Odyssey Theatre to Present 6th Annual, 6-Week DANCE AT THE ODYSSEY Festival

Odyssey Theatre Ensemble will kick off 2023 with its sixth annual Dance at the Odyssey festival, once again celebrating new and cutting edge contemporary dance in Los Angeles. Running six weeks, January 13 through February 19, each weekend will feature the work of a different company or choreographer including, in presentation order, No)one. Art House; Roya Carreras and Assaf Salhov; JA Collective; Jessie Lee Thorne's Poets in Motion; Suchi Branfman's Dancing Through Prison Walls; and DaEun Jung.

First up, No)one. Art House, which creates stimulating and approachable movement-based artistic experiences in locations throughout Los Angeles, will present the world premiere of six short works by local choreographers based in contemporary, hip hop, and experimental styles. Performances take place on Friday, January 13 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 14 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Jan. 15 at 2 p.m.

Weekend two will showcase the work of choreographers Roya Carreras (Los Angeles) and Assaf Salhov (New York), including the world premiere of Carreras' movement monologues The Stories We Tell Ourselves that play on fantasy vs. reality; and Salhov's The Song of Spies, a composition of dance and ancient songs featuring dancers Salhov and Nikki Holck. Performances take place on Friday, January 20 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m.

JA Collective returns to the Odyssey with their unique combination of hip-hop, popping and conceptual improv blended with contemporary, ballet and theater. Three performances of new work are set for Friday, January 27 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Jan. 29 at 2 p.m.

In February, Jessie Lee Thorne's Poets in Motion will explore the human response to retreat, disconnection and sitting alone in our dark places in times of pain with the world premiere work The Something In Between on Friday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m.

Next, Dancing Through Prison Walls, developed by choreographer Suchi Branfman during a ten-year residency inside a medium-security state prison for men in Norco, California, will present DATA or 7 ways to dance a dance through prison walls on Friday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m., and on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Finally, closing out the festival, Byoulnorri by choreographer DaEun Jung features Pansori (Korean folk opera); electronic beats; irregular folk rhythms; Hangul (Korean alphabet system); and chance operation that deconstruct, reinterpret and transform classical Korean dance vocabulary. Friday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m.

The 2023 Dance at the Odyssey festival is curated by Barbara Mueller-Wittmann. Beth Hogan and Barbara Mueller-Wittmann produce for Odyssey Theatre Ensemble.

All tickets to the dance festival are $25. The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90025. On-site parking is available for $5. For more information, visit www.OdysseyTheatre.com.