It's my first feature in LACitybeat!
They had to cut some of my best lines, but I'm still really happy I can give good press to these amazing artists...


Steps: Commandments from the Dance Commander

Get Naked

No, this isn’t a Craigslist proposition … it’s art, people! In its continued exploration of violence, sensuality, and intimacy related to the male-gendered body, Dandelion Dance Theater presents Testiculish and other adventures through the underbelly. On July 14, this Bay Area-based company begins a two-week residency at Highways that includes a workshop open to the public entitled “Healing Body Image Through Naked Dance,” which is just what it sounds like. Participants will then have the chance to perform with the company during excerpts from ANNICA, Dandelion’s widely acclaimed work from the ongoing “Undressed Project.” The workshop takes place July 14 and 21, 7-9 p.m., and the performances of Testiculish…/ANNICA are July 17-26, at Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica, (310) 315-1459. highwaysperformance.org.


Hang Out with Circus Freaks

Cirque Berzerk, the circus-on-psychedelics that your mother should have warned you about, presents BENEATH, a visual and aural extravaganza of truly big-top proportions, July 24-27. Cirque Berzerk performs in its very own full-size circus tent, mounted in the Los Angeles State Historic Park in the heart of downtown L.A. Punk-rock clowns, fire breathers/dancers, dizzying aerial acts, scintillating cabaret numbers, and the stilt-walkers that dreams/nightmares are made of. Arrive early to picnic and enjoy a decorated beer and wine garden from 6 p.m., with performances at 8:30 p.m. 1245 N. Spring St., downtown, (213) 448-3507. cirquebezerk.com.


Rekindle your Love/Hate Relationship

It’s true, having a relationship with contemporary dance performances can be as harrowingly bipolar as that guy you met on the Personals. Think of these next two performances as highly recommended blind dates, set up by that one friend – the only one – who has really great taste in significant others. Described as “Looney Tunes comedy meets magic realist mystery,” Rachel Lincoln and Leslie Seiters bring their duet An Attic, An Exit to the Unknown Theater, combining precise movement, rigging, and soundscaping to create a truly intimate spectacle. Performances are July 17-July 27, Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 6 p.m., at 1110 Seward St., L.A., (323) 466-7781.
www.unknowntheater.com.


Drip with Feminine Complexity

On August 15 and 16, Sue Roginski curates Spill, Splash, and Splendor. Four dance artists – Alison Bory, Cynthia Lee, Rosie Trump, and Sadie Weinburg – compose pieces “dripping with feminine complexity” and reflexive wit. Dealing with issues of romance, gendered nostalgia, and representations of women, Spill showcases some of the best emerging choreographers in SoCal. Highways, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica, (310) 315-1459. highwaysperformance.org.


Contribute to the Gentrification of Hip Hop (Kidding!)

The Culture Shock Los Angeles Dance Troupe rocks the Ford Amphitheater July 25, taking a hip-hop twist on Ray Bradbury’s dystopic classic Fahrenheit 451. In A Beautiful Struggle, Culture Shock works out creative impulse under censorship. All graduate student sarcasm aside, this looks to be a dynamic display of empowering diversity. 8 p.m. 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, (323) 461-3673. fordamphitheater.org, cultureshockdance.org.


Succumb to your Inner Bourgeois Anachronism

Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque, purveyor of all things exotic and untimely, continues its bi-monthly residency at downtown’s swankiest adaptive reuse project, The Edison. Lucent’s interactive performance art based in a fin-de-siecle bohemian dreamworld fits like a jeweled glove on The Edison’s elegant interior design. (Tip: this is possibly one of the most impressive date-night ideas in the Los Angeles area.) Check the dress code at edisondowntown.com for detailed instructions. July 23 and Aug. 6, 9 p.m. 108 W 2nd St., downtown, (213) 613-0000. lucentdossier.com.

--Ramie Becker

Published: 07/16/08