The title of this overall presentation was Gatherings<\/em>, which is precisely what we did that evening, in several<\/em> areas of the beautiful Beverly Hills venue.<\/p>\n The first number, Anthem. Photo by Skye Schmidt Varga, as is the one of Sleepwalker’s Encyclopedia above.<\/p><\/div>\n On my recommendation of the troupe, Mr. X joined me, and deemed it to be \u201ca top quality show,\u201d adding that there was \u201cunending creativity of dance moves, all performed at a high skill level.\u201d (Yes, I do<\/em>\u00a0know that he<\/em>\u00a0should really be the writer in our little fam.)<\/p>\n I totally agree with him about all<\/em> of it. Every one\u00a0of the dancers are exceptional; I was especially taken with Lorrin Brubaker in Triade<\/em>, the first number on the stage<\/em>. 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\u00a0many unusual steps that I had never<\/em> seen before in my entire life! I loved that aspect of the production.<\/p>\n However, I need my dances explained<\/em> 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\u2019m going to describe what I think<\/em>\u00a0was happening.<\/p>\n The first number, Anthem<\/em>,\u00a0was actually sort-of a surprise. You had to know to show up forty-five minutes earlier than the announced starting time,\u00a0(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\u2019 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\u2019s 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\u2019 monochromatic sweatsuits, (which I actually liked,) looked like what I<\/em>\u00a0had rolled out of bed wearing that morning. (But theirs<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n Jeremy Coachman and Lorrin Brubaker. Photo by Skye Schmidt Varga.<\/p><\/div>\n Mr. X was especially impressed with Benjamin Millepied’s stunning Triade<\/em>, 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, \u201cHow many steps did they have to remember??? They were constantly moving! It was so involved<\/em>.” I adored it, as well, but I had to shut my literate mind down because the title means \u201cthree,\u201d even though there were four<\/em> dancers!\u00a0Very gifted ones, but still a quartet, not a trio.<\/p>\n Courtney Conovan. Photo by Skye Schmidt Varga.<\/p><\/div>\n But ah, maybe, since the next<\/em> one was titled Quartet for Five<\/em>, they were doing a thing with wrong number words. (\u201cQuartet\u201d is \u201cfour,\u201d not \u201cfive.\u201d) 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<\/em> pieces were magnificent.<\/p>\n As to that latter incredible work, I didn’t know what Quartet for Five<\/em> 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 \u201cI curl my hair\u201d* movement, which indicates that someone is crazy.\u00a0*[Note: In case you don\u2019t know what I mean by that, I\u2019ll explain it at the very end of this review.] Everyone in it was perfection, but I couldn\u2019t get over what the lead, Courtney Conovan, was able to do with her arms and shoulders; it was reminiscent of one of those \u201cbone-crusher\u201d\u00a0contortionists. That was pretty awesome to see in person. (And she has the best straight hair!)<\/p>\n (L-R) Nicholas Sakai, Jeremy Coachman, and Daphne Fernberger. Photo by Skye Schmidt Varga.<\/p><\/div>\n The final piece, Sleepwalker’s Encyclopedia<\/em>,\u00a0was like a crazy, hyped-up dance class. And since I believe there were several students from Anthem<\/em> in this one, too, maybe that is<\/em>\u00a0what they do on a daily basis. And if so, I\u2019m definitely impressed. I<\/em>\u00a0could never make it in a class like that.<\/p>\n The entire evening, even with the early start and then two full intermissions, went by in a flash. It was all pretty magnificent.<\/p>\n The theme for the Wallis\u2019 next<\/em> season will be \u201cWithout Limits,\u201d during which LA Dance Project will make another appearance. They\u2019ll be back in October\u00a0with an evening-long work entitled Gems Trilogy<\/em>, choreographed by their aforementioned Artistic Director, Benjamin Millepied. I look forward to all of it, at my favorite theatre, of course!<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Screenshot-2025-06-17-at-8.02.49\u202fPM-e1750215898710.png\")
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