Photo courtesy of Dance Bistro

Dance Bistro

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This week's dance events include Dance Bistro serving up international fare, Datugan Dance Theatre's repertoire concert and the penultimate week of Los Angeles Ballet's Balanchine Festival Red.

5. Serving up a Dance Bistro
More than a festival, Dance Bistro 2013 is more like a feast with 13 companies in two mostly different programs over two nights, each show preceded by video streaming of the dress rehearsals, and with low priced tickets to lure dance fans away from their barbecues Memorial Day weekend. Presented by the TuTu Foundation and Madarin Orange Performing Arts, both nights promise an aerial kickline from Luminario Ballet, a premiere from choreographer Kyle Abraham danced by the excellent modern troupe BODYTRAFFIC, and a contemporary Chinese dance company performing to new music from Swedish composer Henrik Åström. Friday also includes Body Current Dance, the Latin troupe CONTRA-TIEMPO, Elke Calvert Dance Project, Los Angeles Movement Arts, Renaissance Arts Academy, and Watson Dance. The lineup Saturday includes ChoreoLive, Cortines High School Dance Company, Elke Calvert Dance Project, Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company, the L.A. Follies, and Watson Dance. As a mecca for fusion cuisine drawing on SoCal's diversity, it's only natural the region should also give rise to a fusion dance festival. Get tickets at www.dancebistro2013.brownpapertickets.com. Catch at preview at www.dancebistro.com. At the Richard & Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 Atherton St., Long Beach; Fri.-Sat., May 24-25, 8 p.m., $5. www.carpenterarts.org, 562-985-7000.

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Photo by Daniel Trese

KTCHN dancers

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This week's dance events include speed dating musicians and dancers, the latest from Ryan Heffington and Los Angeles Ballet continues to paint the town Balanchine Red.

5. When musicians and choreographers date
The dancer/choreographers are familiar names from local, mostly modern dance companies including Stephanie Zaletel, Loretta Livingston, Carol McDowell, Rebecca Pappas, and Damon Rago. The musicians are Erik Leckrone, Eric Pham, Alan Shockley, Marty Walker, George Wheeler. In this two-part event curators Stephanie Nugent and Robin Cox first pair five choreographers with five composers with the "hook up" intended to create new and unlikely pairings to produce new works. In the second half, dubbed the "speed dating" round, each composer and choreographer gets a different pairing for an eight-minute collaboration session, during in which they will create a score. Then the audience gets to see the results. At Art Share LA, 801 E 4th Place dwntwn.; Sun., May 19, 8 p.m., $10-$20. www.iridianarts.com/page5/Iridian_Arts_payment_page.html

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Kevin Scanlon

Melissa Barak, with her dancers

One of the fascinating Angelenos featured in L.A. Weekly's People 2013 issue. Check out our entire People 2013 issue here.

While New York has sustained sizable, world-renowned dance companies for decades, Los Angeles has yet to follow suit. Melissa Barak, ballet dancer and choreographer, sees dance as L.A.'s "next artistic frontier." Her vision is to create Barak Ballet, a company dedicated to new, contemporary choreography rooted in classical technique.

Barak, 33, grew up in L.A. and, after nearly a decade dancing in New York City, returned in 2007 to her hometown. (She now lives in West Hollywood.) Even as a spirited 8-year-old at Santa Monica's Westside School of Ballet, Barak knew she "never wanted to quit." At age 18 she joined New York City Ballet, where the director recognized Barak's flair for choreography and admired her dedication to classical style. Four of her pieces now are part of the company's repertoire.

After performing ensemble parts for nine years, Barak, not yet 30, decided to move on. She joined the just-launched Los Angeles Ballet and danced lead roles, most notably the sultry Siren in "Prodigal Son," an esteemed work by the legendary George Balanchine.

After four years, in 2011, came unexpected news. "I was notified via email I would not be hired any longer," Barak says. "I think the directors have a vision of what they want their dancers to look like, act like, perform like ... and it didn't seem I fit into that vision any longer."

It's likely that Barak's outspoken, forward-thinking attitude clashed with the ballet company's more traditional approach.

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Photo by Reed Hutchison

Los Angeles Ballet dancer Allynne Noelle in Rubies

This week's dance events include Los Angeles Ballet with Balanchine Festival Red, visitors from Canada, and a last chance to meet Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre at the Oasis.

