Thank goodness for Shen Yun—now there’s finally a show to which I can give a good review! It’s the best presentation I’ve seen in quite a while!

Shen Yun Performing Arts. (I emulated this iconic number with my too-long sleeves for Laura later that day, and she knew what I was doing right away!)

This is the third time I’ve seen this gorgeous dance troupe, and if it’s even possible, I enjoy it more each time. My friend Laura had never seen them before and she was equally bowled over. We were both so impressed.

I don’t know if there are enough superlatives in the world to explain just how stunning Shen Yun’s creations are. But I’ll try my best to paint you a picture.

The show consists of about nineteen different numbers, all exactly the right length. There’s a beautiful variety of tales and choreography, some serious, some amusing, and all charming. It’s a wonder that they come up with these spectacular and creative numbers all the time.

Each dancer is exquisite on his or her own, but together, the ensemble is incredible! And every one of them appears to be in love with what they’re doing.

Each number begins with a stunning tableau. And then the dancers start moving and it becomes even more magical!

Everything about Shen Yun is so colorful, which you know I adore: the costumes, the digital backdrops, (which are occasionally even animated,) and even the dancers’ hair from time to time. In one all-male scene, their tresses are purple, to match their wardrobe! And just how do they keep changing the hairstyles so quickly? I need to learn their hairdresser’s secret.

Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Getting back to the exquisite backdrops, both Laura and I loved when the dancers appeared to jump right out of them onto the stage. It happened several times, and many audience members squealed with delight each time. I know that I could not help it.

There are two hosts throughout the show, Anna Yan and Ben Freed, who are very informative. They introduce each number and give us the explanations of what we’re about to see. In both English and Chinese! I love that the beautiful programs give us a brief synopsis of each dance, but for people like me, who don’t think to read them before the show begins, Anna and Ben are really helpful.

Ben also let us know that Shen Yun produces new numbers every year, and told us that what we’re seeing is “classical Chinese dance,” which is “one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.” But he needn’t have even mentioned that because…we can see it! The art is just jaw-dropping. I couldn’t stop myself from constantly exclaiming “wow” and “oh my gosh” out loud!

Adding to the artistry of the production is a quartet of classical musical interludes, all with the same accompanying pianist. The one that featured a woman playing an erhu, which is a Chinese instrument akin to a violin, was my favorite. And the wonderful live orchestra throughout the program is indeed a bonus.

Shen Yun Performing Arts.

You can tell that so much work goes into every aspect of Shen Yun, including the makeup. In a few of the numbers, some of the dancers even rock great “elders” makeup. I was trying to figure-out how they do it, with the aid of my trusty binoculars, because it brought back a funny college memory for me. The quick version is that, because I was a theater major, I had to take a makeup-for-stage class. As someone who has loved doing glamour makeup since I was a teenager, I figured I’d breeze right through it. But we had to do character makeup, which is quite different from just trying to look good to go out. The teacher never complimented me on anything I did. And then we had to make-up our faces to look like elderly Chinese gentlemen, complete with little white goatees. The teacher took one look at my work for that assignment, and exclaimed, “You really do not like to obliterate your face, do you?!” I didn’t know what she meant until I looked in the mirror a little more critically this time, and noticed that I still looked just like myself, only with some white facial hair glued on my chin! I almost failed the class because of that one misstep. True story.

Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Another true story is that I literally wanted to see Shen Yun again the very next day after Laura and I had just done so!!! So I’m heavily suggesting that you take the opportunity to see the show when it comes to a city near you, which is a strong possibility since Shen Yun is a worldwide phenomenon.

For their entire schedule, and more info on the show, in general, please just click on this link: www.shenyun.org.

I think there is no easier theatre experience in all of Los Angeles than the Sierra Madre Playhouse! They have free parking, nice personnel, an interesting variety of very affordable offerings, and it’s in an adorable little town. So I try to go there whenever I can.

Diavolo in action. Photo by Karen Salkin.

To that end, I got up at the crack of dawn the other day to see one of their shows, the Diavolo acrobatic group, which turned-out to start at…11AM! (That is honestly the crack of dawn for me.) It was so special to see a stage show in the morning, so I’m glad I did it.

I first saw Diavolo on America’s Got Talent in 2017. It was a grand scale work, featuring a giant halfmoon-shaped structure that the dozens of performers jumped on and off in amazing choreography, so that’s what I was expecting here. And I could not imagine how they were going to do such a grandiose piece on such an intimate stage.

However, in this show at Sierra Madre Playhouse, there was a cast of only four with one “host” who explained it all as we went along. And they worked with doors, ladders, and an ottoman. Just as I wrote a note that this was “more of an educational presentation,” the host mentioned that what we were seeing was part of the company’s “educational program.” I love getting it right!

I did not know that distinction beforehand, or I honestly would have sat this one out. So I have to admit that my friend, Nina2, and I were not enthralled by what we were seeing, (as I was upon viewing them on AGT,) but we did appreciate it, anyway. It was great to see physical artists so up-close. We don’t get that opportunity in bigger venues.

If this quintet of talent is any indication, (which I know it is,) the Diavolo company is populated with daredevils. And the ones we saw all seem like good kids on top of that, which was good to witness.

An audience member on the ladder, about to do a trust fall with the troupe. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Speaking of kids, Nina2 said this is a fun show for children. There were several in the audience, and we didn’t hear any restlessness from them, (nor from anyone,) in the hour-long presentation. One boy even got to be among the half dozen audience members who were brought on stage to learn “trust falls.” (Perhaps that one bit is why the production is entitled “Trust.”)

The entire experience of attending a performance at the Sierra Madre Playhouse is so peaceful and pleasant. Both Nina2 and I love that town! We walked around after the show and checked-out every eatery, and then wound-up on the patio of the biggest one for lunch. Feel free to copy our plan anytime.

For the most up-to-date info on all of Sierra Madre Playhouse’s schedule: www.sierramadreplayhouse.org

No holiday season is complete without seeing at least one version of the classic ballet, The Nutcracker. So, for our final fun event of this year, my friend Roz and I chose to see the Pasadena Dance Theatre’s lovely production. Besides that the show itself was fabulous, the entire experience was wonderful because it was presented in a building that was new to both of us—the historic San Gabriel Mission Playhouse! We loved seeing everything that day, including the charming surrounding area.

Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one above.

Even though PDT’s 2025 schedule is over, I’m still telling you about it because everyone in Southern California needs to put it in their new 2026 appointment books! I promise that you won’t want to miss it next year.

There was sooo much talent on that stage! My mind is boggled that PDT did all that gorgeous work for just a handful of performances! (Four main ones and one early morning community-only one, along with a bit of it for a special Gala.) That shows just how dedicated the dance world artists are to bring us all that beauty.

Pasadena Dance Theatre’s The Nutcracker featured a really big cast—I found-out later that it consisted of over fifty dancers! It starred guest artists, Elise Holmes and Lester Gonzalez, as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, and had multiple casts for many of the other roles. (I saw Isabel Saenz de Maturana as Clara.) Even two days later, Roz told me that she was “loving the Sugar Plum Fairies still dancing with music in my head.”

Clara and her Prince in the center. Photo by Karen Salkin.

But I couldn’t keep my eyes off all the adorable tiny children who danced throughout. They brought a smile to my face each time they appeared. They were all so into dancing and were totally serious about what they were doing—no mucking about here! Their roles were as party guests at first, and then they portrayed some of the toy soldiers in the battle with the mice. How fun for them!

I also noted that even most of the grown-up dancers looked pretty young. It turned-out that many were advanced Conservatory students, or the company’s youth performers. What a wonderful experience to have at those ages.

And a major shout-out to Jessamyn Vedro’s choreography. That was an incredible amount of creating for one person, and she did a magnificent job.

Although I’ve seen more than two dozen productions of The Nutcracker in my life, and at least five in the past few years, I’m not an exact expert on the entire scenario. But I have to say that several elements of this one seemed a bit varied from the usual tale to me, which was fine; I think that every company presents this classic tale a bit differently from each other, which is what makes seeing them all that much more special.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

For example, in this telling, the mice are now mostly females! In ballgowns, to boot! (Perhaps they were a mash-up of party guests and rodents in the dream of the main character, young Clara.) And I later noticed that in the program they’re referred to as “Rats” instead of “Mice.” That’s an interesting change. I’m terrified of both vermin, so I was just as frightened as I always am at seeing them gigantic like that.

And I think that Clara and her Nutcracker Prince had much more to do in this one than in the others I’ve seen. I believe that in most renditions, those two sit on a throne or in a sled while getting entertained by all of the other dancers in Act II, rather than dance a lot themselves, so that extra activity for them was fun to witness.

I also noticed in the in-depth program, (which I wish that every dance company would provide, exactly like this one, which even includes every dancer’s name!,) that instead of the dancers or “dolls” from other countries coming to them, Clara and her entourage traveled around the world to see those international numbers. (The program lists the countries, and they changed the usual “Russia” to “Ukraine,” which was a good political statement. But they also changed “France” to “Scotland,” so I don’t know what was up with that switch.)

Part of the final curtain call. Photo by Karen Salkin.

The costumes and sets were all colorful and spot-on. We sat pretty far back, but you get a great view of the full tableau that way, and I kept thinking how beautiful it all was.

And, of course, Roz and I both adored hearing Tchaikovsky’s stunning score once again.

I loved being part of a very appreciative audience, which included even all the young kids in attendance. It’s wonderful that so many youngsters get to have this experience, which I have a feeling is more affordable than most of the other Nutcrackers around town.

The guest photo op in the lobby. Photo by Karen Salkin.

As to the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, the entire lobby area was tons of fun. There was a charming photo op display, lots of creative gifts to purchase, and a raffle of appealing items, such as a jeweled tiara, so the winner can emulate the Sugar Plum Fairy! (You know that I wanted to win that one!) They even had attractive concessions in two pretty areas of the premises. I honestly never saw those mouthwatering snacks before!

I will definitely be happy to pay a return visit to that interesting venue, for this ballet next year and for any of their other presentations at all times.

Because we should all support ballet companies for more than just their December offerings, here’s the link to the Pasadena Dance Theatre’s site: www.pasadenadancetheatre.org.

As you may already be aware, Mr. X rarely comes anyplace with me voluntarily, except to the Wallis in Beverly Hills. We both know that you can never go wrong there.

I don’t have pix of two of the numbers from the show, but here’s the Wallis’ gorgeous Christmas tree. You can see the equally-attractive Chanukkah display on the right side of the pic, which is right across from the Box Office. Photo by Karen Salkin.

On top of Mr. X loving that theatre as much as I do, he was happy to see this new BodyTraffic show because the company was so great when we saw them there last year. And they continue to be.

We had another perfect time at the Wallis that night. Everything was good, from the always-nice Box Office personnel, to the kind staff member who offered to take our picture in front of their gorgeous Christmas tree, to the much-appreciated-by-everyone complimentary drinks before the show, to the cute, sweet, and helpful young dancer we chatted with on the patio, (who I fully expect to see on some stage soon,) to Drew, the company’s new PR guy, to, of course, the actual show!

Once again all the BodyTraffic dancers were superior, none more so than Chandler Davidson, who became my favorite dancer a year ago, and has retained that status with this performance.

This presentation featured a quartet of very diverse and just-the-right-duration dances. They were a wonderful mix!

The first one, titled Schachmatt (Checkmate), was the longest, at about twenty minutes. But they flew by. I had whispered to Mr. X that some of the choreography reminded me of Bob Fosse’s works, and when I read about the piece later, I learned that part of it was inspired by exactly that!

The photo op display on the Wallis patio. Photo by Karen Salkin.

The number began so simply, with the ten dancers doing uncomplicated-yet-effective moves that even I can still do, (which, believe me, is a miracle,) but it looked fabulous with all of them doing those Fosse-like moves ensemble. And it grew from there. I loved it!

It reminded me a bit of ’60s movies, and featured very fun and creative choreography by Cayetano Soto. And, as had happened when I saw this company a year ago here, my eye was drawn to Chandler Davidson. I’m so thrilled he’s still with this company. As I declared back then, and is still the case, he’s in my pantheon of dancers! He took my breath away once again. I really would like to see a show of just Chandler sometime in my life!

The design for the piece was a chessboard, so to that end, light-colored squares of material were placed on the dark stage floor. But…one of them came up a bit in the first couple of minutes! I was worried the whole time that a dancer was going to trip on it, as I’m sure I would have. (Okay, with that level of concern, I have now officially turned into my mother!)

