UCLA Live budget to hold steady
Despite the grim economic climate, UCLA Live will operate with about the same budget next year as it did for 2008-09 -- $9 million -- and will present about the same number of performers and performances, said series artistic and executive director David Sefton. But one area that was significantly affected in lining up the 2009-10 performing arts schedule was classical music.
“I had five major orchestras cancel on me this year,” Sefton said in an interview. “That’s why classical music is just contained within the Royce Choice series this year. I don’t have a separate classical series.”
He hopes to reintroduce a classical music series in 2010-11, he said. “But I’m . . . looking at smaller groups and recitals, as opposed to expecting ensembles of 60 or 80 people to show up.”
In dance, two contemporary companies will take the stage: London’s Hofesh Shechter Company (Oct. 16-17) and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet (May 7-8), led by former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater member Benoit-Swan Pouffer.
Britain’s DV8 Physical Theatre will present “To Be Straight With You,” a documentary dance-theater piece dealing with issues of tolerance, religion and homosexuality, to be presented Nov. 6 and 7.
Another dance/music highlight: Folk singer Joni Mitchell and Canada’s Alberta Ballet collaborate on “The Fiddle and the Drum,” an evening-length dance piece performed to Mitchell’s music (Feb. 26-27). Mitchell’s paintings will be projected on screens behind the dancers.
For more information on the season, visit the UCLA Live website, www.uclalive.org.
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