Lula Washington Dance Theater Comes To Luckman Auditorium 5/15

Lula Washington, who has just been nominated for a Fred and Adele Astaire Award for choreographing the motion picture, "AVATAR", will present her dance company in a 30th anniversary concert at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at 8 pm. The concert will involve a world premiere - "Reign" by hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris, winner of the 2010 Guggenheim Prize for Dance - as well as several recent new works and favorites from the last three decades.

Lula Washington will reprise her newest ballet "www.connections.2010" for the Luckman concert. This work focuses on the way that cell phones, the internet and technology dominate all aspects of life, including romantic relationships. As part of this dance, one woman finds romance online, while an egotistical male gets dumped via text. Pasadena visual artist, J-Walt, will create on-the-spot video visual art for "www.connections.2010". This work was commissioned and premiered in January at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

About The Fred Astair Award

Earlier this week, Lula Washington received news that she had been nominated in New York City for a Fred and Adele Astaire Award for her choreography for the film mega hit: AVATAR.

The Award honors excellence in dance on stage and in film. Lula created movement for the Na vi people in James Cameron's fictional planet, Pandora. Lula and her dance company members spent about two years working on the film.

The Fred and Adele Astaire Award Nominating Committee was comprised of: Anna Kisselgoff, former Chief Dance Critic, New York Times; Wendy Perron, Editor in Chief of Dance Magazine; Sylviane Gold, freelance dance columnist for Dance Magazine, The New York Times, and Newsday; and Damian Woetzel, former lead dancer of the New York City Ballet, and current Artistic Director of The Vail Institute.

"I'm honored just to be nominated in such prestigious company," said the ever-humble Lula Washington upon hearing the news. In the film category with Lula Washington, nominees were Marguerite Derricks for the movie, "Fame"; and Rob Marshal and John DeLuca for the movie, "Nine". Modern dance choreographers Twyla Tharp and Bill T. Jones were nominated for their respective Broadway shows, "Come Fly Away" and "Fela."

LUCKMAN AUDITORIUM LOCATION:
Cal State LA Campus
5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90032
(DIRECTIONS)

Online Tickets: http://www.luckmanarts.org

Box Office: 323-343-6600

For more information on the Lula Washington Dance Theatre view their web page at: www.lulawashington.org or call the studio at 323-292-5852