DANCE EVENT PREVIEWS: LITTLE WOMEN BALLET’S WINTER SITE-SPECIFIC IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, THE WORLD CHOREOGRAPHY AWARDS, AND SOME SURPRISES
All SoCal dance fans will want to see these live shows. You have five chances to attend the Little Women Ballet Immersive Experience, but only one for the World Choreography Awards. Here are previews of them to help you decide.
LITTLE WOMEN BALLET’S WINTER SITE-SPECIFIC IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
Little Women Ballet.
I attended the Autumn version of this wonderful immersive experience about a month and a half ago, and adored every aspect of it! So I’m thrilled that all of us have the opportunity again with the Winter rendition. Even if you’ve seen the show for a different season, I have a feeling this holiday-themed one will be even more special! (Dates below.)
In case you missed my review of it, here’s the link: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/dance-little-women-ballet-immersive-experience.
But if you don’t have time to read my glowing (and lengthy) breakdown of the entire happening, or you just want to be surprised by it all, here’s the gist: The ballet itself is based on the classic story of Little Women. But the fun doesn’t stop there. The entire experience is fascinating from start to finish because it’s performed at the intriguing Heritage Square Museum near downtown LA. We audience members get to go into the various historic houses because each one features a ballet of a different chapter of the tale. It’s all quite charming.
I’m expecting this new Winter experience to be even more captivating than the previous offering because of the holiday element of it. I’m honestly looking so forward to it.
Little Women Ballet, as is the image at the top of this page.
If traditional ballet is more up your alley, Little Women Ballet will debut their full-length version on December 7, 2024 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. There will be two performances of it on that one date.
All the info is on their website whose link is below. I hope to see you all there.
Little Women Ballet Immersive Experience running on November 22-24, 2024
Heritage Square Museum
3800 Homer Street, Los Angeles
626-792-0873 www.littlewomenballet.com
THE WORLD CHOREOGRAPHY AWARDS
One event that I don’t think I’ve missed in a decade, (minus the pandemic year, of course,) is the World Choreography Awards. It’s a tad different each time, but what is always constant is the fun. And the talent on display!
Photo by Karen Salkin.
And now you all have the opportunity to be there this year, on Sunday, November 17th because I’m telling you in advance, rather than doing a preview of the excellence.
As you may know, I absolutely love dance, and at this awards show, we all get to feel like we’re in the world of professional dancers—there’s tons of schmoozing, meeting-and-greeting, and happiness involved.
But what distinguishes the World Choreography Awards from other dance shows is that, as the name states, the awards go to the often unsung choreographers! I love that. (As a matter of fact, when I reviewed my very first awards show of theirs, in 2014, when it was called the “World Dance Awards,” I wrote: “It should really be called the “World Choreography Awards” because all the categories were for choreography, not for the actual dancers themselves. But, it can get away with “dance” because the choreographers got awarded for the dances they created.” So I’ve always felt a special kinship to the show because the producers, the fabulous duo of Allen Walls and Cheryl Baxter-Ratliff, re-titled it the very next year!)
A live WCA performance from a past year. Photo by Karen Salkin.
It will be held once again at the Avalon in Hollywood. Here’s the link to my review of last year’s show, so you know what to expect: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/danceawards-show-world-choreography-awards-2023.
To find-out who’s nominated this year, and how to get tickets, just go to www.worldchoreographyawards.com.
BONUS DANCE INFO FOR DECEMBER
A DUO OF NUTCRACKERS
The Nutcracker.
As even non-ballet fans know, the holidays just never seem official without seeing at least one version of The Nutcracker. And this year, I’m soooo excited for all SoCal denizens to have the opportunity to see two of them! I highly recommend them both.
ABT’s will be at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, while the Long Beach Ballet’s rendition will once again be performed at the Terrace Theatre in—where else?—Long Beach! I was lucky enough to see this one a few years ago and I can tell you that it is stunning!
BODY TRAFFIC AT THE WALLIS
In 2018, I wrote that I considered Body Traffic to be one of the two best dance shows of the year. (The other was from Matthew Bourne, so that’s incredibly high praise!) They will be back at the Wallis for one week-end only, so do not miss it.
DANCING WITH THE STARS
The dance worlds coming together–Dancing
With The Stars judge, Derek Hough, accepting a World Choreography Award two years ago! Photo by Karen Salkin.
And don’t forget that this season of TV’s Dancing With The Stars will be ending this month. As far as I’m concerned, Mr. X and I are rooting for Dwight Howard to receive the Mirror Ball Trophy because he dances so charmingly, and his height puts him at a huge (no pun intended) disadvantage. My second choice is Joey Graziadei from The Bachelor because his dancing is genuinely great! Him being so adorable-looking doesn’t hurt, either. And my third choice is Olympic gymnast, (and two-time bronze medalist,) Stephen Nedoroscik, because he’s just so upbeat and cute! (In a nerdy way, of course.)
But I predict that the winner will be that young girl, Chandler Kinney, whose name I had to even look-up now, (so she’s far from being a “star.”) She’s clearly trying to be the next Zendaya. But she is the best dancer, technically, although she lacks the charm of Dwight and Joey.
But it’s all a lot of fun, so I just hope it ends the season on a much higher note than it began on!
Now let’s all get to enjoying dancing for the next month or so!
