Alejandro Cerrudo News

Glorya Kaufman, in 2012, instituted the first new school at the University of Southern California in 40 years; the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, to broaden the curriculum for obtaining a professional dance degree, or BFA. Up until that time, most colleges and universities offered classes in mostly ballet and modern styles, and courses regarding the history of dance and noted choreographers, which gives a solid foundation to become a concert dancer; but here in Los Angeles, especially, there is such a wide variety of dance styles, mediums, and avenues dancers nowadays can take and branch out with a much more focused, but well-rounded and complete acquired knowledge base. The USC Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center, with space for USC Kaufman's entire curriculum for The New Movement, officially opened October 5, 2016. It is a brick-and-mortar celebration of dance and movement, giving the school's leaders Dean Robert Cutietta and Vice Dean and Artistic Director Jodie Gates a unique opportunity to rethink the vision of a professional dance degree and build a diverse, flexible, globally-minded curriculum unencumbered by previous outdated requirements. The dancers in training in today's world are much more prepared to tackle their future because of programs and curriculums like these. And to be of an age where you have the opportunity to attend a higher education institution with such specificity so early in life is incredibly valuable. This will be the very first graduating class, and after seeing them perform at their Spring Dance Performance last week at USC's Bing Theatre I have no doubt they all will succeed at their hopes and dreams, and will greatly contribute to a myriad of artistic endeavors and accomplishments.

How sad it was that the same night that I attended the opening of the Juilliard School's Spring Dances 2019, Lawrence Rhodes, the previous director of Juilliard's Dance Division, former head of NYU's Tisch School of Dance, and a damned good dancer himself, passed away. What does one say? It's sad, but knowing the Division is now in the hands of the excellent Alicia Graf Mack and that the performance was of such high caliber-we should all be grateful for the work he did and the legacy he's passed on.

SFDanceworks is pleased to announce its fourth season featuring a West Coast premiere by Alejandro Cerrudo, a Bay Area premiere by Olivier Wevers, as well as newly commissioned works by Brett Conway,Laura O'Malley and Andrea Schermoly. SFDanceworks' Season Four takes place at the Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture. Tickets, $20 - $60, will go on sale next month via a direct link at sfdanceworks.org or by phone at (415) 345-7575.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's upcoming Summer Series program will feature highlights from the company's recent repertoire, including work by acclaimed choreographers Brian Brooks, Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo and Crystal Pite. The program will premiere at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park (205 East Randolph Street) on Thursday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m., followed by performances Saturday, June 8 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 9 at 3 p.m.  Tickets are now on sale.

The Joyce Theater Foundation (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) is pleased to announce the return of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC), from March 6-17 at The Joyce Theater. The company makes its first return to The Joyce since 2015, and each week of this extended engagement is dedicated to works by in-demand choreographers Ohad Naharin and Crystal Pite respectively.

Juilliard Dance, led by director Alicia Graf Mack, continues its season with Spring Dances, a repertory program featuring Martha Graham's The Rite of Spring, Bill T. Jones' D-Man in the Waters (Part 1); and Alejandro Cerrudo's Little mortal jump.

The Joyce Theater Foundation (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) is pleased to announce the return of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC), from March 6-17 at The Joyce Theater. The company makes its first return to The Joyce since 2015, and each week of this extended engagement is dedicated to works by in-demand choreographers Ohad Naharin and Crystal Pite respectively.

Hubbard Street, a well-established Contemporary Dance Company presents an interesting collage of dance pieces that are demanding technique-wise yet so fluid and rhythmic they make it look effortless and fresh. I say collage because the evening painted a bigger picture through each piece, making it complete by the finish. The sixteen dancers are amazing physical interpreters of a feeling, a mood, an emotion, a vibe. They are strong, versatile and vibrant. The pieces by themselves are each complex, deep, bold, unique; with maximum controlled energy, extreme focus and inner and outer strength required, or rather, mandatory to perform them. That verbiage might seem a bit jumbled, but it's what I felt after seeing these dancers perform... (That's my stream-of-consciousness statement)

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet's bold vision - top global choreographers, distinctive groundbreaking repertoire, and virtuoso dancers - has fostered a jewel of a dance company in the American West.  Now, ASFB celebrates the fourth year of its residency at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) with a program of works that celebrates the company's commitment to creating new contemporary dance on Saturday, January 19 at 8:00pm. ASFB will perform Tuplet by Alexander Ekman, Dream Play by Fernando Melo, and 1st Flash from world-renowned Finnish choreographer Jorma Elo.