Coalescence. Photo courtesy of BodyTraffic.

The second offering, Coalescence, choreographed by the lead dancer in it, Jordyn Santiago, consisted of beautiful fluid movements from the cast of a half dozen women. Prior to this, and not since I was a little girl ballet dancer, fascinated by ballerinas on toe, had I enjoyed seeing numbers with only females in them. I really need the guys. But this one was stunning! During it, I wrote a note, “This company is not fooling around!”

At the top of the show, BodyTraffic Founding Artistic Director, Tina Finkelman Berkett, explained a bit of what all of the compositions are about, which is immensely helpful, and of this one she said that it’s a tale of Jordyn’s life journey. I don’t know how I would have interpreted it otherwise, but it looked to me a bit like a bunch of tall Greek goddesses accepting a shorter one into their fold, so I’d take it as a tale of acceptance, which is always good. There seemed to be a lot of angst involved with the narrative, so it’s very similar to real life. But I believe that it ended up happy; at least I was happy to witness all that beauty!

Flyland, perhaps Mr. X’s fave of the evening, came after intermission. When it was over, he admiringly said, “That was really interesting,” an assessment with which I totally agree. A couple was doing most of the dancing lying on the floor, while the same duo was seen in projections on the giant backdrop. Neither of us could tell if the two dancers’ movements’ mirrored what was already recorded and shown in the projections, or if they were being shot from above and that’s what we were seeing projected live. That’s how exact their movements were. It was actually quite fascinating.

The wonderful evening ended with prolific creator Trey McIntyre’s Secret Goodbye, which he choreographed and brought together with the quartet of dancers in…just two weeks! Who does that??? So impressive. And it’s all set to Sam Cooke music, which I adore.

Secret Goodbye. Photo courtesy of BodyTraffic.

It had some of the most different choreography that I’ve ever seen, including the group even sort-of goonily dancing happily together at times, like little kids. Very joyous. But then it looked like each one perhaps died at some point—they leaned backwards and were caught by the others while we heard loud heartbeats.

So I’m not sure what it was all supposed to mean, (except perhaps the journey of life from childhood to old age,) but I didn’t care about that at all because I got to see Chandler Davidson again in it! Just as I had made a note before this number that, as good as the entire show was, for me “it needed a little more Chandler,” there he was. (By the way—I’m not alone in my extreme admiration for him—the entire audience cheered the most and the loudest for him that night. And, I have a feeling, every night.)

The very happy final curtain call. That’s Chandler Davidson taking his bow. Photo by Karen Salkin.

I suggest that whenever you have the chance to see a BodyTraffic show, you take it! No matter the venue. They perform all over the world.

But I say to see them especially at the Wallis, one of the overall most interesting theatres, (because the building was the stately Beverly Hills Post Office back in the day,) where every seat is perfect.

As a matter of fact, because this company’s offerings are always soooo popular, we were seated about three or four rows from the back on the side for the first time ever, and…we found those seats to have incredible sightlines! We were sooo comfortable up there. It just solidified my contention that all seats are wonderful in that venue!

I want you all to never miss either a BodyTraffic show or seeing something at the Wallis, so here are the websites you should really check-out for future performances:  www.thewallis.org   www.bodytraffic.com

The producers of the World Choreography Awards, (WCA,) outdid themselves with their fifteenth annual awards show this year! It was my ninth time attending the event, and I’m so glad that I made the effort to be there, as did soooo many people in the field, even in this week’s downpour. And we all dressed to impress despite the rain, so big props to us.

Once again, I majorly applaud the producers, Allen Walls and Cheryl Baxter-Ratliff, for giving choreographers their much-deserved due. And by extension, dancers get acknowledged, as well. That makes me so happy because, as I always say, dance is the most under-appreciated art. (Just go to my “Dance” section, and you’ll see how I’ve ranted about that injustice through the years.)

Paula Abdul in the center, with some of her former dancers. Photo by Karen Salkin.

This year’s rendition of the World Choreography Awards were held at the Avalon in Hollywood, for the fifth time, (that I know of.) And it was extra-packed! Perhaps that was due to their Legacy Award going to none other than Paula Abdul! I must say that after seeing all the tributes to her, and clips of her long and storied career, I have a whole new appreciation for the woman! I had no idea she was that prolific! And she looked great, by the way, which is always a bonus in my book.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. You know that my linear mind has to go in order of the evening.

Karen Salkin and Hector Guerrero. Photo by…Hector’s friend!

My friend, Marc, and I had a wonderful time even before the show began. We mingled in the happening lobby and ran into many creative people we know. At one point, I looked at the handsome man next to me, and recognized him to be none other than Hector Guerrero, who had just done the choreography for the new musical Perfect World, which I reviewed at the beginning of the month!  We had a nice meeting, which we had never done before—I had only seen him at that opening, and he had only read, (and kindly appreciated,) my review! So this was a first, (of, I hope, many,) for both of us, thanks to the WCAs!

And just as we were done taken pix of us to send to someone from that show, who should walk off the red carpet right at us but Paula Abdul herself! She and Marc had a mutual acquaintance, so they shared a nice little moment about the guy.

And the camaraderie went on like that all night. We were also warmly greeted by both Allen and Cheryl separately, and I had a wonderful moment with the most gracious woman in show biz, choreographer-extraordinaire, Anita Mann. She told me that she’s been working on a Dance Hall of Fame, which I absolutely cannot wait for. What a wonderful idea!!! It’s such a good one that I’m ashamed that I hadn’t thought of it!

Photo by Karen Salkin.

The show itself was excellent. It consisted of eight categories of choreography awards with five performances interspersed at just the right intervals. That was all just right. I think we all appreciated how perfectly brief most of the acceptance speeches were, since people with this incredible body talent express themselves mostly through movement, as opposed to talking. (But I do have to acknowledge that many of the presenters spoke way too long. And about themselves! Who did they think they were—me??)

Here are some of the highlights of the entire presentation:

There were beautiful graphics and lighting throughout the production. And they showed clips of the nominated dances not only on the big screen at the back of the stage, but also on giant screens on both sides of the audience, and up high so people in the balcony could enjoy them in their more-than-full glory!

