April 24 Cal Performances formally announced its 2012-2013 season which starts September 30 with the National Circus of China September 15-16. Knowing a smidge about training for the performance arts in the PRC, the ensemble has had its share of dance training.
Cal Performances Free for All is scheduled for Sunday September 30 and will include Lily Cai’s and Chitresh Das’ Dance Companies, Eth-Noh-Tec and Gamelan Sekar Jaya, as well as UCB’s Dance Department.
October 10-12 The Maryinsky Ballet and Orchestra will present Konstantin Sergeyev’s reconstruction of the Marius Petipa-Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky Swan Lake. [Good luck with the stage size!]
With choreography by Lucinda Childs, Robert Wilson and Philip Glass present Einstein on the Beach October 26-28, a West Coast Premiere.
The veteran act of Mummenschanz appears at Zellerbach Hall November 23-24.
December 14-23 The Mark Morris Dance Group will appear in The Hard Nut.
The 2013 dance offerings start January 26-27 with the Joffrey Ballet, featuring The Age of Innocence (2008) with choreography by Edwaard Liang, Christopher Wheeldon’s take on Arvo Part’s After the Rain (2005) amd Kurt Jooss’ iconic anti-war ballet from 1932 The Green Table.
February 1-2 Hubbard Street Dance Chicago was appear with Too Beaucoup (2011) choreographed by Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar; Little Moral Jump (2012) with choreography by Alejandro Cerrudo and a very mixed score and as yet unnamed work by Alonzo King.
February 3 Kodo brings their Taiko ensemble to Zellerbach and their dance-like attack on the traditional Japanese drum.
Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca follow on February 8.
Trisha Brown Dance Company dances a one-night stand March 15.
The dates for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will be April 23-26.
May 3-5 Les 7 Doigts de la Main Circus, Canada’s nouveau cirque troupe brings its production of PSY.
May 10-11 Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg will bring Boris Eifman’s 2011 production of Rodin for its West Coast premiere.
If you aren’t already breathless, the 2012-2013 season dance component will complete itself with Bejart Ballet Lausanne May 15-16 with two programs: May 15 Bolero (1961) Bejart’s take on the Maurice Ravel music and Figures of Thought (2011) with music by Zakir Hussain and choreography by Alonzo King. May 16 will be devoted to Bejart’s 1959 production of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Bejart’s Le marteau sans maitre (1973) to Pierre Boulez music.
I count these events as fifteen. Whew! and Hooray!!!
Oh, if you consider Mark Morris as dance figure though in the guise of music director, he will bring the Ojai Festival north to Zellerbach June 11-13.
Other fascinating artists will appear, principally musicians. Visit Cal Performances’ Website.
mywesterneye/woollywesterneye 