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5. Painting the town Red

Three more Balanchine masterworks with music by Ravel and Stravinsky, film clips of Balanchine's Hollywood movie choreography, pre-performance discussions with a lineup of former New York City Ballet stars, L.A. dance critics and historians, and a roster of gorgeous dancers -- it's all part of the Los Angeles Ballet's Balanchine Red, the second half of its Balanchine Festival celebrating the most important and influential choreographer of the 20th century. Co-artistic directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary's both danced with NYCB, and Balanchine personally selected Neary to stage his ballets. Go to LosAngelesBallet.org for information on the roster for each preperformance's Balanchine Talks as well as information and rehearsal clips of the three ballets, the atmospheric La Valse, the ever-cutting edge Agon and the sparkling, effervescent "Rubies" section of the full-length Jewels. After last week's opening in Redondo Beach, the festival continues at four other LAB's other home theaters in Long Beach, Northridge, Glendale and Westwood over the next weeks, making Balanchine a short drive for almost everyone. At the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 Atherton St., Long Beach; Sat., May 18, 7:30 p.m. Also at Valley Performing Arts Center, 1811 Nordhoff St., Northridge; Sat., May 25, 7:30 p.m. Also at the Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale; Sun., May 26, 2 p.m. Also at UCLA Royce Hall, 340 Royce Dr., Wstwd. Sun., June 9, 2 p.m., $24-$95. 310-937-6607 or www.losangelesballet.org.

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Photo by Rachel Bruno

Maya Gingery performs the dance she created for "HomeLA" in and around the ledge of an empty swimming pool on the property owned by Chloë Flores and Tim Lefevre.

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At first glance, the scene in the terraced backyard with striking views of Los Angeles resembled any other casual house party at dusk. People in comfortable clothes milled around a deck, engaged in chit chat, ate oranges from a large tray perched on a ledge and took advantage of a nearby bottle of Tanqueray. It didn't take long, however, to notice that some of the house guests standing on the hillside below the deck seemed to be admiring the view with extra-special intensity. They stood completely still while several dancers, performing slow and liquid movements with their arms and torsos, moved deliberately in the zone of their peripheral vision.

The hillside happening, called "Peripheral Son" and created by choreographer Nick Duran, took place among 18 other site-specific performances at the inaugural event of "HomeLA." Some 180 people showed up last Saturday night to usher in the new grassroots dance series dedicated to the creation of art in private residences. They paid a $10 donation fee to roam the Mount Washington property of Chloë Flores and Tim Lefevre, owners of a stunning 3800-square-foot modernist home with a separate guesthouse that stands on nearly an acre of land.

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Gene Schiavone

Eifman Ballet in Rodin

This week's dance events include the return of Dance Camera West dance film festival and Eifman Ballet's sensual bio-ballet Rodin.

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5. A moving and movable Dance Film Fest
L.A.'s internationally recognized festival of dance on film, Dance Camera West, begins with this year's events moving among downtown's Music Center, West L.A.'s Getty Center, Santa Monica's Annenberg Beach House and mid-Wilshire's L.A. County Museum of Art. This year's theme Get Wet is carried out with a live performance involving a water feature at most venues prior to the screening of festival films. Parties on the opening and closing days as well as the screenings offer multiple chances to chat with the filmmakers. For a complete listing of events and venues go to www.dancecamerawest.org. At the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., dwntwn.; Thurs., May 2, 7 p.m.; $15; Reception at 9 p.m., $20; Also at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), 5905 Wilshire Blvd., mid-Wilshire; Fri., May 3, 3 p.m., 5 p.m.; 7:30 p.m., $15. 323-857-6000, www.lacma.org. Also at The Getty Museum, 1200 Getty Center Drive, W.L.A.; Sat., May 4, 4 p.m., free. 310-440-7330, www.getty.edu/museum/. Also at Annenberg Community Beach House, 415 Pacific Coast, Santa Monica; Sun., May 5, 5 p.m., $20 afternoon, panel discussion free with reservation. 310-458-4904, www.annenbergbeachhouse.com. For a complete listing of events, venues & tickets go to www.dancecamerawest.org.

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Photo: Michael Meseke

Traces.

This week's dance events include the arrival of nouveau circus Traces and the 6th Annual Pasadena Dance Festival wraps up.

5. Pasadena does festivals besides the Rose Parade
The week-long Pasadena Dance Festival peaks with a series of jam-packed shows. Up-and-coming dancemakers and their companies are showcased Friday including Chasen Dreamz, Datugan Dance Theatre, HD Movement Project, James Hansen Assemblage Dance, Kerrie Schroeder Pickup Company, LA Unbound, McNaughton/Navarrete Dance Ensemble, MODA Dance Collective, No Strings Attached Dance Company, Priolo Dance and Santa Ana College. Younger dancers take the stage at Saturday's matinee including Brockus Conservatory of Dance and Musical Theater, Compass Dance, Colburn School's Trudi Zipper, Flintridge Preparatory School, Idyllwild Arts Academy, Leverage Dance, Versa-Style Next Generation, and Vonder Haar Center for the Performing Arts. The 6th annual festival moves to the venerable Pasadena Civic Auditorium for the finale with an eclectic line-up that includes BPM beatsperminute, Blue13 Dance Company, F.Y.V Group, Luminario Ballet, SoleVita Dance Company, Terri Best Dance, The Underground, and festival host Lineage Dance Company. Bravo to Lineage Dance Company for organizing this 6th annual event and to the Pasadena Arts Council for funding it. For complete details and tickets go to www.pasadenadancefestival.org. At Lineage Performing Arts Center, 89 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena; Fri., April 26, 8 p.m.; Sat., April 26, 2 p.m.; $20 in advance, $25 at door. Also at Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena; Sat., April 27, 8 p.m., $35 in advance, $40 at door. 626-793-2122, www.pasadenadancefestival.org.