I loved the fabulous interstitial music before all the clips. (I tried to Shazam it, but no luck. If any of you were there and know what it is, please share in the Comments below.)

Paris Cavanagh. (So now another talent of hers is looking happy even though her pinky nail broke off!) Photo By Sthanlee B. Mirador, as is the one at the top of this page.

The show began almost on time this year, so yay for that. (Due to all the upbeat mingling, it’s usually more than a tad later than the stated start time.)

I’m so jealous of Paris Cavanagh, who won in the TV category, partly for how talented and pretty she is, with her Aussie accent, but mostly for her perfect arms!

Although she didn’t win, nominee Tanisha Scott’s choreography for a Walmart commercial featuring scores of kid dancers literally gave me chills! What a supremely gargantuan effort. I’m a former elementary school teacher, so I know firsthand how hard it is to wrangle kids to begin with, let alone get them to perform as perfectly as they did. Wow.

When I saw a clip of a JA Collective video, (“JA” I believe stands for the two guys, Jordan and Aidan, or at least it should,) I could not believe my eyes. But when they then performed on stage in person, my jaw dropped—they were sitting at a table across from each other and doing moves mostly with only their hands and arms. It was seriously the most amazing choreography I’ve ever seen!!! The crowd went nuts for them!

JA Collective. Their arms and hands were moving so fast it was hard to get a decent pic! Photo by Karen Salkin.

I must laud Paula Abdul for staying for the second half after she received her award at the end of the first. Trust me when I tell you that that doesn’t happen with show biz peeps very often. She must have been having the time of her life, reconnecting with so many dancers and choreographers she’s worked with over the years. I loved that whole reunion story. [Note: I also reported that she stayed for the entire show in my review of the 2015 event, saying how polite that was. I’m glad to see that a decade later, she’s still the same!]

And this was cute—in Paula’s acceptance speech, when she was thanking people, she said what began as the usual, “If I forgot anyone…,” but then she paused and finished, “…I’m going to kill myself!” I totally got it because that’s what I would have said! Others in that position just say things like, “…please forgive me.”  And then later, in-between awards, Paula ran up to the steps of the stage, and called-out, “Remember when I said that I’d kill myself?” And then thanked that one person she had forgotten before. And they hugged and kissed, and everyone loved it! Well done.

Throwback photo of Anita Mann and Glory Kaufman from the 2019 WCA show. Photo by Steve Sasaki.

Before I finish here, I just want to say a word about the very recent passing of Glorya Kaufman, whom Anita Mann acknowledged in her speech. I always feel that, with her uber-generous donations, she has helped keep dance alive in Los Angeles through the years. I had seen her across the aisle from me at a dance show at the Wallis in June, and was working up the courage to approach her and thank her for doing that, just as a fan, but then the intermission was over and I thought to myself, “Next time,” which will now never come. But I add my name to the list of Ms. Kaufman’s many appreciators, and send my condolences to her family and the entire dance world.

And I thank the World Choreography Awards for making me aware of Glorya to begin with, when they honored her in 2019 with the Next Frontier of Dance Governance Award, of which she was most deserving. (If you’re curious to learn more, here’s the link to what I wrote about her in my review that year: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/danceawards-show-world-choreography-awards-2019.)

Now that you know how good this show is on so many levels, (dance, happiness, pathos, news, meeting-and-greeting, and incredible performances, to boot,) I have a feeling that all dance aficionados will make sure to join the fun next year. So please put the approximate date in your 2026 appointment books right now!  I hope to see all you Angelenos there.

Lastly, to find-out who all the winners (and nominees) are this year, just click here: www.worldchoreographyawards.com.

During the past weekend, Mr. X and I were treated to this contemporary dance show at our favorite theatre of all time, the Wallis in Beverly Hills.

This is my fifth or sixth time seeing celebrated choreographer Benjamin Millepied’s company, L.A. Dance Project, and the work is always interesting, to say the least, with consistently superior dancers.

Courtney Conovan. Photo by Jade Ellis.

This program was comprised of a trio of offerings that were created in 2013-2016—Reflections, Hearts & Arrows, and On the Other Side—under the overall title umbrella, Gems. To my mind, these pieces are not about the concept of actual gemstones, so perhaps they’re about unique entities, such as when a friend, after witnessing Mr. X’s kindness to her sister, told me that my bae “is a gem!” Or maybe these works are considered gems of the dance world, (which I believe is how the entire company is viewed.)

I can’t believe I’m going so deep into this analysis! The more simple review of Gems is that I adored the third number and enjoyed the middle one, but the first just didn’t get to me. (Mr. X felt the same. A few minutes into the second act, I whispered, “This one is soooo much better than the first,” to which he replied with a very definitive, “Definitely!!!”)

The curtain call for Reflections: (L-R) Clay Koonar, Courtney Conovan, Daphne Fernberger, Noah Wang, and Shu Kinouch.
Photo by Karen Salkin.

However, as much as I greatly admired all the dancing, I had no idea what any of it meant. As I’ve stated in several previous dance show reviews, I need to know what a dance is about if the choreographer was going for a narrative, as opposed to simply beauty. No explanations were in the Wallis’ program, so it was just all about the movement to me. Gorgeous movement, but I didn’t know the purpose of any of it, which made my mind engage a bit less. (When I researched the pieces later, I still didn’t get any of it.)

For example, during the night’s opener, my least favorite section, 2013’s Reflections, the backdrop was first a giant “STAY” and then a giant “GO” and then back to “STAY.” I didn’t see the meaning of it. So I just concentrated on the dancers themselves, whose work is a wonder. I kept reflecting on the decades of training that brought them to this exquisite point.

Here are some of my other notes on 2013’s Reflections:

Outside of Tommy Tune, I never saw such a tall male dancer as Noah Wang! He’s captivating. And has the most perfect body ever.

Shu Kinouchi. Photo by SkyeVarga, as is the one at the top of this review.

Speaking of that perfection, Noah was joined for one section of the dance by Shu Kinouch, and it was so entertaining to see two guys with faultless fitness doing that intense choreography together.

It seemed that all five of these dancers had long hair!

Something that surprised me a bit, but didn’t at all bother me, is that, towards the end of the first duo, I could hear Noah Wang breathing sort-of heavily. I just noticed it a bit, but it was nothing bad at all; trust me, I know annoying dancing sounds—when I lived in Malta, I once saw the National Ballet of Yugoslavia, whose feet were landing with thuds all night!

