EMPOWERMENT: MAXINE & BELLA to be Presented at The Lankershim Arts Center

The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Performing Arts Division's (PERF) EMPOWERMENT project will return for its second year. Honoring women artists and activists who have impacted and redefined the human experience, EMPOWERMENT is a festival-style weekend of performances, social action, creative workshops, and documentary screenings. In 2024, EMPOWERMENT will honor the work of two National Medal of the Arts winners: Maxine Hong Kingston, an American born Chinese writer and educator and Bella Lewitzky, an American choreographer and lifelong advocate for artistic freedom in dance.

The EMPOWERMENT: Maxine + Bella celebration will include three days of arts activities at DCA's Lankershim Arts Center, located in the heart of the NoHo Arts District at: 5108 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91601. All festival events are free and open to the public, but due to limited space, reservations are highly recommended via Brown Paper Tickets. For more information, please call: 213.270.8200.

An embodiment of DCA|PERF's commitment to investing in hyperlocal creative communities and individual artists, the City has commissioned Bernard Brown, Mona Jean Cedar, Chris Emile, Caitlin Javech, Ibuki Kauramochi, Genna Moroni, Siwaraya Rochanahusdin, and Tracy Silver to perform dance and spoke word works that illuminate and reference the impact of Kingston and Lewitzky. Funded through DCA's Lankershim Program Fund (LPF), the artists will ignite the stage with electrifying performances.

The weekend line-up is as follows:

Friday, April 26, 2024

Performance at 8:00 p.m. Register

A celebration of Maxine Hong Kingston and Bella Lewitzky in spoken word and dance pieces by: Bernard Brown, Mona Jean Cedar, Chris Emile, Caitlin Javech, Ibuki Kauramochi, Genna Moroni, Siwaraya Rochanahusdin, and Tracy Silver.

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Youth Writing Class with Maxine Hong Kingston from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Register

Adult Writing Class with Maxine Hong Kingston from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Register

Screening and Discussion from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Register

A film screening of "Maxine Hong Kingston: Talking Story," followed by a conversation with Maxine Hong Kingston about Asian American artists and the legacy of female storytelling in literature.

Performance at 8:00 p.m. Register

A celebration of Maxine Hong Kingston and Bella Lewitzky in spoken word and dance pieces by: Bernard Brown, Mona Jean Cedar, Chris Emile, Caitlin Javech, Ibuki Kauramochi, Genna Moroni, Siwaraya Rochanahusdin, and Tracy Silver.

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Bella-Inspired Parent + Me Dance Class from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Register

Taught by LMU Professor Kristen Smiarowski for walking toddlers through age 4-year-old children with caregivers. Siblings and pre-walkers can join, as long as each child has an adult. Make it a family affair!

Intermediate/Adv. Lewitzky Dance Class from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Register

Taught by Walter Kennedy, who was a principal dancer with Lewitzky Dance Company for nearly twenty years and served the company's rehearsal director from 1990 until the company's farewell performance in 1997. Accompanied percussionist T.J. Troy, this class is for the intermediate/professional trained dancer.

Screening & Discussion from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Register

A film screening of "Bella" followed by a conversation with the film's Director, Bridget Murnane and Choreographer Lula Washington, moderated by Emily Wanserski.

Performance at 6:00pm Register

A celebration of Maxine Hong Kingston and Bella Lewitzky in spoken word and dance pieces by: Bernard Brown, Mona Jean Cedar, Chris Emile, Caitlin Javech, Ibuki Kauramochi, Genna Moroni, Siwaraya Rochanahusdin, and Tracy Silver.

All artists, moderators and speakers are subject to change without notice.

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