The historic El Portal Theatre and Artistic Director and Choreographer Dee Caspary presents the first annual Invitational Dance Festival from July 28 through August 14, 2011. Both the Mainstage and Forum Theaters will be the scene of the festival.
This unique dance event was created by El Portal Directors Pegge Forrest and Jay Irwin who, after 10 years of hosting a variety of dance companies and performances, want to create a unique dance event that would celebrate the incredibly high level of talent and versatility in the Los Angeles dance community. They approached Caspary with the idea of a dance invitational/ festival which would focus the spotlight onto this 21st century, vibrant and artistically energizing dance population!
The Invitational will be a series of collaborative events featuring dance from America’s best, boldest, edgiest, and fiercest choreographers including the festival’s Artistic Director, Dee Caspary and notables Marty Kadoka, Mandy Moore, Kitty McNamee, Ryan Huffington, Bubba Carr, Peter Chu, Tabitha and Napoleon, Tovar’s Wilson, Kevin Maher, Eddie Garcia, Justin Giles, Scott Hislop, Terry Beeman, Jennifer Hamilton, Dana Wilson, Adam Parson, Nina Mc- Neely, Helene Phillips, Erica Cobol, David Moore, Tessandra Chavez, Mark Mesmer, Amanda Lease, Gustavo Vargas, CJ Salvador, Kim Delarosa, Wes Delink, and more to be announced. These choreographers and their work have been seen worldwide on music videos and concert tours; on stage for operas and musical theatre; and the hit American television shows “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Dancing With the Stars,” and “America’s Best Dance Crew.”
For the first time, these choreographers will collaborate on world premiere dance pieces with each other, featuring dancers from their own companies as well as 75 hand-picked dancers from across the country. These 75 dancers are the “invited” artists culled from dance workshops, intensives, master classes, and competitions throughout North America. Each choreographer has been given a limited number of invitations to offer to top dancers the opportunity to participate in this first-of-its-kind event. These selected artists will work with the star choreographers in group classes and individually every day, fully immersing themselves in each specialized dance style.
In the afternoons the dancers will study with acting teachers, talent managers, photographers, and image consultants to prepare themselves for the professional life of a dancer. On the weekends, the dancers will then display their technique, artistry, and talent onstage as featured performers in the El Portal Theatre Mainstage collaborative performances. Additionally, the festival will host RARE onehour “pre-show” performances in the intimate Forum Theatre by the choreographers themselves. For the first time, you can see the dances performed by the people who created them.
Weekday performances in the Forum, titled A Night at the Piano, will feature a live pianist in the center of the room with the choreographers improvising in their respective styles to the live music. Because of the unique nature of these performances and the limited seating (99), we anticipate that these performances will sell out very quickly. The artistic vibe will spill over to the Sky Vodka Lounge in the lobbies, where live musicians, fashion designers, and artists will share ideas, libations, and fun!
Information and tickets are available online at www. elportaltheatre.com andwww. thenvitational.com or by calling 818-508-4200 or 866-811- 4111. (Check out www.vannuysnewspress. com)
Presenter / Producer: El Portal Theatre
Listed CategoriesDance > Contemporary DanceDance > BalletDance > Ethnic Dance
Event Phone: 818-508-4200
VenueEl Portal Theatre5269 Lankershim Blvd.North Hollywood CA 91601
Regions:LA – NoHo, Valley & Ventura
Performance Dates: 7/29/2011 – 8/14/2011
Friday, 07/29/2011Saturday, 07/30/2011Sunday, 07/31/2011Monday, 08/01/2011Tuesday, 08/02/2011Wednesday, 08/03/2011Friday, 08/05/2011Saturday, 08/06/2011Sunday, 08/07/2011Monday, 08/08/2011Tuesday, 08/09/2011Wednesday, 08/10/2011Friday, 08/12/2011Saturday, 08/13/2011Sunday, 08/14/2011
Performance TimesThurs, Fri, Sat – JULY 29, 30, 31
Forum Pre-Show 6PMSkyy Vodka Lounge Performance 7:30PMMainstage Showcase 8PM
Mon, Tues, Wed – AUGUST 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10
A Night at the Piano 7PMSkyy Vodka Lounge Performance 7:30PMMainstage Showcase 8:30PM
Fri, Sat, Sun – AUGUST 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14
Forum Pre-Show 6PMSkyy Vodka Lounge Performance 7:30PMMainstage Showcase 8PM
Ticket Information:Forum Theatre Show 6PM: $15 in advance, $20 at the doorA Night at The Piano 6:30PM: $15 in advance, $20 at the doorMainstage Showcase 8PM: $25 in advance, $30 at the door