Blue13's SHAADI is Outdoor, Immersive, Contemporary Bollywood Dance Celebration at Heritage Square Museum

You are invited to the Indian wedding of the season! Blue13 Dance Company requests your attendance at an outdoor, site-specific, audience immersive contemporary and Bollywood dance spectacular. Two performances of Shaadi (Hindi for "wedding") take place on Friday, Sept. 17 and Saturday, Sept. 18 at L.A.'s iconic Heritage Square Museum. Grab a mask and get ready to dance.

The audience is part of the wedding party as the dancers perform throughout the beautiful private grounds and Victorian mansions of Heritage Square's incomparable living history and open-air architecture museum. Drinks, music and a DJ are all part of the fun in a choose your own adventure-style experience that allows the "guests" to decide which characters in the story to follow (in socially-distanced pods) - the bride, the groom, or perhaps the rival ex - from the "cocktail party" in the gardens, to the ceremony on the porches, to the personal drama taking place inside the historic mansions.

"We wanted to create a celebratory, highly theatrical event in a COVID-safe and welcoming environment that's not just a park or a parking lot," says Blue13 artistic director and choreographer Achinta S. McDaniel. "Rather than acting as a backdrop, Heritage Square has inspired us. The work has become responsive to the site."

Blue13's highly energetic and theatrical style, performed by dancers of many backgrounds, draws from ballet, jazz, tap, modern, hip-hop, Bhangra, Kathak and Bollywood to tell unforgettable stories. A first-generation South Asian American, McDaniel pulls precision, humor and deep emotion from her ensemble to create rebellious and unconventional work that turns the cultural stereotype of Indian dance on its head.

Dancers Anthony Arellano, Jacquelyn Buckmaster-Wright, Alisa Carreras, Valerie Chen, Dante Corpuz, Robert Gomez, Kirby Harrell, Joya Kazi, Jacob Magana, Antonio Martinez, Monica Moskatow, William Okajima, Jared Rice, Myra Joy Veluz and Adrianna Vieux create the story.

Musicians include Punjabi drum ("dhol") group Dhol Nation, along with violinist and sarangi player Alma Cielo and percussionist Enrique Lara. DJ Sandeep Kumar fires up the turntables, playing Bollywood, Bhangra and Western hits.

Blue13 associate artistic director Jon Paul assistant choreographs.

Performances of Shaadi start at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17 and Saturday, Sept. 18 (gates open at 7 p.m.). Tickets are $75 ("head table" - includes wine and hors d'oeuvres); $35 ("wedding party" - includes wine); and $10 ("ring bearers" - limited quantity for students and 90031 residents only). The Heritage Square Museum is located at 3800 Homer St. in the Montecito Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. There is a free parking lot on Homer Street; ADA parking is available, but must be reserved in advance. To purchase tickets and for more information, go to www.blue13dance.com.

Proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours will be required of all patrons, and admittance is limited to ages 12+. All current CDC and local guidelines regarding seating and masks will be followed at each performance

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