Louise Reichlin & Dancers/Los Angeles Choreographers & Dancers will celebrate 40 years of entertaining audiences with two special performances this weekend, Saturday, Oct. 19 and Sunday, Oct. 20.
Los Angeles Choreographers & Dancers (LA C&D) creates and presents innovative dance works with imagination, feelings, and communication is the inspiration for every piece. Whether presenting a concert performance or enriching the lives of LA-area students through arts education, we believe that our work sparks imagination, creativity, self-discovery, and empowers our diverse audience members to expand their understanding of life.
Founded by Reichlin in 1979, Los Angeles Choreographers & Dancers creates and presents innovative dance works with imagination, feelings, and communication. Whether presenting a concert performance or enriching the lives of LA-area students through arts education, they believe that their work sparks imagination, creativity, self-discovery, and a greater understanding of life.
Louise Reichlin & Dancers burst into the public eye with “The Tennis Dances,” their first performance at the Anson Ford Theatre. Over the years, Reichlin examined society from its most primitive nature to the emergence of the information age with “The E-mail Dances” in 1996. Through multiple performances for the 23rd Olympiad, a summer series at the L.A. Zoo, touring the U.S. and Mexico, Reichlin has consistently and continually created probing and provocative works all.
First at 2 p.m. will be “The Patchwork Girl of Oz,” based on the 1913 book by L. Frank Baum. Audiences will be transported back to the world of Oz, where vivid costumes, interaction, music, and multimedia production will aid in the telling of the story of familiar characters from The Wizard of Oz and introduce new characters including the Patchwork Girl and Ogo, a sheltered youngster.
At 4 p.m. will be “A Jewish Child’s Story, Part I: A Dream—The Roses on My Wallpaper,” an autobiographical multimedia dance production inspired by the dreams of a granddaughter of Jewish immigrants. Part I features archetypical characters such as Wonder Woman and K’tonton, as well as familiar biblical characters such as Rebekah at the Well and Miriam with her cradle holding Moses. “Part II: Yellow Star” focuses on researching the Holocaust in regard to discovering relatives who were never known.
“A Jewish Child’s Story,” created and written by Louise Reichlin, was the winner of the Bruce Geller Memorial Prize, and will mark its Los Angeles premiere this weekend. Thanks to a grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs LA Stage Advance, Reichlin and her dance company were given use of the Madrid Theater in Canoga Park, along with a crew to help prepare photos and video and marketing materials. “A Jewish Child’s Story” recently made its world premiere in Las Vegas and has also been seen in Santa Barbara and Culver City.
Reichlin said that one of the most important areas of focus for her company is the introduction and training of 4th and 5th graders to the world of dance. Having worked in several LAUSD schools located in Culver City as well as in CCUSD schools themselves, Reichlin sees dance as highly beneficial.
“The kids who showed enthusiasm and were instructed and got to perform, 100 percent went on to higher education,” Reichlin said.
Reichlin, who teaches a series of classes at each school she visits, said dance is important to the wellbeing of children because it provides that missing piece of physical activity that many may not be getting at school.
“The kids love the dancing because it’s very colorful and there’s lots of movement,” Reichlin said.
The Patchwork Girl of Oz takes place on Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 19 & 20 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $16 general admission; $8 for children 12 and under.
Barnsdall Gallery Theatre at Barnsdall Art Park is located at 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. Free public parking is available in the upper or lower lot. For tickets and information, call 800-838-3006 or go to https://lachoreographersanddancers-patchworkgirl.brownpapertickets.com.
For more information on Louise Reichlin & Dancers/ Los Angeles Choreographers & Dancers, please visit www.lachoreographersanddancers.org.