We were both totally impressed with pianist Yanking Bai, the soloist for the first and third acts. At the end of the presentation, Mr. X declared, “That guy can friggin’ play the piano!!!” But at times during Reflections, composer David Lang’s music sounded like when my mother used to clean the keys of our living room upright! I honestly thought that Bai was freestyling half the time. Let me tell you—no one could take a nap to that composition. (If I ever make a movie about someone being driven to murder, that first piece will be the score!)

Hearts & Arrows. Photo by Jade Ellis.

Next up was 2014’s Hearts & Arrows. This one was much more to my liking, in every way. The whole thing was so much more dynamic than the first. It had more dancers, better scenery, cuter wardrobe, group dancing, and sooooo much better music!!! I don’t think it was supposed to mean anything—it was just light and fun, with adorable black-and-white outfits.

However, the best, to me, was the last, and longest, (perhaps a bit too much so,) 2016’s On the Other Side. In it was my favorite dancer of the entire evening, Rob Hoffer.  As wonderful as they all were, there was just something special about Rob—every movement of his seemed to be just a bit more. It wasn’t a contest, of course, (except isn’t everything in life?,) but I’m just sayin’.

The curtain call for On The Other Side.  Rob Hoffer is fourth from the right. And pianist Yanking Bai is on the very right. Notice he’s just in his socks! Photo by Karen Salkin.

Much of the choreography in On the Other Side was fascinating, and included many unique and really creative moves. I wound-up not caring what any of it was supposed to mean and just enjoyed the artistry in front of me.

I especially admired the pas de deux in this one. (Since I write my notes in the dark without taking my eyes off the stage, I’m so sorry that I didn’t note which two dancers I’m lauding, but I think it was Shu Kinouchi and Daphne Fernberger.)

Shu Kinouchi and Daphne Fernberger. Photo by Jade Ellis.

As you may have realized by my many reviews through the years, I adore all things dance, so I’m always aware that while dancers are our most talented and hard working artists, few get the recognition, nor jobs, that they deserve. So I applaud people and organizations that support these incredible talents. And I’m happy to report that Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels did just that for this presentation, commissioning all three of these Benjamin Millepied works. (I would have loved to receive a goodie bag of jewels on the way out, but you can’t have everything.)

As always, the Wallis was the most comfortable theatre in which to view this beautiful art. We had friends in different areas of the audience that night, and all of us were equally happy with our views of the stage.  (I’m sure ours was really the best one, though!) A friend to whom I introduced this venue a few years ago was there that night, too, and he was so excited to be there again, telling us, “I love this place!”

So, once again, I heavily suggest that everybody check-out the Wallis’ full schedule, so you do not miss any of their always-worthwhile presentations: www.thewallis.org

That this dance competition show is still using this title is getting quite ridiculous. This season is filled with even fewer “stars” than last season! And that’s saying something!

Karen Salkin with the always-biggest star on DWTS–Derek Hough. Photo by…Derek Hough!!!

There’s actually not even one star on Dancing With The Stars, (aka DWTS,) this year! Well, to be technical, hosts Alfonso Ribiero and Julianne Hough are, and judge Derek Hough is a huge one. And a few of the professional partners have become somewhat famous, as well, (such as Mark Ballas starring on Broadway in Jersey Boys a few years back.) But those people are not the ones to whom the title refers—it’s supposed to mean the competitors. Oh well.

The first two eliminations happened last week, on the second show of this season, so I’ll address them first:

Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson—I know of Corey only because I used to read about mess-ups on his part. Upon researching him for this article, I discovered that he has a lot of acting credits, most notably in a bunch of movies he did when he was young, but I never saw any. I think he can be classified as a former movie star, so there’s that. But, if he really did believe he could win DWTS, (as he said on the show,) he’s delusional. I give him credit for trying to dance, though.

Baron Davis and Britt Stewart.

Baron Davis and Britt Stewart—As a basketball fan, and also one of UCLA, (my own third of four colleges,) this elimination made me sad. Back in the day, I was friends with the UCLA basketball team when we heard that Baron Davis, a local star high school player, had chosen to play his college basketball right there at UCLA! There was so much excitement at that announcement. On top of that, I had a slight connection to his high school, Crossroads, because some of the students were fans of my TV show and came to my tapings. So, back to DWTS, Baron was much better the second week than he was the first. So I really wanted to see him dance more. Plus, I like his pro partner, Britt. With all the competitors who have actually been real dancers, (Elaine Hendrix, Hilaria Baldwin, Whitney Leavitt, Jen Affleck, Alix Earle,) and most of the others having at least some dance training, I knew Baron wouldn’t go far, but he deserved at least one more week. I felt so bad at how crushed he looked when voted off.

Now, about all the rest of the (mostly unknown) contestants. Some are actually really good dancers, but that does not make them “stars.” Heck, most of them are not even celebrities! Some are has-beens, some are never-weres, some are from reality shows, and one is a so-called influencer, though who those people influence, and to do what, is a mystery!

The majority of them are soooo nobodies, in fact, that Mr. X and I didn’t even discuss the new cast when it was announced! The lack of famous competitors made me really not want to watch this year, but I broke down, most likely just to make fun of everyone continue Mr. X and my tradition of never missing a season of the show.

So, here are my in-depth thoughts on everyone after watching both of the episodes that have been on so far:

The producers make-up so many odd designations for these non-stars! They label them as “activist,” “conservationist,” and the inane “influencer.” They even said that the Baldwin wife is a “yoga teacher!” How does that make anyone a star???

Robert Irwin and Witney Carson.

In week two, Mr. X asked me, “Who are those girls?!,” referring to Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles and Lauren Jauregui, who was in the singing group Fifth Harmony. That made me laugh. (And, by the way, whenever I write “we,” it means Mr. X and me.)

The only real worthwhile dancer, (and perhaps even person,) on there is Robert Irwin, whose partner is the adorable Witney Carson. I’m rooting for them because of his wonderful dancing, but the facts that he’s adorable, charming, and a good person, with a lovely family, (sister, and former deserving DWTS Champion, Bindi and mom Terri Irwin,) don’t hurt.

