February 6 – 9, 2025 at the Laguna Playhouse
Tickets on sale at https://lagunadancefestival.org/festival/
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif., Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ –– Laguna Dance proudly celebrates two decades of dance with its 20th Anniversary programming: The Laguna Dance Festival, a multi-day festival presented by Laguna Dance. This milestone season, guided by Founder and Artistic Director Jodie Gates, features a captivating lineup that honors dance artistry and community impact. The festivities will take place at the iconic Laguna Beach Playhouse from February 6-9, 2025, and include a master class taught by a visiting guest artist Sunday Feb. 9th at 10:30 a.m. at Laguna Beach High School prior to the matinee.
The landmark anniversary brings the renowned BalletX from Philadelphia and an exclusive gathering of principal dancers from esteemed companies and dance artists such as Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Houston Ballet Principal Dancers Beckanne Sisk and Chase O’Connell, Boston Ballet Principal Dancer Viktorina Kapitonova and second soloist Daniel Rubin, JA Collective, Jillian Meyers, Jake Tribus, and Joffrey Ballet’s Jeraldine Mendoza and Dylan Gutierrez. With repertory works by celebrated choreographers including Justin Peck, Dwight Rhoden, Jillian Meyers, Matthew Neenan, Jamar Roberts, Jennifer Archibald, Yuri Possokhov and Jodie Gates.
Under Ms. Gates’ creative direction, the 20th Anniversary Season promises to be a celebration of world-class performances that honor the festival’s legacy in dance, arts appreciation, and education. “It is with great enthusiasm that we are bringing such brilliant dancers to Laguna Beach for our 20th Anniversary Season,” she says. “Our four shows highlight our featured dance company, BalletX, along with renowned guest artists from across the nation that truly represent an important part of the fabric of our culture and the dance landscape. We are honored to be partnering with the Laguna Beach Music Festival for the live music component, The Laguna Playhouse for the stage, and proud to highlight three Southern California universities and our scholarship recipients. On behalf of our board of directors, our staff, volunteers and our patrons, we thank our beautiful community of Laguna Beach for continuing to embrace and support our mission.”
Festival Programming:
Thursday, February 6 at 7:30 PM
An Evening with BalletX and Live Music Program 1
Experience the artistry of BalletX, whose dancers have been hailed as “among America’s best” by The New York Times. This evening will feature:
- Honey, choreography by Jamar Roberts with music by Don Shirley.
- Mapping Out a Sky, a Matthew Neenan piece inspired by Stephen Sondheim’s music.
- World Premiere duet by Jodie Gates with music by Sergei Rachmaninoff. This performance is presented in collaboration with the Laguna Beach Music Festival and will feature live musical accompaniment.
- Q&A exploring the significance of collaborating with composers and choreographers in the artistic process.
Running time: 1 hour 15 minutes including post-show Q&A
Friday, February 7 at 7:30 PM
Featuring BalletX Program 2
Be captivated by BalletX as they present several Laguna premieres, including:
- Beautiful Once, choreography by Jodie Gates with music by Oscar-nominated composer, singer songwriter, Ryan Lott of Son Lux.
- Become a Mountain, choreography by Tony Award-winning choreographer Justin Peck set to music by Dan Deacon.
- Exalt, choreographed by the nationally acclaimed choreographer Jennifer Archibald, with music design by Foremost Poets.
Running time: 1 hour 15 minutes with one intermission and one pause
Saturday, February 8 at 7:30 PM
Stars of Dance – 20th Anniversary Performance (One Night Only)
Join us for an exclusive celebration of dance excellence featuring:
- From New York City to Chicago, and Boston to Houston and back to LA and the OC, this show features principal guest dancers from the Joffrey Ballet, Jeraldine Mendoza and Dylan Gutierrez, and Viktorina Kapitonova and Daniel Rubin from Boston Ballet, the sensational duo of JA Collective, Laguna favorites and principal dancers from Houston Ballet, Beckanne Sisk and Chase O’Connell, and nationally recognized artists Jillian Meyers and Jake Tribus.
- Repertory includes Beckanne Sisk and Chase O’Connell dancing the duet from the full-length ballet Romeo & Juliet, and Jeraldine Mendoza and Dylan Gutierrez will dance a duet choreographed by Yuri Possokhov. Viktorina Kapitonova and Daniel Rubin will dance Tsukiyo choreographed by Helen Pickett, and Ms. Kapitonova will dance the iconic Dying Swan solo. Jillian Meyers is creating a tap trio especially for this performance, and Jake Tribus will dance a world premiere solo choreographed by Jodie Gates.
- A blend of classical ballet, tap, and contemporary dance fills the evening. Micaela Taylor and Cyrian Reed will both have worked featured on the program along with Aiden Carberry and Jordan Johnson creating and dancing a duet by Ja Collective. Special appearances by Laguna Dance’s Young Artist Scholarship recipients and dance majors from UC Irvine and USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance will add a special educational element to this exciting program.
Running Time: 1 hour 45 minutes with one intermission
Sunday, February 9 at 2:00 PM
Stars of Dance – 20th Anniversary Matinee
End the festival with an exciting, family-friendly matinee featuring:
- Featured soloist dancers Jillian Davis, April Watson and Joe González from Complexions Contemporary Ballet and principal dancers Jeraldine Mendoza and Dylan Gutierrez from the Joffrey Ballet, and Beckanne Sisk and Chase O’Connell from Houston Ballet.
- Renowned choreographic works Ava Maria and Elegy by Dwight Rhoden, Elegy will be accompanied by live music. Featured works will also include Light Rain duet by choreographer Gerald Arpino, and the Joffrey Ballet couple will perform a duet choreographed by Yuri Possokhov. Included on the program is a new work by Jodie Gates created for Jake Tribus, a duet created and performed by JA Collective, and a tap trio created by dancer/choreographer Jillian Meyers.
- Performances by Chapman University dancers and Laguna Dance’s Young Artist Scholarship recipients are an exciting addition.
Running Time: 1 hour 30 minutes with one intermission
Tickets for this celebratory season are $75, and student tickets are $25 and are available now at https://lagunadancefestival.org/festival/.
An exciting highlight of this anniversary season is the addition of live music for select performances, made possible through the support of The Philharmonic Society. This collaboration brings an added dimension to the performances, enhancing the audience’s experience and deepening the connection between music and dance.
Laguna Dance
Since its establishment in 2005, the award-winning Laguna Dance has been a prominent force in presenting world-class dance performances across theaters, film, and public spaces. With an annual reach that spans thousands, the festival continually introduces new audiences to the realm of professional concert dance. As a nonprofit organization deeply devoted to the arts and community, Laguna Dance is driven by a commitment to collaboration, dance presentation, and education. Through an artistic lens, the organization strategically explores innovative ways to commission artists, educate young dancers, and bring people of all ages and cultures together.
Previous festival lineups boast a rich tapestry of national and international companies and artists, including Ballet BC, Malpaso, RUBBERBAND, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Parsons Dance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet West, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Black Grace, BalletX, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Abraham.In.Motion (A.I.M.), BODYTRAFFIC, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and representatives from San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet, and New York City Ballet, among numerous others.
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