In Laguna Beach’s colorful array of artistic offerings, the Laguna Dance Festival adds the fluid element of movement. Offering world-class dance on the intimate stage of the Laguna Playhouse and in non-traditional settings like art galleries and city parks, the idea is to bring dance to the people for greater appreciation of the art form. Now in its 11th year, Laguna Dance Festival is regarded as “one of Orange County’s major annual cultural events,” according to the Orange County Register.
Dance creation, presentation and education are supported and promoted by the Festival’s dedicated board of directors, headed by Chairwoman Karen Wilson, newly hired longtime volunteer and board member Executive Director Joy Dittberner, and Founder and Artistic Director Jodie Gates. Jodie, a former ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, also serves as vice dean and director of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Upon her retirement from the stage, Jodie established Laguna Dance Festival in 2005–as a result of her vision, Laguna Beach has played host to top dance companies from near and far: American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Parsons Dance, CorbinDances, Diavolo, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Trey McIntyre Project, Ballet West, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Backhausdance, UCI Etude Ensemble, The Groovaloos, San Francisco Ballet, Les Ballet Grandiva, BalletX, Sacramento Ballet, Breed, Los Angeles Ballet, ABT II and Hubbard Street 2.
Besides being an important showcase for new and established dance companies and artists, Laguna Dance Festival offers master classes throughout the year for area dance students. It has reached thousands and exposed new audiences to world-class professional dance in a beautiful setting through its onstage festival performances and informal dance presentations such as First Thursdays Art Walk events.
On Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m., the dance floor at [seven-degrees] will sizzle as Laguna Dance Festival celebrates its 11th anniversary with the Cuban-themed gala ¡Bailamos! It will be an exciting night of mojitos, food, and dance – including red-hot salsa performed by Oksana Platero from Dancing with the Stars and her husband Jonathan Platero from So You Think You Can Dance.
Dance creation, presentation and education are supported and promoted by the Festival’s dedicated board of directors, headed by Chairwoman Karen Wilson, newly hired longtime volunteer and board member Executive Director Joy Dittberner, and Founder and Artistic Director Jodie Gates. Jodie, a former ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, also serves as vice dean and director of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Upon her retirement from the stage, Jodie established Laguna Dance Festival in 2005–as a result of her vision, Laguna Beach has played host to top dance companies from near and far: American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Parsons Dance, CorbinDances, Diavolo, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Trey McIntyre Project, Ballet West, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Backhausdance, UCI Etude Ensemble, The Groovaloos, San Francisco Ballet, Les Ballet Grandiva, BalletX, Sacramento Ballet, Breed, Los Angeles Ballet, ABT II and Hubbard Street 2.
Besides being an important showcase for new and established dance companies and artists, Laguna Dance Festival offers master classes throughout the year for area dance students. It has reached thousands and exposed new audiences to world-class professional dance in a beautiful setting through its onstage festival performances and informal dance presentations such as First Thursdays Art Walk events.
On Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m., the dance floor at [seven-degrees] will sizzle as Laguna Dance Festival celebrates its 11th anniversary with the Cuban-themed gala ¡Bailamos! It will be an exciting night of mojitos, food, and dance – including red-hot salsa performed by Oksana Platero from Dancing with the Stars and her husband Jonathan Platero from So You Think You Can Dance.
Photo Credit: MSA Agency; Oksana Platero from Dancing with the Stars and her husband Jonathan Platero from So You Think You Can Dance
Gala guests need not simply watch – they can join the fun on the dance floor when Oksana and Jonathan teach a salsa class during the party.
Also performing at the gala will be Jeremy Zapanta and Tess Lane, both of California Ballet, and Nikki and Ethan White, contemporary ballet dancers who finished as finalists on the CBS show Live to Dance.
Also performing at the gala will be Jeremy Zapanta and Tess Lane, both of California Ballet, and Nikki and Ethan White, contemporary ballet dancers who finished as finalists on the CBS show Live to Dance.
Photo Credit: Keith Sutter ; Nikki and Ethan White, who will dance at the May 28 gala, ¡Bailamos!
Vocalist Candi Sosa, who grew up among the sugar fields and green plains of Central Cuba, will perform with a five-piece Cuban-style band. Candi and her two siblings were part of Operation Pedro Pan in the early 1960s, which sent more than 14,000 Cuban youths alone to the United States in an effort by Cuban parents to protect their children from Marxist-Leninist indoctrination. Dulce Maria – the name given by her parents –and her siblings lived for several months in a refugee camp, where she became the premier performer at weekly talent shows held to entertain the children. (One of these performances was captured in a film that would, many years later, take her back to Cuba for the first time.) The three children were taken into a foster home in Long Beach, and Candi began performing as a professional singer at age 13. From her Southern California home, she has had a long, successful career as a sought-after vocalist. Laguna Dance Festival is proud to present Candi Sosa as part of its Cuban-themed May 28 celebration – all are invited so, don’t miss it!
For information and tickets ($200 each) please visit www.lagunadancefestival.org.
In September, two of the world’s hottest dance companies, Malpaso Dance Company from Havana, Cuba and San Francisco’s Alonzo King LINES Ballet, will give two performances each during the Laguna Dance Festival September 10–13. Tickets for all four onstage September performances will go on sale in June.
Laguna Dance Festival 2015 Schedule
Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m. – ¡Bailamos! 11th Anniversary Celebration Gala at [seven-degrees]
Thursday, Sept. 3 – Free dance performance during Laguna Beach First Thursdays Art Walk; details to be announced
Sept. 5 and Sept. 6 – Master classes for intermediate to advanced dancers; details to be announced
Thursday, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. – Malpaso onstage performance; pre-performance talk at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. – Malpaso onstage performance; pre-performance talk at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Malpaso technique class and repertory workshop; details to be announced
Saturday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. – Alonzo King LINES Ballet onstage performance
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Post-performance Artists’ Reception; ticketed event at Laguna Playhouse
Sept. 13 – Alonzo King LINES Ballet master class; details to be announced
Sunday, Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. – Alonzo King LINES Ballet onstage performance. Pre-performance talk at 1 p.m.
For information and tickets ($200 each) please visit www.lagunadancefestival.org.
In September, two of the world’s hottest dance companies, Malpaso Dance Company from Havana, Cuba and San Francisco’s Alonzo King LINES Ballet, will give two performances each during the Laguna Dance Festival September 10–13. Tickets for all four onstage September performances will go on sale in June.
Laguna Dance Festival 2015 Schedule
Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m. – ¡Bailamos! 11th Anniversary Celebration Gala at [seven-degrees]
Thursday, Sept. 3 – Free dance performance during Laguna Beach First Thursdays Art Walk; details to be announced
Sept. 5 and Sept. 6 – Master classes for intermediate to advanced dancers; details to be announced
Thursday, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. – Malpaso onstage performance; pre-performance talk at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. – Malpaso onstage performance; pre-performance talk at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Malpaso technique class and repertory workshop; details to be announced
Saturday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. – Alonzo King LINES Ballet onstage performance
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Post-performance Artists’ Reception; ticketed event at Laguna Playhouse
Sept. 13 – Alonzo King LINES Ballet master class; details to be announced
Sunday, Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. – Alonzo King LINES Ballet onstage performance. Pre-performance talk at 1 p.m.
