Three exciting new dance works for your L.A. weekend
I witnessed the cinematic marvel of “Slotherhouse” this weekend. The comedy horror movie on Hulu shares the story of a killer sloth who becomes a sorority’s mascot. It is by no means profound, but a movie with a sassy killer sloth who does the splits, takes selfies and drives a car is camp at its finest. I’m Steven Vargas, your L.A. Goes Out host, and here are the top events for the upcoming weekend recommended by the crew (sign up here for the newsletter):
Weekly Countdown
1. Moriah Evans: ‘Remains Persist’
The Museum of Contemporary Art presents Moriah Evans’ “Remains Persist.” The performance uses choreographic scores as prompts to explore what “remains” means to each dancer, from historical and personal relics, fragmented pieces of an object or psychological traumas. With this concept, performers also investigate the power dynamics of race, gender and class through dance. The show is four hours long and viewers can enter and exit whenever they please. “Remains Persist” is part of the Live Arts Exchange (LAX) Festival Vol. 10 organized by Los Angeles Performance Practice running until Nov. 4. The performances at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in downtown L.A. are from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and from Nov. 2 to Nov. 4, and cost between $8 and $10. Evans will also offer two open classes throughout the show’s run. More info can be found on MOCA’s website.
2. ‘Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends’
New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck is bringing her moves to L.A. this weekend. The Soraya in Northridge presents “Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends,” a show with a star-studded line-up of dancers and choreographers. The performance is a true celebration, bringing together Peck’s fellow NYCB dancers and other big names in the art form, including tap dance icon Michelle Dorrance, “So You Think You Can Dance” winner Lex Ishimoto and Emmy-nominated choreographer Jillian Meyers. Shows are at 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $43 to $89. More details can be found on the Soraya’s website.
3. ‘Jungle Book Reimagined’
Akram Khan Company has a revitalized version of Rudyard Kipling’s classic stories coming to the Broad Stage in Santa Monica this weekend. “Jungle Book Reimagined” follows a young Mowgli as she navigates today’s world impacted by climate change. The new interpretation, choreographed by Khan, emphasizes the theme of mankind’s harm to nature with a bold production that recreates the 1894 book with immersive animations and visuals. Prior to the show, the Broad Stage will also have a variety of programming on the Plaza, including a wine tasting and a puppet jungle — all first come, first served with registration. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and at 4 p.m. Saturday. Tickets range from $65 to $100 and more details can be found on the Broad Stage’s website.
4. ‘Rise’
Take a theatrical dive into the history of Boyle Heights. Kimba Henderson’s “Rise,” presented by Company of Angels, follows Emmeline as she witnesses her neighborhood change across the decades. Boyle Heights was once known as the “Ellis Island of the West” and was home to a diverse community, from European and Asian immigrants to Latinos and African Americans. As Emmeline’s home changes around her, she tries to understand the bond she has with the neighborhood as an African American woman born and raised there. The show runs until Nov. 5 at Company of Angels in Boyle Heights and tickets range from $15 to $25. More information can be found on the company website.
5. ‘This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement’
Skirball Cultural Center in Brentwood presents “This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement,” a new exhibition that shares more than 150 photos taken during the 1960s. The exhibition centers on works by nine photographers affiliated with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. The photos take viewers behind the scenes, sharing the local people and community critical to the civil rights movement. Aside from the photos, the exhibition also displays memorabilia and audio recordings from the photographers recounting their time with SNCC. The exhibition is on view until Feb. 25 and tickets range from free to $18. Skirball Cultural Center is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. More information can be found online.
Bonus round: WORDTheatre 20th Anniversary Los Angeles Celebration & Fundraiser
WORDTheatre, an organization that brings the words of authors to life with the help of actors, celebrates its 20-year anniversary. with a live performance of literature. This time around, talent includes Sharon Stone, Stephen Tobolowsky, Fred Melamed, Brenda Strong and many more. The evening will honor actor Lily Tomlin and author Charles Yu with the Storyteller Awards. Individual tickets to the celebration at the Historic Woman’s Club in Santa Monica cost $250. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 2 and more information can be found on WORDTheatre’s website.
On My Mind
My weekend of events started Wednesday with a performance from the “Infinite Rehearsal” exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles in downtown L.A. The exhibition provides the collective No)one. Art House space to create. The showcase this past week featured works in progress from interdisciplinary artists Cody Perkins and Qwenga. Perkins shared a mesmerizing musical performance that called listeners to rest. Throughout, he shifted from whispering “Take a breath” to belting out the phrase “L.A. lover” in a reverb echoing off the walls. The production was simplistic but held onto an ever-evolving groove that made me want to get on my feet and dance. Qwenga’s performance brought his own sci-fi world to life with movement. Inspired by authors like Octavia Butler and films like “2001: A Space Odyssey,” his strong performance was rooted in a specificity I saw in his eyes.
We often view art through its final product, glossing over the steps it took to get there. The exhibition and its series of presentations make you think about what it means to be an artist, especially as a person of color, and the process it takes to get to the next show. “Infinite Rehearsal” runs until Jan. 14 and public rehearsals take place from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. More information can be found on ICA LA’s website.
On Thursday, I went to see Ephrat Asherie Dance’s “Underscored,” at Bovard Auditorium at USC. The performance was a crash course in NYC dance club culture. Each ensemble member had a staple style, creating a kaleidoscope of movement from whacking, funk, vogue and house dance genres. The evening’s performance centered on Archie Burnett, Brahms “Bravo” LaFortune and Michele Saunders, who each came on stage and shared more of their stories from the clubs. I’m still thinking about the moment Burnett stepped on stage with his iconic black-and-white image projected behind him. He held his arms up in a similar pose to the photo and vogued up and down the stage before falling into the splits.
