CalArts Dance and L.A. Dance Project Team up for a New Public Workshop Series

CalArts Dance event series launches Sept. 22 at L.A. Dance Project. | Image courtesy of Dimitri Chamblas.

A new initiative created by CalArts’ Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance Dean Dimitri Chamblas in partnership with L.A. Dance Project (LADP) is taking the form of public workshops, conversations, and open studio performances. The CalArts x LADP series, which involves CalArts Dance students, faculty and the public, kicks off on Sept. 22 and furthers CalArts presence in the greater Los Angeles arts community.

“School should not be a bubble,” Chamblas said in the press release. “When a dancer enters CalArts, they enter the dance world. We regard our students as the new generation of dancers contributing to the artistic culture of Los Angeles and beyond. Our collaboration with LADP unites CalArts, and its students and faculty, with this world-class center for performance and collaboration.”

Held on location at LADP’s creative headquarters in the L.A. Arts District, the first event features three workshops with CalArts’ newest critically and internationally acclaimed Dance faculty: Spenser Theberge, Samuel Wentz and Nina Flagg.

On Sept. 22, from 10-11:30 am, Ballet Technique instructor Theberge and dancer Jermaine Spivy lead an improvisation workshop that focuses on “group-authored structures, looking to the group to make physical choices, coordinate decisions, and find compositional strategies.”  Theberge’s choreography has been commissioned and shown internationally, at The Korzo Theater, Gothenburg Opera Dance Company, Place des Arts, The Julliard School and Queer Biennial III in L.A.

From 11:30 am-1 pm, contemporary dance instructor Wentz and choreographer Katherine Helen Fisher teach an upbeat dance class open to both dancers and non-dancers. Before coming to CalArts, Wentz has performed with companies such as Trisha Brown Dance Company, Jmy James Kidd, Wally Cardona & Jennifer Lacey and Mark Morris Dance Group.

After lunch from 2-3:30 pm, the third and final workshop of the day will be led by hip-hop dance instructor Flagg. A former principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, she and has worked with celebrated icons Prince, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder and Bette Midler.

Tickets are $5 for each workshop and can be purchased via Eventbrite.