'Dance at the Odyssey' 2023 Summer Mini-Fest Offers Nine World Premieres in Six Days

Odyssey Theatre Ensemble’s ongoing Dance at the Odyssey series, curated by series founder Barbara Mueller-Wittmann, has established West L.A.’s Odyssey Theatre as the go-to place to view contemporary dance. This summer, the series presents a two-weekend mini-fest of nine exciting world premieres by local choreographers.

• Friday, July 14 at 8 p.m.:
Choreographer Corina Kinnear contemplates the concept of time with the world premiere of Lost Time. Choreographer Hannah Millar examines emotions of feeling trapped in the world premiere of Boxed; shares an exploratory solo about how she approaches movement, choreography and life with the world premiere of Everything Up To Now; and delves into the unseen forces that guide us through dark and difficult moments in life with Beginning Is In The End, which is an excerpt from her full-length touring work, Let Us Bleed, Then Heal.

• Saturday, July 15 at 8 p.m.:
Movers from diverse backgrounds foster a community built by unique experiences that interact, clash and connect to birth a single, collective identity in the world premiere of Side by Side by choreographer Alejandro Perez.

• Thursday, July 20 at 8 p.m.:
The world premiere of S T Ä G E S by choreographer Friidom is a four-part performance installation paying respects and offering hope to those struggling with diseases that take their toll not only on individuals, but on caretakers and loved ones.

• Friday, July 21 at 8 p.m.:
Faith and the desire for truth drive the mystery of ritual; we bridge ourselves to feel God in the world premiere of Spectacle of Ritual by choreographer Marcella Lewis.

• Saturday, July 22 at 8 p.m.:
Choreographer Lara Wilson revisits and communes with her past and future self in the world premiere of The Interim, a retrospective of dances created in a matter of hours or days as documented on Super8 film nearly 10 years ago.

• Sunday, July 23 at 5 p.m.:
The world premiere of Metal, Plastic, Skin is a three-part, experimental solo by choreographer Vanessa Hernández Cruz exploring how “vulnerability fatigue” impacts her lived experiences as a disabled Chicana woman, and the way that medical equipment has imparted freedom, survival and assimilation in this inaccessible world. In the world premiere of borderlines, performance artist Chie Saito moves a 15-foot long stick throughout the space to explore borderlines that divide: “Was there a time when it did not matter where your friends were from? Was there a moment when our skin colors did not change our perspectives? Have you felt isolated being in a country away from yours? Don’t you wish to travel anywhere without restriction? What if we take away all the borderlines?”

WHERE:
Odyssey Theatre
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90025

PARKING:
On-site parking lot: $5.
Street parking available.

TICKET PRICE:
$25