Heidi Duckler Dance Comes to Ford Theatres Next Month

The Ford Theatres presents Heidi Duckler Dance's world premiere of Loaded, a powerful new work choreographed and directed by Duckler in the loading dock of the Ford Theatres. Performances are Saturday and Sunday, October 27 and 28, 2018 at 5:30pm.

Loaded takes advantage of the confined space of the Ford's loading dock to evoke themes of borders and space. As society contemplates the implications of erecting walls - both physical and psychological - Loaded explores how borders manifest in physical space, who is allowed inside and who is not, how control is confronted and how dreams of freedom are realized. Duckler's new work features HDD dancers Raymond Ejiofor, Lenin Fernandez, Micaela Taylor and Himerria Wortham, with live music composed and performed by Justin Scheid and lighting design by Christine Ferriter.

Heidi Duckler Dance (HDD) creates innovative dance experiences in nontraditional places and provides learning opportunities in diverse neighborhoods, inviting audiences and artists to engage with one another and connect with their communities.

Through its arresting site-specific practice, HDD hopes to inspire audiences to think differently about their assumptions of borders and "the other," and ideally to develop empathy for those who come from different places in our society.

"We are thrilled that the estimable Heidi Duckler will be utilizing our new loading dock as one of her sites," said Ford Theatres Executive Director Olga Garay-English. "With the County's considerable investment in the Ford's restoration, I felt that we needed to find ways for the creation of art to happen on more than just the Ford's traditional amphitheatre stage. Our new loading dock is the perfect space for an intimate production of this nature and I'm grateful to Heidi for adding to its purpose in such a meaningful and artistic way."

About Heidi Duckler Dance
Founded in 1985 by Artistic/Executive Director and choreographer Heidi Duckler, Heidi Duckler Dance has created memorable dance experiences in extraordinary locations for over two decades. Originally named Collage Dance Theatre, HDD began its site-specific work with Laundromatinee, a piece staged in a local laundromat. As dancers performed alongside whirring washers and dryers, Laundromatinee captured the collage ethos of the company, mixing art, movement, pop culture and interactivity in found spaces.

Drawing from the success of Laundromatinee, HDD continued to be a pioneer, creating site-specific works throughout the city. Experimenting with the outdoor environment as a theatre since her early days, Duckler has animated locations ranging from a baseball diamond (Stealing Home, 1993) to an empty swimming pool (Life in the Lap Lane, 1994) and the concrete basin of the Los Angeles River (Mother Ditch, 1995) to, most recently, tall ships in the Port of Los Angeles (Beyond the Waterfront, 2017). The company's ambition for site specificity and community engagement drives the work to new venues every year. In 2017 Heidi Duckler Dance served more than 5,000 residents in 19 communities across Southern California.

About Heidi Duckler
Heidi Duckler is the artistic director and founder of Heidi Duckler Dance in Los Angeles, California and Heidi Duckler Dance/Northwest in Portland, Oregon. Titled the "reigning queen of site-specific performance" by the Los Angeles Times, Duckler has created more than 200 dance pieces all over the world. Duckler earned a BS in Dance from the University of Oregon and an MA in Choreography from UCLA, and is currently a Board Member of the University of Oregon's School of Music and Dance Advancement Council. Awards include the Distinguished Dance Alumna award from the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, the Dance/USA and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Engaging Dance Audiences award, and the National Endowment of the Arts American Masterpiece award.

This event is part of IGNITE @ the FORD!, a series presented by the Ford Theatre Foundation comprised of nationally and internationally-renowned artists whose work is contemporary and reflective of the world in which we live. Seating is very limited for this intimate IGNITE experience. Tickets are available by visiting FordTheatres.org or by calling 323.461.3673.

About the Ford Theatres
At 1,200 seats, the Ford Theatres creates an intimate concert experience that is a favorite among Angelenos. This season, the Ford Theatres also introduces performances providing uniquely intimate experiences in which audience and performance fit entirely onto the stage, and others that take place in alternative spaces in the facility.

Each summer, the Ford hosts music, dance, theatre, film and family events reflective of the communities that comprise Los Angeles County. Proceeds from IGNITE @ the FORD! events benefit the Ford Theatre Foundation. The Ford is owned by the County of Los Angeles and operated in partnership with the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Ford Theatre Foundation. Nestled in a canyon of a County regional park in the Cahuenga Pass, the Ford Theatres has a rich history dating back to the 1920s. Audiences attending the 2018 Season will enjoy a fully revitalized Ford after the completion of a nearly three-year renovation project, including improved lighting and sound and the Ford Terrace Café on the new terrace - dubbed The Zev - with a menu by Crumble Catering.

The 2018 Season at the Ford Theatres is made possible through the support of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Additional support provided by Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, along with ABC7; the Caruso Family Foundation; the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; Chamber Music America; City National Bank; Discover Hollywood; First 5 LA; Fusicology; The James Irvine Foundation; KCETLink; KCRW; LAArtsOnline.com; Motev; The National Endowment for the Arts; NBC Universal; Southern California Edison; Union Bank; Univision; The Wasserman Foundation; Wells Fargo; and Yelp.com.