The Rosin Box Project: 'Empower'
Local contemporary ballet company The Rosin Box Project (TRBP) launched their 2024 season with "Empower," a collection of new works by women choreographers. One more weekend of performances remain.
Carly Topazio, founder of The Rosin Box Project, has a work featured in the show. "Asymptote" is an abstract, mathematically inspired piece that translates lines and parabolas into movement.
Company dancer Bethany Green, known for her theatrical, whimsical and comedic work, choreographed the piece, "After the Break," about the way television seeps into our subconscious lives. Guest choreographer Cherice Barton also has a work in the production.
Details: Event link. 7:30 p.m. March 21-24 and March 29-30. The Light Box Theater, 2590 Truxtun Road #205, Liberty Station. $25-$50.
San Diego Ballet: 'Giselle'
The 19th century ballet "Giselle" is about a young peasant girl with a weak heart and an overprotective father who keeps her from dancing. She falls in love with Albrecht, a nobleman disguised as a villager. When his true identity and betrayal are revealed, Giselle is stricken with heartbreak. She explosively, famously, goes mad by the end of act one.
For San Diego Ballet, artistic director Javier Velasco has adapted the story into Spanish Colonial California, with ghostly Lloronas as the ballet's "Wilies" — spirits of women scorned by lovers and seeking revenge on all men. Featuring emotive, precise music by composer Adolphe Adams, the ballet is powerful and heartbreaking.
Details: Event link. 8 p.m. May 4 and 2:30 p.m. May 5, 2024. Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., downtown. $35+.
'Soatsintle; Her Eyes, Her Story'
Vista's Tierra Caliente Academy of Arts will perform an exploration of Mexico's history through a female lens. The group is known for its all-ages, vibrant, theatrical productions and traditional ballet folklórico programs. For "Soatsintle," they'll explore Afro-Mexican history, revolution, indigenous history, folklore and more — focusing on the often untold stories of women.
Details: Event link. 7 p.m. Saturday, April 6, 2024. California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. $10-$25.
Without Walls (WOW) Festival: Monica Bill Barnes: 'The Running Show'
Every year the La Jolla Playhouse Without Walls (WOW) Festival is a perfect place to see amazing, theatrical dance performances, and this year is no different. Since its inception in 2013, La Jolla Playhouse's WOW Festival has become one of the biggest don't-miss theater events in town. It's an immersive, interactive program, spotlighting a bunch of new works of art that push boundaries of traditional performance and think outside the box — or the stage. This year, the programming will take over UC San Diego, and includes intriguing site-specific works, immersive, participatory theater, dance and more. Some events have set time schedules and require reservations, others are designated as drop-in.
Dancer Monica Bill Barnes is known for blending dance with storytelling on "This American Life," but she has roots in town, having studied at UC San Diego and worked with local dance companies on projects like Trolley Dances and more. In "The Running Show," Barnes and company deliver an incredible, athletic and expressive performance of movement and story to the stage.
Details: Event link. 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6, 2024. Epstein Family Amphitheater, 9480 Innovation Lane, UC San Diego. Free/drop-in.
Disco Riot: 'Choreo & Picnic'
Local contemporary dance company Disco Riot will combine dance and movement with a casual picnic this spring. This is part of their "Choreo &" series, which merges dance performance with an audience participation activity of some sort. Their audiences have roller skated, rock climbed, sung karaoke and flown kites in the past. For "Choreo & Picnic," they're joining forces with The Big Gay Picnic in Balboa Park. Producing artist Martin Anthony Dorado will direct and curate the performances, and in between each one, you can feast on your picnic, play outdoor games or just hang out.
Details: Event link. 12-4 p.m. Saturday, May 19, 2024. Balboa Park (exact location TBD). Free.
