L.A. Dance Project to make its O.C. debut at Musco Center

Benjamin Millepied is not concerned about Southern California’s apparent lack of passion for dance. The founder and artistic director of L.A. Dance Project simply pushes forward.

Millepied will lead his company in a technical residency for about a week at the Musco Center for the Arts in Orange culminating with a performance at 7:30 p.m. June 16 at the Chapman University-based arts center.

“Dancing is a completely different art form,” said Millepeid, the onetime principal dancer and choreographer for the New York City Ballet. He now lives in Los Angeles. “It can be an incredibly poetic, beautiful art form. But it’s fleeting. Unlike contemporary (visual) art, it’s not a commodity. To this day, my company is founded on friends and relationships that I have — a handful of people that really support my company, and international people.”

Millepeid, who also served as director of dance for the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet from 2014-16, founded L.A. Dance Project six years ago. The company strives to push boundaries with innovative choreography and a creative blend of multiple disciplines, blurring the lines between classical ballet and contemporary dance, with some film mixed in.

L.A. Dance Project combines experienced dancers with up-and-comers. The group has performed around the world and at many Los Angeles venues, including the Theatre at Ace Hotel, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Saturday’s performance will mark L.A. Dance project’s debut in Orange County.

“There’s all this culture in Los Angeles — music, history, a really interesting history, film and great composers lived here,” said Millepied, who turns 41 on Sunday. “It’s kind of a fascinating place — opera and the [L.A.] Philharmonic are thriving, but there’s not the same support for dance. It’s a fascinating experiment, what we’re doing. I really believe in taking more risks, spending more money and showing the community that we’re here.”

The L.A. Dance Project makes its home at 2245 E. Washington Blvd., in downtown L.A.’s burgeoning Arts District. The company is just wrapping up a series of performances at the space, which it simply calls “2245.”

For the Musco Center show, L.A. Dance Project will present a world premiere by choreographer Shannon Gillen, who is founder of the New York-based dance company Vim Vigor.

The program will also include Millepied’s original works “Bach Studies (Part 1)” and “Orpheus Highway.” “Bach Studies” is inspired by composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s compositions, including “Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor.”

“It really looks at the craft behind the composition, how to depict it in dance, and use those structures and methods,” Millepied said.

In “Orpheus Highway,” nine dancers portray the romantic tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice in front of a somber cinematic backdrop. The dancers onstage alternate simultaneous and asynchronous movements with their onscreen counterparts to the music of “Triple Quartet” by Steve Reich.

Gillen’s piece is titled “Run From Me,” and it’s an exploration of duality, contrasting energies and emotional impulses, she said. The 30-minute piece consists of four dancers total, and the electronic music is by a band called Fieldhead.

Gillen has enjoyed working with the L.A. Dance Project members. “They’re great,” she said. “They’re very different people, very different movers. It’s an eclectic crew.”

She said she has also enjoyed working with Millepied.

“Ben was kind enough to tap me to come. He’s pretty much letting me make what I want to make. Anyone who has the [guts] to hire someone that they’ve seen some work, had a couple of conversations with and bring them on board to make a big piece — I think that’s so gangster. It’s a very powerful thing to do in the art world.”

As for the man behind L.A. Dance Project, he’s focused on creating new work, guiding the Amoveo Company, a multimedia production outfit he founded in 2012, and directing films. He is also raising two children with wife Natalie Portman, whom he met on the set of “Black Swan,” which he choreographed and had a role in as David Moreau/the Prince.

“We’re focused on our careers and our families,” he said. “I think we’re doing a very good job of it so far. There’s always something to balance with caution.”

If You Go

What: L.A. Dance Project

When: 7:30 p.m. June 16

Where: Musco Center for the Arts, 415 N. Glassell St., Orange

Cost: $35 to $65

Information: (844) 626-8726 or muscocenter.org.

Richard Chang is a contributor to Times Community News.