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts presents the highly anticipated West Coast premiere of excerpts from the first collaboration between the acclaimed Chicago-based company Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, considered a major force in contemporary dance, and Grammy Award-winning Third Coast Percussion with three performances on Thursday, January 10 through Saturday, January 12, 2019, at 7:30 pm.

In the Auditorium Theatre's 129th year of existence, we honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the 13th annual Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah; asked "What's This?" on Halloween with a special screening and the Midwest premiere of Disney in Concert's The Nightmare Before Christmas; and sang along to timeless classics like "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" and "Grease" with Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. We reveled alongside the dancers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; celebrated Ballet Nacional de Cuba's return to Chicago following a 15-year absence; highlighted top local dance companies, including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Giordano Dance Chicago; and got transported to Mexico with the colorful music and dance of Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez. We also hosted the 14th  year of our Hearts to Art summer camp, a performing arts camp for young people who have experienced the death of a parent; welcomed over 5,000 students to our Student Matinees; and brought thousands of people from across the city to the theatre through our ADMIT ONE program.

A wonderful, young and gifted company, full of enthusiasm and modern moves, the LA Ballet Company delivered a surefooted performance at the Alex Theatre, October 6th, 2018. There are two more performances coming up; one at Royce Hall, UCLA, October 13th, and another at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, October 20, of this same program.

Los Angeles Ballet (www.losangelesballet.org), the city's own and only professional classical ballet company, announces its 2018-2019 Season that includes both classical and contemporary programming.

In September 2017, Works & Process presented 'Falls the Shadow,' a site-specific work made in and for the Guggenheim rotunda. Created by American Ballet Theatre principal Daniil Simkin, the work featured performances by Simkin, ABT soloist Cassandra Trenary, Hubbard Street dancers Ana Lopez and Brett Conway; choreography by Alejandro Cerrudo; projections by Dmitrij Simkin; interactive media by Arístides Job García Hernández; and costumes by Dior.

On the occasion of their 40th anniversary, world-renowned Hubbard Street Dance Chicago returns to Jacob's Pillow with a diverse program featuring today's leading contemporary choreographers including Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, resident choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo, and founder Lou Conte. Praised as "a near-perfect storm of movement, music, and choreography" (Los Angeles Times), Hubbard Street brings an eclectic repertoire performed by an impeccably strong, technically-driven ensemble of dancers to the Ted Shawn Theatre, August 1-5.

ZHONG-JING FANG, soloist of American Ballet Theatre, PAOLA HARTLEY, former principal dancer of Ballet Arizona, KARL CONDON, former principal dancer of the Boston Ballet, and ILYA KOZADAYEV, former soloist of the Houston Ballet will be on the Shreveport Dance Academy's Summer Intensive to be held in Shreveport, Louisiana.   Zhong-Jing Fang and Paola Hartley will be on the faculty from July 23-27, 2018, and Karl Condon and  Ilya Kozadayev will be on the faculty from July 30-August 3, 2018.  

Juilliard Dance announces its 2018-19 season of performances of world premieres, masterworks in repertory, and new works developed by Juilliard students. The cornerstone of the season is New Dances: Edition 2018, featuring four world-premiere dances by innovative choreographers Stefanie Batten Bland (fourth-year class), alumnus Peter Chu (third-year class), Nelly van Bommel (second-year class), and Marcus Jarrell Willis (first-year class). Performances take place December 7, 8, 10, and 11, at 7:30pm and December 9 at 3pm in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater. In the spring semester, Juilliard Spring Dances features repertory works by acclaimed choreographers: Bill T. Jones' D-Man in the Waters (Part 1); Alejandro Cerrudo's Little Mortal Jump; and Martha Graham's The Rite of Spring. Performances take place on March 27-29, at 7:30pm and March 30, at 2pm and 7:30pm in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater.

A classic from Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato alongside world premieres by Danielle Rowe and James Sofranko highlight SFDanceworks' third season June 8 - 10. Rounding out the program is a duet by Penny Saunders, a recent recipient of the Princess Grace award for choreography. SFDanceworks' Season Three takes place at the Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture. Tickets, $20 - $60, are now on sale via sfdanceworks.org/season-three or by phone at (415) 345-7575.

Margaret Selby, President of Selby Artists Management, announced today that Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) will join her roster of internationally acclaimed dance companies.  Selby said, “I have long admired Peter Boal for the artistic vision he has brought to Pacific Northwest Ballet and for his ability to train dancers to develop their technique and the passion necessary to perform at the highest level.  This company deserves to be seen by more audiences who are certain to embrace the diversity of its repertoire and the skill of its exceptional dancers.”