The ones I’m rooting against, outside of the trio of unknowns at the bottom of this column:

Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko—I want her to be eliminated pronto! The woman is from Boston, yet now she’s not only still trying to affect a Spanish accent after all these years of being a phony, but she’s tinging it with a bit of a Brooklyn one!!! And that baby voice is like nails on a chalkboard, for just about everyone, not just me. It doesn’t matter that she is able to dance—she’s insane. (This is what I wrote about her Spanish craziness in 2021: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/juicy-gossp-hilaria-baldwin-hil-arity.)

Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa—She dances well enough, but, especially as a former dancer, her pigeon toes are driving me crazy. But the reason I’m a little iffy on her is because she was erroneously awarded a bronze medal in the Olympics, and when they said some technical issue means it really belonged to a different athlete, (whose routine really was better than Jordan’s,) she wouldn’t return it. (And seeing the competition, I felt she really came in fifth!) I don’t know if the conflict was ever resolved, but, as an avid sports watcher, and believer in fairness, I really do believe the Olympics Committee should have just awarded two bronzes instead of embarrassing anyone. But I do notice that the whole debacle did turn me against Jordan a tad.

Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold—I adore Rylee, but Scott is somehow rubbing me the wrong way. I like his singing group, Pentatonic, and totally rooted for them when they were unknowns competing on The Sing-Off, an a cappella competition show many moons ago, (which I watched just because Nick Lachey, a former celeb crush, hosted it,) but Scott is just not cutting it for me on this one, neither with his dancing nor personality.

In addition to Robert Irwin and Witney Carson the ones I’m rooting for:

Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten.

Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten—I love an older woman who can dance! I know her from only the second version of The Parent Trap, (Mr. X always cites that one, which stars young Lindsay Lohan, while for me, the only true movie is the original, from which I insist on still believing that Hayley Mills is twins!!!) So, I consider Elaine to be a working actress, as opposed to a “star,” but at least I’ve seen her have a big role in a hit movie, which puts her higher up the “star” chain than most of this non-sparkling cast. And she dances great, so I’d love her to get all the way to the Final, and finish as the runner-up to Robert!

Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong—Just as I love an older woman who can dance, I also admire a hefty one who has that ability! (But Lauren should never wear a leotard on camera again, until she begins Ozempic, that is!) And her face is really pretty. I’m glad for Brandon that he finally has a partner with dance training! (Of course, we never even heard her name before, but DWTS is determined to feature all of the singing group Fifth Harmony at some point!)

Ones I’m not rooting against…yet:

Dylan Efron and Danielle Karagach.

Dylan Efron and Danielle Karagach—This guy is really cute, and appears sweet, but…his claim to fame is that he’s Zac’s brother!!! That is far from being a star!

Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov—I never saw Danielle’s former TV series, and I hadn’t even heard of her since the ‘90s. But upon researching her for this article, it turns out that she still acts on occasion and also directs some TV shows! So, good for her. However, that does not make her a “star.” But we feel bad for her because of her multiple hamstring injuries on this show, so we’d like her to be on there for a little while. Plus she seems nice and can dance a bit.

Andy Richter and Emma Slater—While he’s obviously the worst dancer left, (and the second worst this season,) at least we’ve heard of the guy! I don’t think I ever watched any of Conan O’Brien’s trio of talk shows, on which Andy was his announcer/sidekick, but somehow, the knowledge of them seeped into my brain.

And lastly, we have who, who, and who??? All three women can dance well enough, but they’re far from “stars,” and definitely not worth my time to research them to figure-out who the heck they are and why they’re on the show:

Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas

Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik

Alix Earle and Valentin Chmerkovski

Dancing With The Stars—Season 34 continues tomorrow night. Since the show’s voting isn’t fair anyway, (because they encourage viewers to vote as the telecast goes on, as opposed to waiting until after we’ve seen all of the dances, and make live voting open to only the East Coast!!!,) let me tell those of you who care about the outcomes—as I actually do—what to do tomorrow evening. (And every Tuesday.) You can vote on-line, (and probably by text, as well, as long as you know the special number for the couple(s) you like,) as soon as the clock strikes 8PM East Coast Time! And for the next almost-two hours. That means you’re just voting for your faves with no regard to anyone’s performance. It’s totally not fair, but neither is this show.

As someone who’s attended, and really enjoyed, a couple of the Little Women Ballet Immersive Experiences at the fascinating Heritage Square museum in the past year, I was very curious to see their original full-length ballet of the classic tale, Little Women, which was a visiting production at the venerable Pasadena Playhouse last weekend. And I’m happy to report that it was beautiful!

Photo by Edie Tyebkhan.

Because the immersive experiences were soooo unique, I really didn’t know what to expect from this performance. But it was just about perfect. And very professional, which I’m not sure I expected because it’s all put together by someone so young. My friend Marc and I were really pretty amazed at what the in-her-mid-twenties creator and choreographer, Emma Andres, has accomplished with her equally young troupe. It’s all so impressive!

Actually, although most of the dancers look pretty youthful, this ballet includes all ages. As a matter of fact, there’s a set of parents, an elderly aunt, and a gentleman friend. I have to admit that I’m usually not a fan of the few older characters in many ballets, (which I feel is always a bit obligatory,) unless it’s the incredible Alan Vincent in any Matthew Bourne work, but this company’s Production Advisor, Diane DeFranco Browne, as Aunt March, actually made me smile. And she got the audience clapping along a time or two, which is always fun. Marc loved her!

He also told me that Sophia Moritz as Jo and Christopher Flores as Laurie “have good chemistry together.”

For me, Claire Simmons, as Beth, is the most balletic. I could see her character’s soul through Claire’s arm movements.

We loved the whole production. It was actually the most we had ever enjoyed that theater, and we have both seen many a show there! It was such a lovely day, from start to finish. Marc said the ballet was peaceful and relaxing.

There was not a weak dancer in the bunch. As a former dancer myself, (not even close to the caliber of these talented people, though,) I was happy to see so many young LA ballet dancers have this wonderful opportunity.

Photo by Edie Tyebkhan.

The ballet tells the story of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, which follows the quartet of March sisters as they grow-up. I actually remembered a lot of the tale as it went along, such as the ice skating accident. So that means that the choreography and the characters’ portrayals are very well done. And it all begins by showing us Louisa writing her novel, which adds an extra layer of interest to the narrative.

