Dance Bonanza from Litvak, Malashock

We’re vaccinated. We’re masked. And we’re returning to theaters to see dance! Last week, I got to shows by two companies, Litvak Dance and Malashock Dance. Both featured work by multiple choreographers, making it a dance bonanza.

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“Ofrenda” a Day of the Dead Banquet

An ofrenda (offering) is an altar made to welcome departed family members on Day of the Dead. The welcome from “Ofrenda” was so spectacular, surely the nearly 3,000 living souls at the Rady Shell on Sunday were surrounded by legions of spirits, drawn to the heart-melting singing, thrilling percussive footwork, and parade of vivid costumes.

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Litvak’s Dance and Setting Enchant

While it’s been thrilling to return to live performances, much of what I’ve seen had a sense of compromise. Happily, nothing felt second-best about Litvak Dance’s performance on August 28. Sadie Weinberg, who launched this North County company just three years ago, is a powerhouse networker. She recruited two guest choreographers to create work for the company: New York-based Rebecca Margolick, one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” this year; and Texas-based Joshua Manculich, who’s made dances for companies around the country.

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Trolley Dances 2021: Hits, Misses

Each of us has a personal geography of emerging from the pandemic, landmarks that tell us we’re coming home. One of my milestones was the Dance is in the Air festival at Liberty Station, which began May 21 and continues through Sunday. Another biggie—the return of Trolley Dances! Granted, there were changes. The home to which we’re returning, post-COVID, isn’t the same one we left.

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Malashock, Griffin Choreograph Hope

Two “tribes”—one dressed in brown, the other in green—exchange wary glances. Using wooden cubes, they stake out their territory and line up, facing off.  Yet, a moment later, a man ventures out from the four-person greens, a woman from the browns. To music with a waltz tempo, they explore lyrical partnering.

How do we respond to someone we perceive as “other?” With curiosity or fear?

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