A Selective Guide to the Arts in Los Angeles

Jérôme Bel presents “Gala” / Photo by Josefina Tommasi

Subscribing to the philosophy that dance is an all-inclusive activity and performance is just an extension of that, celebrated dance maker Jérôme Bel returns to Los Angeles courtesy of the Center for the Art of Performance and the Ford Theatres. His intergenerational company features 20 professional dancers, non-dancers, women and men with a range of abilities, disabilities and diverse backgrounds, creating a community of perhaps seldom seen movers on the traditional stage. A single performance of “Gala” will be presented Saturday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. at The Theatre at Ace Hotel.

Radicalizing the mainstream assumption that performers need to pass through years of study, practice and experience, this new work lays out its structure for all to see. Each onstage participant presents her or his own unique interpretation of a given “step,” as the audience gets to observe, reflect and appreciate what promotional materials label as a quartet of joys: of watching people transform, of success, of failure and, of course, of dancing.

Bel has earned an international collection of awards for his work that he began showing in 1994. Since then, his productions have been mounted in theaters, museums and contemporary art biennials. They continue to confront the conventional ideas of what dance performance is and what it can be.

Benn Widdey, Culture Spot LA

Location:            The Theatre at Ace Hotel DTLA, 929 S. Broadway, LA 90015

Tickets:            $29–$59 can be purchased at https://www.axs.com/events/357321/jerome-bel-gala-tickets?skin=acehotel&_ga=2.236745985.1658411531.1548706728-2109542843.1546119116

information:

https://cap.ucla.edu/calendar/details/jerome_bel

https://www.jeromebel.fr