For UCLA and for Juilliard, a toehold

THE Juilliard School. Even the name sounds classy. With a roster of illustrious alumni that reads like a who’s who of performing artists, the famed New York City institution has been the gold standard since it was founded in 1905. Reigning supreme as a conservatory, it broadened its reach to include dance in 1951 and drama in 1968, the same year it moved to Lincoln Center.

Indeed, for an aspiring dancer, part of the allure of attending Juilliard -- whose faculty has boasted Martha Graham and Jose Limon and whose graduates include Paul Taylor, Pina Bausch and Lar Lubovitch -- is the ample opportunities it offers to be onstage. And from Thursday to next Sunday, that stage will be in Los Angeles, where the Juilliard Dance Ensemble will be making its L.A. debut at UCLA’s recently opened Glorya Kaufman Dance Theater.

The concerts, part of Juilliard’s centennial celebrations, are taking place on the heels of three Chicago performances. Moreover, the drama and music divisions have also been touring as part of the yearlong anniversary festivities, marking the first time students from all three disciplines have traveled across the States at the same time. In the end, they will have presented the world premieres of more than 15 newly commissioned dance, dramatic and musical works.

Integral to the dance presentations has been Lawrence Rhodes, director of Juilliard’s dance division since 2002. A member of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo for 22 years, the bespectacled Rhodes also danced with, among others, the Joffrey Ballet and Eliot Feld. He explains that of the dance division’s 86 students, 32 were chosen to perform on the road and nine others are serving on the crew.

“This tour is very special,” says Rhodes, cocooned behind his desk in a Lincoln Center office adorned with books, sculptures and a striking picture of Graham in her prime. “It’s also been hard to arrange, as we’re missing a bit of school. But the experience is invaluable.”

That’s particularly true now, when landing a gig in the downsized arts world is increasingly difficult. Rhodes says Juilliard has been lucky in that for the last three years, 65% to 78% of its graduates have gone on to professional careers. If the caliber of work being performed at UCLA is any indication, those figures aren’t surprising.

Included on the program are Mark Morris’ 1982 “New Love Song Waltzes,” set to a Brahms score to be performed live by Juilliard singers and pianists; the West Coast premiere of William Forsythe’s 1991 “Limb’s Theorem Part III”; and “Watershed,” set to a new musical work co-commissioned by Juilliard and the New York City Ballet. Written by Juilliard faculty member and Pulitzer Prize-winner Christopher Rouse, the work, “Friandises” (Sweetmeats), has been turned into dances by Peter Martins for City Ballet and Juilliard alumnus Adam Hougland (class of 1999) for his alma mater.

“It’s so wonderful to work with dancers that have had the same education I have had,” says the 29-year-old Hougland, who has also created works for the Washington (D.C.) Ballet and Orange County’s Ballet Pacifica and is principal choreographer for the Louisville (Ky.) Ballet. “Working with the ensemble is like coming home: We speak a common movement language. They are also incredibly professional, hardworking and always willing to try something new.”

Rhodes says the Juilliard curriculum familiarizes students with every aspect of dance, including stagecraft and the business side, such as how to write grant proposals and how to produce performances. There is also a benefit from the clout of the Juilliard name: Each year, four noted choreographers spend the fall semester creating works that are then presented at an annual concert (last fall’s roster included Susan Marshall and Ronald K. Brown). The spring term focuses on repertory from three visiting dance makers, also resulting in a concert.

The tour dates are duplicating the 2006 concert, which took place this year in February and included two works that were also part of the 2005 edition -- Morris’ and Forsythe’s. Rhodes says that for the tour, the Forsythe piece has been scaled down, from 27 dancers to 19, because of its scenic demands -- an angled wall, fabric and a geodesic half-dome. But Bryna Pascoe, 21, a senior from Minnesota who performed in the work last year, remains excited about going on the road with it.

“Dancers don’t get to tour unless you’re in a professional company. It will be my first experience traveling with a big group of people and sets and things,” Pascoe says. “It was also unusual having Bill come to an institution where his work is being performed. He was great, and for me to revisit the work and see how I’ve changed as a dancer is wonderful.”

The UCLA engagement, in turn, looks like a win-win situation for the two educational institutions. David Rousseve, chair of UCLA’s department of world arts and cultures, calls it a good way to generate artistic reciprocity.

“It’s a unique opportunity for our students to view performances by and interact with students from another important program,” Rousseve says. “It’s vital too that our students and the broader L.A. dance community have more chances to view a wide range of dance.”

Rousseve acknowledges that it would be “fantastic” to see his students perform at Juilliard, but he and Rhodes emphasize that the circumstances of this tour aren’t the norm.

Says Rhodes: “I believe in the quality of work we do -- the school is very, very productive and creative. But though we’re asked to tour often, it’s hard to find it all coming together like this.”

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Juilliard Dance Ensemble

Where: Glorya Kaufman Dance Theater, UCLA

When: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. next Sunday

Price: $16

Contact: (310) 825-2102