Lula Washington Dance Theatre will perform for three nights: Jan. 30 through Feb. 1, 2020, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in celebration of its 40th anniversary.
“To Lula with Love,” created for the occasion by alumnus and choreographer Christopher Huggins, will be performed. Huggins is also a former member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.
Two works by company Founder/Artistic Director Lula Washington will also be featured in the program. “Fragments,” which she describes as a “reaction to the chaotic times we live in“ and “King,” about the struggles of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during a key moment in his life.
The program will include three world premiers and a West Coast premiere and will mix jazz, hip-hop, African movement, ballet, modern, tap and other dance styles. A talk-back with members of the company immediately follows the Jan. 30 performance.
“At the same time the company is pushing forward with new groundbreaking work, it is also holding true to its original mission of doing work that is ‘reaching for your soul,’” Washington said. “Our dancing and programming is designed to touch the soul and spirit of people, aiming to move them to a place of humanism and fairness for all.”
The Lula Washington Dance Theatre, a repertoire dance ensemble founded in 1980 by Lula and Erwin Washington in South LA, has risen to become one of the most admired African-American contemporary dance companies in the world. The company, which tours internationally, has focused on using dance to explore social issues, including aspects of African-American history and culture.
Tickets, $29 to $79 are on sale now. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 746-4000 or visit www.thewalllis.org/lula.