On Friday, I saw American Contemporary Ballet’s “The Rite.” The company’s downtown L.A. skyscraper performance space turned into a haunting world where dancer Hannah Barr goes head-to-head against an ensemble trying to make her their sacrifice. While the piece includes more contemporary and modern movements, Madeline Houk introduced ballet to the mix when she performed on pointe. But as the music of Igor Stravinsky performed by Brandon Zhou and Daniel Gledhill took an unsettling tone, so did the dance. Houk goes to her heels, walking normally with her pointe shoes still on. The mixture was a smart choice by choreographer Lincoln Jones to uncannily subvert the expectations of ballet. “The Rite” runs until Saturday and tickets range from $60 to $140. More details can be found on ACB’s website.
My final venture of the weekend was to see serpentwithfeet’s ”Heart of Brick” at the Ford in Hollywood Hills. The show was a theatrical dance performance set to the R&B singer’s discography. Serpent, whose real name is Josiah Wise, told the story of Black queer love in a dance hall. The choreography by Raja Feather Kelly mixed expressive contemporary with moments of house and vogue. It began with serpent trying, and failing, to get over his ex. When he went to the club to purposefully run into his ex, he met a new man, Brick (Dylan M. Contreras). The most beautiful moments happened in between the grand dance moves when the world was still, with just serpent and Brick in each other’s arms or flirting at the bar. In it, serpent, who co-wrote the show with Donte Collins, captures an authentic and honest depiction of queer love.
Go out speed round
Go out before it closes: Mey Gallery in West Hollywood presents “Tropismo Del Paisaje (Entre Sierra, Pantano, y Desierto),” a solo exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist Joaquín Stacey-Calle. The exhibition shares a collection of family photographs taken by the artist’s father rendered to canvas, drop cloth and wood with oil and spray paint. The free gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and the show closes on Nov. 1. More information can be found on Mey Gallery’s website.
Go out and craft: Celebrate Día de Muertos with Laguna Art Museum. Self Help Graphics & Art brings its Barrio Mobile Art Studio to teach screenprinting workshops in honor of the holiday. Participants will learn how to create handmade stencils and silkscreen images on tote bags. Sessions are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out the exhibition “Marking an Era: Celebrating Self Help Graphics & Art at 50.” The cost of admission ranges from free to $12 and more details on the workshop can be found on Laguna Art Museum’s website.
Go out with the kids: Take the kids out for a chill day at the art museum. The Hammer in Westwood is hosting a screening of “Escape to Witch Mountain” as part of their Family Flicks series. The 1975 film follows Tia and Tony, two orphaned children with supernatural powers who are trying to escape the clutches of evil millionaire Aristotle Bolt. The free screening is at 11 a.m. Sunday and more details can be found on the Hammer’s website.
Go out on a date: This one is for my podcast lovers. “Movement Live” brings a podcast to life, combining the concert environment with audio storytelling. UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance and KCRW present performer Meklit Hadero, an Ethiopian American musician and cultural strategist who will be joined by three L.A.-based guest artists. The performance at the Nimoy in Westwood is at 8 p.m. Saturday and tickets cost $32. More information can be found on CAP UCLA’s website.
Go out for free: “Interreality,” a group show curated by artist and former Night Gallery co-owner Mieke Marple, shares how digital technologies like AI are meshing with the physical world of art. The exhibition features 35 artists, including Refik Anadol, Mark Flood, Cindy Phenix and Alida Sun — displaying the spectrum of digital and traditional art practices. “Interreality” runs until Nov. 25 at Desmond Tower in Mid-Wilshire. The space is open from noon to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and more information can be found on the exhibition website.
Go out all night: When he’s not being unhinged on social media or starring in HBO’s “Rap Sh*t!,” Jaboukie Young-White is taking the stage as a rising hip-hop artist. He just released a new album, “All who can’t hear must feel.” To hear some of his new songs live, head to the Moroccan Lounge in downtown L.A. for his show at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $25 and more details can be found on the venue’s website.
Go out all day: AFI Fest is back and offers a weekend filled with cinema. The festival is known for bringing new features and shorts to Angelenos in a series of screenings and panels. Tickets range from $10 to $100, depending on the package, and the festival runs until Sunday. More details can be found on the AFI’s website.
Go out all weekend: La Jolla Playhouse presents its sixth Latinx New Play Festival from Friday to Sunday. The festival focuses on four scripts chosen by the Playhouse to be rehearsed and developed into public readings. The festival is free and includes various panels and receptions to ring in the celebration. More information can be found on La Jolla Playhouse’s website.
Go out and wander: Wander through the Japanese Heritage Shōya House at the Huntington Library, Art Gallery and Botanical Gardens in San Marino. L.A.-based Akira and Yohko Yokoi donated their ancient family home that is now reconstructed on a 2-acre site you can tour. To learn more about the centuries-old house, check out The Times’ coverage by Jeanette Marantos. Tickets to the Huntington range from free to $36 and you can view the house from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. More details can be found online.
Go out and laugh: I love a good schtick, and so do these comedians. “Schtick or Treat” is a Halloween special that brings your favorite comedians together to perform a set as their own favorite comedians. Performers taking the Lyric Hyperion stage in Silver Lake include James Adomian, Barbara Gray, Sammy Mowrey, Curtis Cook and more. The show is at 10 p.m. Tuesday and tickets are $15. More details can be found on Eventbrite.
More from the crew here
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I’m all ears
That’s all I’ve got for this week. Follow our feed of recommendations and itineraries on Instagram and Twitter, and if you have recs of your own, send them to steven.vargas@latimes.com.
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