The Laguna Dance Festival (LDF) is excited to announce its 2023 dance festival, which will be held Feb. 23 – 26 at the Laguna Playhouse. The festival will feature two of the nation’s major dance companies – the Cincinnati Ballet, led by Artistic Director Jodie Gates of Laguna Dance Festival, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, led by Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell.
“This is going to be such an extraordinary weekend of dance for all in attendance.” Said Jodie Gates, Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Ballet, Founder and Artistic Director of the Laguna Dance Festival, and Founding Director of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. “Laguna Beach is a special community that I’ve loved calling home for many years. It’s meaningful for me to bring two iconic companies, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Cincinnati Ballet to perform at the Laguna Dance Festival. Which has been such a popular and unique organization and mission to celebrate dance education and presentation and bring live dance performances to the local community.”
The 2023 Laguna Dance Festival will start a long weekend of events on Thursday, Feb. 23, with a peek backstage, a free rehearsal event with the Cincinnati Ballet on stage at the Laguna Playhouse at 6:00 PM. Friday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 PM will feature the Cincinnati Ballet, performing a repertory that includes Alejandro Cerrudo’s Extremely Close, Don Quixote Pas de Deux, an excerpt from William Forsythe’s In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, and Swivet, choreography by Andrea Schermoly. Sat., Feb. 25 at 7:30 PM will feature a special combined dance performance by the Cincinnati Ballet and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Sunday, Feb. 26 at 5:30 PM Hubbaard Street Dance Chicago will be performing contemporary repertory of As the Wind Blows by Amy Hall Garner, The Bystander by Kyle Abraham, Ne Me Quitte Pas by Spencer Theberge, B/olero by Ohad Naharin, and Busk by Aszure Barton. “We’re thrilled to be performing in Laguna Beach, a community with such a well-known history of supporting the arts and dance community,” said Fisher-Harrell, who was recently appointed as Artistic Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
Tickets for these performances will be $60 for general admission and $30 for students. Tickets are available for purchase via this link.
In addition to these performances, Artistic Directors Gates and Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell will be teaching dance master classes for advanced dance students and also hosting pre-show talks for interested audience members throughout the weekend. These master classes will provide dance education from some of the most accomplished dancers and artistic directors in the world. Gates will be hosting her master class on Saturday Feb. 25 and Fisher-Harrell will be hosting hers Sunday, Feb. 26. Students will be able to sign up for these classes in mid January 2023.
For more information about Laguna Dance Festival please visit lagunadancefestival.org.
About Laguna Dance Festival
Since 2005 the award-winning Laguna Dance Festival, based in Laguna Beach California, has presented world-class dance performances in theaters, on film, and public spaces, reaching thousands annually, and exposing new audiences to professional concert dance. Laguna Dance Festival is a nonprofit organization deeply dedicated to the arts and community. The organization is committed to collaboration, dance presentation and education through an artistic lens that strategizes innovative ways to commission artists, educate young dancers and unite people of all ages and cultures. Previous festival lineups have featured national and international companies and artists including Ballet BC, Malpaso, RUBBERBAND, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Parsons Dance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet West, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Black Grace, BalletX, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Abraham.In.Motion (A.I.M.), BODYTRAFFIC, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and artists from San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet and New York City Ballet, among many others. In addition to its mission to present world-class dance performance and increase public appreciation for the art, Laguna Dance Festival is committed to the highest quality dance education and provides opportunities for aspiring artists through master classes, workshops, intensive programs and scholarships.
