body of Water," originally choreographed by Brodie in two parts in 2009 and 2010. NBDT will also offer "Beyond the River," (first premiered at the Ford in 2004), and "Fuerza" (which means force or strength) choreographed by NBDT member Javier Gonzalez. www.nannettebrodiedance.org

Lula Washington Dance Theatre is a 10-member modern dance company that was founded in 1980. Based in the inner city of South Central Los Angeles, the company has risen to become one of the largest and most admired African-American dance companies in the West. LWDT will present "Beautiful Venus and Serena," a tribute to the fabulous talents of the tennis stars Venus and Serena. www.lulawashington.org

Andy Vaca's Jazzworks-Long Beach is dedicated to preserving jazz dance as a viable concert dance form. Under the direction of Andy Vaca, Department of Dance Chair at California State University Long Beach, the company will present "General Education," a light-hearted and often poignant piece choreographed by Vaca and set to an eclectic score by Pink Martini.

COLABO Youth Dance Collective was established in 2008 by choreographer and dance educator Francisco Gella as a revolutionary alternative to competitive studio training and is affiliated with NUEVO School of Contemporary Dance in Chino, CA. The company will perform two pieces: "Stairway," an emotional journey associated with the human struggle to maintain connection and accept loss, choreographed by Francisco Gella, and "Stride," a contemporary piece exploring how empathy builds strength within humanity, choreographed by Saleemah E. Knight. www.nuevodance.com

L.A. Contemporary Dance Company is a non profit dance company based in downtown LA that performs a diverse repertoire of modern, ballet, and jazz-influenced works representative of LA's vibrant culture. LACDC will present "The Better To See You With," a dance theatre work that presents a dark, humorous, and graphic rendition of the "Little Red Riding Hood" story, choreographed by Holly Rothschild. www.ladanceco.org

Invertigo Dance Theatre is a Los Angeles-based company that creates whimsical, compelling dance theatre with a strong educational component, blending athleticism, theatricality, and a healthy sense of the absurd. They will present "Waiting at Home for the Witches," in which the husbands of the three sisters in Shakespeare's Macbeth are stuck at home waiting for their wives, getting into toil and trouble of their own. www.invertigodance.org

LA So-Cal Dance Invitational, presented by South Coast Dance Arts Alliance, will play one performance only, on Friday, June 20, at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Boulevard East, in Hollywood, CA, 90068. Showtime is8:30pm, and tickets are on sale now. Admission prices are $50 for a VIP package (includes premium seating, pre-show reception with company directors and gift bag), $30 (general admission), $20 (students), and $12 (children 12 or under). To purchase tickets, go to www.fordtheatres.org or call (323) 461-3673. General admission tickets purchased prior to June 2 receive a $5 discount. For more event information, visit www.socaldanceinvitational.org.

ABOUT THE FORD THEATRES: The Ford Theatres are located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068, just off the 101 Hollywood Freeway between Hollywood Blvd. and Barham Blvd. in the Cahuenga Pass. The grounds open two hours before showtime for picnicking. The Ford offers a number of dining options: a variety of food and beverages is available on site and box dinners for evening events may be ordered in advance. Patrons are welcome to bring their own food and drink.

The Ford is disabled accessible. Portable wireless listening devices are available upon request. On site, stacked parking costs $5 per vehicle for evening shows and $1 per vehicle for morning family shows. FREE nonstacked parking serviced by a FREE shuttle to the Ford, for evening amphitheatre performances only, is available at the Universal City/Studio City Metro Station parking lot at Lankershim Blvd. and Campo de Cahuenga. The shuttle, which cycles every 15-20 minutes, stops in the "kiss and ride" area. Please allow an extra 30 minutes if taking the shuttle.

This event is part of the Ford Theatres 2014 Summer Amphitheatre Season, a multi-disciplinary arts series produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County based arts organizations. A complete season schedule, directions to the amphitheatre and parking information can be found at FordTheatres.org.

Pictured: COLABO Youth Dance Collective.