Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz presents two dance companies, each completely different in style, one from Los Angeles, and one from Paris: Lux Aeterna and Compagnie Par Terre. The two choreographers, Jacob “Kujo” Lyons and Anne Nguyen, mix different aspects and techniques of contemporary dance, hip-hop and breakdance to offer energetic and innovative works.
Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 7:30 pm
Punctum Saliens by Lux Aeterna, a 60 minute choreographic creation by Jacob “Kujo” Lyons with 4 dancers and a 5 minute extract of Autarcie (….) by Compagnie Par Terre
Lux Aeterna Dance Company’s Punctum Saliens premieres in the United States on Wednesday, Oct. 5. The critically acclaimed, Los Angeles-based Lux Aeterna, founded and directed by pioneering breakdance daredevil Jacob “Kujo” Lyons, will perform with dancers Lee “Mislee” Chesley, Lamonte “Tales” Goode, Rauf “Rubberlegz” Yasit and Kujo. Creative dancer-choreographer Kujo is known for an eclectic and powerful movement vocabulary, which fuses various art forms such as breaking, contemporary dance and circus arts. The award-winning company cultivates beauty from sources that might not otherwise be considered beautiful in the traditional sense, transforming urban techniques into something transcendent, geometric and radiant. Of Kujo, former Los Angeles Times dance critic Lewis Segal said, “there is no more-brilliant choreographer in Los Angeles at the moment.”
Thursday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 pm
Autarcie (….) by Compagnie Par Terre, a 60 minute performance by Anne Nguyen with 4 female dancers and a 5 minute extract by Lux Aeterna company
Anne Nguyen founded the Par Terre Dance Company in 2005. As a specialist in breakdance, she is familiar with the world of hip-hop battles, and aims to tap into the technical excellence peculiar to each hip-hop dance specialty. Each of her productions is based on an exploration of the dance form and its intended purpose. Autarcie (….) is a game of strategy where, for 50 minutes, four dancers engage in a frantic ritual, alternating between forward-facing dance moves and free digression. They transform their respective dance specialties of breakdance, popping and waacking into an abstract vocabulary, establishing their powerful individualities on stage and thrusting themselves into the space in pursuit of territory, alliances and hierarchy. The front of the stage is the rallying point where the dancers come together and devise a warrior dance directed at the audience. The inner workings of this restless “tribe,” with all the power struggles that ensue and the search for possible points of harmony, thus unfold on stage to the pulsating, unbridled rhythms of the percussive organic beat. Currently in residence at Chaillot, Théâtre National de la Danse in Paris, Nguyen is one of France’s most up-and-coming choreographers.
Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz is giving away two pairs of tickets for each show to Culture Spot LA readers. For a chance to win, send an email to editor@culturespotla.com with TRK in the subject line and your choice of show in the body of the email.
Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz is located at 10361 W. Pico Blvd., LA 90064. A free cheese tasting, a cookie tasting and a no-host bar will be available before both shows. Purchase tickets to both shows and receive 20 percent off. For more information, call (310) 286-0553 or visit www.theatreraymondkabbaz.com.