BODYTRAFFIC / Photo credit Tomasz Rossa
As many Los Angeles music aficionados are aware, the Hollywood Bowl becomes the home for the prestigious Los Angeles Philharmonic during the summer. What isn’t always widely known, however, is that occasionally the orchestra invites dancers to share the stage with them.
This year, on Thursday, Sept. 8, at 8 p.m., the LA Phil will be joined by three Los Angeles-based top-notch contemporary dance companies — L.A. Dance Project, Ate9 Dance Company and BODYTRAFFIC.
In a program titled “LA Dances,” each troupe will perform to music composed by three different one-time LA residents — Esa-Pekka Salonen, Adam Schoenberg, Daniel Wohl — and culminate with the Philharmonic playing Igor Stravinsky’s groundbreaking “The Rite of Spring” without any dance accompaniment.
Led by the French-born director of the Seattle Symphony, Ludovic Morlot, the musicians will premiere the new “Bounce,” created by Schoenberg; “Replicate Part 2,” an LA Phil commission composed by Wohl; and Salonen’s “Helix.” As a reminder, Stravinsky’s 1913 classic revolutionized the modern music world as it caused a scandalous riot in its premiere performance in Paris with the ballet choreographed by iconic dancer Vaslav Nijinsky.
Wohl’s selection will be interpreted by choreographer Danielle Agami and her nine-member Ate9 Dance Company. BODYTRAFFIC is engaging Spaniard Gustavo Ramírez Sansano to physically realize its aural landscape. And Justin Peck, a San Diego-born New York City Ballet resident dance maker, has orchestrated the movement for the Benjamin Millepied-directed L.A. Dance Project.
Lots of high profile names in this program, a beautiful and historic venue, the opportunity to arrive early and picnic al fresco — what’s not to love about this event?
—Benn Widdey, Culture Spot LA
The Hollywood Bowl is located at 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood.
Suggestions for how to get there are at https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/visit/getting-to-the-bowl.
Tickets are $8-$113 and can be purchased at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0B00508C821D360E?brand=hollywoodbowl
More information: https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/la-dances/2016-09-08