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Courtesy Los Angeles Nomadic Division (LAND)

One of Liz Craft's "hairy guys" in West Hollywood Park

This week, two artists dance with hula-hoops, another uses graffiti to obscure paintings of high-heeled, made-up models and a third installs hairy bronze statues in WeHo.

5. Just say no
In 1962, Judson Dance Theater started at the Judson Church in Greenwich Village. Programming was informal; writers and artists contributed as much as dancers and choreographers did. Trisha Brown worked at Judson, as did Simone Forti and Yvonne Rainer, who developed her No Manifesto there. ("No to spectacle. No to virtuosity," it started, then continued to list all the tropes of performance Rainer wished to reject.) Rainer and Forti will be at the Hammer this weekend, along with a number of other artists, dancers, theorists and historians, talking about where the dance world and art world meet. 10899 Wilshire Blvd.; Fri., April 26, 5-9 p.m.; Sat., April 27, 10-2 p.m. (310) 443-7000, hammer.ucla.edu.

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Photo by Paul Kolnik

Alvin Ailey dancers in Petite Mort

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This week's dance events include the return of the ever-popular Alvin American Dance Theater, dances about desire and a body to be discovered at UCLA

5. Alvin Ailey's new Battle plan

Defying the world of Photoshop, those beautiful, ripped bodies on banners announcing the return of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater are the real thing. The late Alvin Ailey created beautiful dances and nurtured his eponymous company, considered among the most popular dance troupes in America, if not the world. He also inspired the next generation of choreographers.

Ailey's work and his legacy are celebrated in three programs this AAADT visit. The opening program (repeated Sat. eve.), Ailey Spirit, offers Ronald K. Brown's Grace and Ohad Naharin's Minus 16, the latter incorporating elements of improvisation and audience participation. Classic Ailey (Fri. & Sat. mat.) serves up sections from Ailey's deep vault of dances. 21st Century Ailey (Sun.) showcases up-and-comer Kyle Abraham's Another Night, artistic director Robert Battle's Strange Humors and the company's local debut of Jiri Kylian's sensual masterwork Petite Mort. As the new artistic director (only the company's third), Battle continues the company tradition of closing shows with Ailey's Revelations. This trio of programs pays homage to the Ailey tradition, but also signals a Battle-plan to blaze new trails. At the Music Center Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., dwntwn.; Fri.-Sat., April 19-20, 7:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun., April 20-21, 2 p.m.; $28-$110. www.musiccenter.org.

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Photo courtesy of Regina Klenjoski Dance Company

Regina Klenjoski Dance Company at the 2nd L.A. Dance Festival

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This week's dance events include a locavore dance festival and two troupes on tour.

5. Locavore dance
In a season brimming with wonderful out of town companies dropping in for a bit of SoCal spring, but taking the ticket proceeds back to entertain their home audiences, L.A.'s own are bringing it all home with the second edition of the Los Angeles Dance Festival. Co-sponsored by Diavolo Dance Company and Brockus Dance Project, the Festival again fills a weekend with performances by 16 top notch companies along with open classes and discussions about what is distinctive about the participating troupes which range from contemporary to ballet to modern to aerial. Saturday's two performances include Ate9 dANCE cOMPANY, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Luminario Ballet, Contemporary Modern Dance Cooperative, Ptero Dance Theater, Regina Klenjoski Dance Company, Clairobscur Dance Company and Invertigo Dance Theater. Sunday's two shows boast KIN Dance Company, Dance Body Dance, L.A. Contemporary Dance Company, Dorn Dance, motion/TRIBE, Pennington Dance Group, Kybele Dance Theater and Lula Washington Dance Theatre. A great chance to catch up with local troups, plus the ticket money stays here to fund shows to entertain in the months to come. Not enough room here to talk about all of them, but great info and links to the participating companies at www.ladancefest.org. At the Brewery Arts Complex, 616 Moulton Ave., Sat., April 13, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m.; Sun., April 14, 5 p.m. & 8 p.m.; $22 advance purchase, $30 at door, $40 advance purchase for both shows. www.ladancefest.org/LADanceFest.org/Tickets_and_Registration.html.

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