Though it has spent a lot of its time during the past 30-plus years on the road, touring to 14 countries and 250 cities, the innovative DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion® dance theater company will be in residence at its studio/theater in the Arts District in LA now through the month of November.
On each Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m., Oct. 4 through Nov. 23, the company of 22 artists will present the world premiere of “ESCAPE.” This is a 70-minute exploration of boundary-pushing athletic movement created in tandem with an assortment of unique physical structures and sculptures. Conceived by Cal Arts alum and choreographer Jacques Heim in collaboration with architects, designers, engineers and dancers from all genres and backgrounds, this new work is described in promotional materials as a metaphor for human struggle: It examines ideas of “breaking free, danger, survival, resiliency and community. It taps into the visceral and vulnerable emotions that fuel us all.”
Accompanied by a soundscape of popular music from the 1970s on, Heim is hoping to get up close and personal with an audience seated only a few feet away from the action. Though he’s not asking the viewer to jump into the fray, his goal is for the onlookers to feel the energy, “see the sweat, the bruises, the blood and even the mistakes — all that goes into the Company’s confluence in the choreography.” At the same time, under ensemble members’ guidance and direction, audience members are invited to ride some of the featured constructions.
Along with its international performance experience, the company has appeared on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and in the opening of the 66th annual Grammy Awards. Outside of his work with DIAVOLO, the dancemaker has also composed for Cirque du Soleil and directed the 16th Asian Games Opening Ceremony.
Heim was awarded the U.S. Army’s Meritorious Civilian Service Medal for the DIAVOLO Veterans Program. These workshops and public performances help these heroes restore their physical, mental and emotional strengths. In fact, proceeds from ticket and merchandise sales of “ESCAPE” will benefit this core program, which to this date has benefited 700 vets.
—Benn Widdey, Culture Spot LA
Location:
L’ESPACE DIAVOLO, 616 Moulton Ave., LA 90031
Tickets:
$49-$93
https://www.diavolo.org/escape
Info:
https://www.diavolo.org/escape
Photo courtesy of the company