I especially appreciated the backdrops, which were not only beautiful but also very helpful in showing us the locations of each scene, so that even someone unfamiliar with the story could figure it out. The props were also spot-on. And the costumes were good, as well. It was all accompanied by lovely music, much of it composed by Daniel Robbins. Everything about this show worked!

Photo by Edie Tyebkhan.

My favorite part of this Little Women Ballet was the ensemble wedding scene, performed by the entire corps de ballet, which closed Act One. The much bigger ballet companies that I’ve seen here in Los Angeles and in New York could not have done better!

And, of course, I adored the brief all-guys section!

There was also a short Can-Can, which was fabulous. I’ve been a fan of that dance since performing one with my Brownie troop back in the day. My mother had to buy me frilly underwear, and when we bent over at the end, which exposed our cute panties, they had pinned the troop number on all of them. Adorbs.

The Little Women Ballet featured two different casts over the weekend, so I’m discussing the one we saw on Saturday afternoon. That casting was mainly perfect, especially when we saw the little girls turn into their teenage and adult selves, which was done very smartly. We both said how extra-adorable Audrey Ye was as young Beth; I had also enjoyed her in one of the immersive shows. But it was a tad confusing in this show to see a dark-haired little girl turn into the very blonde Claire Simmons in those days waaay before hair dye. (Also, that particular scene of them growing up should be before the party scene that comes first in this production, when Meg and Jo are already grown-ups.)

There was one other thing that confused me even more as it went along—Sophia Moritz, who played Jo March, was the only one not on her toes throughout the presentation. She’s a beautiful dancer who seems perfectly capable of being en pointe, so I kept wondering what was up with that. But, luckily for all of us, I was able to ask Emma about it through a mutual acquaintance. And she explained to me that Sophia being the only one to dance in ballet slippers as opposed to toe shoes is basically to show that Jo is the “marching to her own drummer” sister. (My wording, not hers.) Actually, Emma gave each of the sisters a different footwear situation, to show their personalities. How does a twenty-six-year-old girl think of these things??? It boggles the mind.

Notice the not-on-point feet of the dancer on the left. Photo by Edie Tyebkhan.

I wonder if Emma chose Little Women for so much of her work because it’s her favorite story, or rather, because there are so many interesting characters and moving parts to the tale, that it lends itself to various entertainments.  I don’t think that a previous ballet of the story exists, so it’s a great choice.

And once again, I must say that you do not need to love Louisa May Alcott’s novel, Little Women, nor even be familiar with it, to immensely enjoy this ballet.

I have to give an odd shout-out to the timing of the entire presentation. Not only was the intermission the exact fifteen minutes that they said it would be, but the whole production ended right on time, which is rare in the theater these days.

As a happy addendum to the afternoon, we bumped into a bunch of the dancers when we were getting a bite to eat after the show, and they were all so sweet, adorable, and appreciative of our praise. They were not at all full of themselves, even though they are all so gifted. And I loved that they were so complimentary about their leader, Emma.

I suggest you see this ballet no matter where it next appears. (It was previously performed at the Wilshire Ebell, so it moves around.) To make sure that you do not miss it, please follow them on their website, right here: www.littlewomenballet.com

I’ve seen a few of LA Dance Project’s previous offerings at the Wallis, and enjoyed most of them, but this recent program from them was the best! It featured a quartet of pieces, with the middle two being my faves.

LA Dance Project is a very well thought-of contemporary dance company, run by Benjamin Millepied, who choreographed the Oscar-nominated film, Black Swan. (Benjamin, of course, has a plethora of other credits, but even those unfamiliar with the dance world know that one popular reference.)

The title of this overall presentation was Gatherings, which is precisely what we did that evening, in several areas of the beautiful Beverly Hills venue.

The first number, Anthem. Photo by Skye Schmidt Varga, as is the one of Sleepwalker’s Encyclopedia above.

On my recommendation of the troupe, Mr. X joined me, and deemed it to be “a top quality show,” adding that there was “unending creativity of dance moves, all performed at a high skill level.” (Yes, I do know that he should really be the writer in our little fam.)

I totally agree with him about all of it. Every one of the dancers are exceptional; I was especially taken with Lorrin Brubaker in Triade, the first number on the stage. And, to my major astonishment, after seeing tons of dance shows practically since I was born, (and being a young dancer, as well, back in the day,) I discovered very many unusual steps that I had never seen before in my entire life! I loved that aspect of the production.

However, I need my dances explained to me, which means that without any clues in the digital program, I had no idea of what any of the action was throughout the show. So I’m going to describe what I think was happening.

The first number, Anthem, was actually sort-of a surprise. You had to know to show up forty-five minutes earlier than the announced starting time, (or just be lucky enough to be passing by the Wallis on foot, so you could join the ticketed spectators outside.) It began on one end of the Wallis’ upstairs lobby, and then, pretty quickly, we followed the dancers, (including students from the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute at the Colburn School, an opportunity I always applaud,) out the main entrance to various parts of the theatre’s grounds. The whole thing was definitely different; it reminded me of how my friends and I used to play on our stoops and sidewalks in the summers of my youth. And the dancers’ monochromatic sweatsuits, (which I actually liked,) looked like what I had rolled out of bed wearing that morning. (But theirs looked a million times better, of course.) The rest of the assemblage seemed to enjoy this routine more than Mr. X and I did. As a matter of fact, I spied a beautiful senior couple whose faces were downright glowing watching it. But the simplicity of what we saw out there in the courtyard definitely did not portend the wonderfulness that we would be witnessing on the stage shortly.

Jeremy Coachman and Lorrin Brubaker. Photo by Skye Schmidt Varga.

Mr. X was especially impressed with Benjamin Millepied’s stunning Triade, which featured two couples, and was the second number of the evening and the first on the stage. When it was over, my krump-dancing bae exclaimed, “How many steps did they have to remember??? They were constantly moving! It was so involved.” I adored it, as well, but I had to shut my literate mind down because the title means “three,” even though there were four dancers! Very gifted ones, but still a quartet, not a trio.

Courtney Conovan. Photo by Skye Schmidt Varga.

But ah, maybe, since the next one was titled Quartet for Five, they were doing a thing with wrong number words. (“Quartet” is “four,” not “five.”) I have to ask my French friends if changing the meanings of numbers is a thing in their country, from which Millepied hails. But, no matter the wording, the choreography and performances of both pieces were magnificent.

