Laguna Dance Festival and the Festival of Arts present Two Free Performances
Blue13 Dance Company, a contemporary Indian ensemble based in Los Angeles, is recognized internationally for an energetic theatrical modern dance style inspired by the classical and cultural art forms of the Indian subcontinent.
Artistic Director Achinta S. McDaniel, a first-generation South Asian American, encourages precision, humor, and deep emotion from her dancers to create highly charged performances. With a diverse cast of dancers, and collaboration with international composers and artists, styles shift from Bollywood to ballet to rhythmic modern interpretations, and turn the cultural stereotype of Indian dance on its head.
“We are thrilled to host Blue13 this summer, a unique dance company that translates movement into cultural realities, entertaining audiences and stimulating new ways of thinking,” says Jodie Gates, Founder/Artistic Director, Laguna Dance Festival.
Blue13 has toured internationally, including the 2008 “Fez-Queen of Cities,” with engagements at prestigious theaters like Royce Hall Los Angeles, Symphony Space New York, in Rabat, Morocco’s Mohammed V Theatre, and at UNESCO in Paris. Last year, the ensemble was commissioned by the illustrious Music Center of Los Angeles for the Moves After Dark program. And, in 2014, Blue13 created a site-specific piece at Grand Park Los Angeles, stimulating a weeklong interactive residency that culminated in a pubic performance of a new work exploring the cross-generational effects of the India-Pakistan partition.
Blue13 also encourages audience participation through flashmobs, public interactive dance events, residencies, and workshops.
Outdoor performances at the Festival of Arts grounds will delight visitors of all ages and will be followed by a Bollywood dance class. Performances Sunday July 23 and Sunday August 27 at 2 PM are free to Festival visitors.
Laguna Dance Festival presents world-class dance performances and provides quality dance education in an effort to increase public September 7 – 17 and includes master classes and talks with dancers, and this year features a dance-on-screen showing of the academy-award nominated documentary “The Dancemaker” Thursday September 9th at Laguna Art Museum. Concluding performances at Laguna Playhouse September 14 – 17 feature BalletBC from Canada and Paul Taylor Dance Company from NYC. www.lagunadancefestival.org.