As to that latter incredible work, I didn’t know what Quartet for Five was supposed to be about, but by its mysterious setting, I narrowed it down at first to a funeral or an Amish wedding that the main girl was trying to get out of it. (But what were the chairs about?) And then, towards the end of it, I thought that perhaps they were in an asylum because a few times all the dancers did that “I curl my hair”* movement, which indicates that someone is crazy. *[Note: In case you don’t know what I mean by that, I’ll explain it at the very end of this review.] Everyone in it was perfection, but I couldn’t get over what the lead, Courtney Conovan, was able to do with her arms and shoulders; it was reminiscent of one of those “bone-crusher” contortionists. That was pretty awesome to see in person. (And she has the best straight hair!)

(L-R) Nicholas Sakai, Jeremy Coachman, and Daphne Fernberger. Photo by Skye Schmidt Varga.

The final piece, Sleepwalker’s Encyclopedia, was like a crazy, hyped-up dance class. And since I believe there were several students from Anthem in this one, too, maybe that is what they do on a daily basis. And if so, I’m definitely impressed. I could never make it in a class like that.

The entire evening, even with the early start and then two full intermissions, went by in a flash. It was all pretty magnificent.

The theme for the Wallis’ next season will be “Without Limits,” during which LA Dance Project will make another appearance. They’ll be back in October with an evening-long work entitled Gems Trilogy, choreographed by their aforementioned Artistic Director, Benjamin Millepied. I look forward to all of it, at my favorite theatre, of course!

The Gatherings curtain call. The guy in the middle with the flowers is Jeremy Coachman, and this was his very last performance with L.A. Dance Project. (LA’s loss will be Montreal’s gain.) Next to him in street clothes is my fave, Lorrin Brubaker. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Robert van Leer, Executive Director and CEO of the Wallis, always welcomes us at the beginning of each presentation, and asks who is there for the first time. My hip seat-mate, (and new bestie, which will be news to her,) and I were shocked by how many first-timers were in the audience. At least all those people now know how fabulous the Wallis is, and hopefully I’ll see them, (and you,) back there on many occasions next season.

For info on all of the Wallis’ upcoming shows, please check-out their site right here: www.thewallis.org

*Okay, here’s that explanation of “I curl my hair.” In case you’re not familiar with it, which might be known to only my fellow Brooklyn peeps, this is how it’s done: When you want to indicate that someone is crazy without making the insult clear, you say to your pals, “I curl my hair,” while twirling a finger in a circle in your hair, and then add, “and I brush my teeth,” to point to the crazy person by way of the front of your lips. So stupid, right? My friends and I shortened it to just say, “I curl…,” without making the “crazy” sign with our hands, while just looking towards someone. Classy of us, I know.]

I adored everything about this fun, colorful, and creative dance performance at the Wallis, my favorite theatre, this past week-end. It was a great combo—an excellent show at the perfect venue.

Pepperland is a lighthearted celebration of the Beatles famous concept album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Therefore, the music includes half of the dozen songs from that famous album, of course, with some pieces by an outside composer mixed-in. The dance was actually commissioned in 2017 by the city of Liverpool in England, where the Beatles grew-up, to commemorate the album’s fiftieth anniversary. (Yes, you read that right—the fiftieth!)

Most of the dancers in these three pro pix are not the ones I saw at the Wallis. But the show is the same. Photo by Robert Torres, as is the one at the top of this review.

The presentation was actually not at all what I was expecting, but…I loved it! It was all so colorful and happy, which is just the way I like everything in life to be. Choreographed by Mark Morris, the production is one continuous, hour-long dance. The choreography has a spot-on ’60s feel, and it’s all very charming, amusing, entertaining, and light and breezy. Never once did anyone try to pull an imaginary rope! It’s the kind of choreo I’d like to do if I was still a young dancer, even though I was more interested in ballet and Afro-jazz back then. But the Pepperland steps just drew me in; I was thrilled to not see anything painful and profound, as most dance companies like to portray these days.

I see so many dance shows, and I feel that the majority of them are just trying too hard to be different, so Pepperland was a breath of fresh air. It’s filled with simple yet uber-creative moves, many of which I had never seen before.

And although all the performers were so light on their feet, some members of the ensemble were a surprise to me; at least half of the cast of fifteen didn’t look like dancers. If I had met them at a party, I’d have no idea what they do for a living. That somehow made it even more special. And I loved that none of them were begging, “Look at me.” They were all about enjoying the moves, rather than trying to get attention for themselves.

Photo by Robert Torres.

Perhaps my favorite item in life is a box of sixty-four Crayola crayons—I go nuts over great colors! I even have a “crayon room” in my tiny house! So I was thrilled with the wardrobe—my mouth watered over Pepperland’s bright costumes. And I even appreciated that the girls’ shoes matched their tights exactly and looked like they went into one another seamlessly.

As to the music, I had been expecting to hear the actual recordings from the album, but that was not the case. It was all live musicians, which is always a plus to any production. The band was made up of a vocalist and six musicians, including the all-important-to-this-album trombone. A side benefit of it all is that it was nice to learn which tunes came from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, even if just in case the category comes up on Jeopardy one day!

The only aspect of Pepperland that I didn’t understand, nor like, was the crushed-up tinfoil on the floor at the back of the stage, which was the only “decoration” on the whole set. But at least it didn’t distract me. Much.

The curtain call of the dancers I saw at the Wallis. Photo by Karen Salkin.

By the way—you don’t have to be a Beatles fan to enjoy this entertaining show. I was gaga over the Fab Four when I was a tot, but then didn’t really care about them for a long time. And then, when I was hosting my former TV show, someone involved with Paul McCartney’s family asked me if I would like to have his celebrated photographer brother, Michael McCartney, be a guest on it. I could not believe how lucky I was for that to happen! And as soon as Mike and I hung-out, my love of the group was rekindled. And has never waned since. So I got a kick out of not only the really fun dancing in Pepperland, but hearing those classic Beatles tunes again.

And to experience all of that joy in the Wallis gave it that extra panache. I look forward to their next memorable dance offering.

To learn more about all the Wallis’ exciting upcoming shows, just click here: www.thewallis.org.