| L.A. Dance Project | |
| Website: | www.ladanceproject.org |
| Ballet Master: | Sebastien Marcovici, Associate Artistic Director) |
L.A. Dance Project (LADP) is a contemporary ballet company based in Los Angeles. It was founded in 2011 by choreographer and dancer Benjamin Millepied. It is currently made up of 7 dancers, and led by Millepied.
Launched in 2011 as an art collective with a commission from the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Los Angeles Music Center.,[1] L.A. Dance Project was founded by Millepied, Nico Muhly, Nicholas Britell, art advisor Matthieu Humery and producer Charles Fabius.[2] L.A. Dance Project premiered at Walt Disney Concert Hall on September 22, 2012.[3] The program featured Quintett by William Forsythe, Winterbranch by Merce Cunningham, and Moving Parts by Millepied, in a collaboration with composer Nico Muhly and visual artist Christopher Wool.[4]
Shortly after founding the company, Millepied was appointed the Director of the Paris Opera Ballet, and for two years, he ran both companies concurrently. Millepied returned to Los Angeles, and full-time to L.A. Dance Project in 2016.
The company has toured all over the world, performing in venues and festivals including the Edinburgh International Festival,[5] Brooklyn Academy of Music,[6] Théâtre du Châtelet,[7] Sadlers Wells,[8] and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.[9]
Since its founding in 1896, luxury jewellery brand Van Cleef & Arpels has drawn inspiration from dance, with the first ballerina clips appearing from the Maison in the 1940s.[10] The collaboration between L.A. Dance Project and Van Cleef & Arpels began in 2012, when Nicolas Bos, CEO of VCA, met Millepied, and the jeweller commissioned a project, the Gems trilogy.[11] Gems, comprising Reflections (2012), Hearts and Arrows (2014) and On The Other Side (2016), marked the continuation of the collaborative relationship between Van Cleef & Arpels and choreographers, which began with George Balanchine's 1967 opus Jewels, originally suggested by Claude Arpels.[12]
The relationship between L.A. Dance Project and Van Cleef & Arpels has continued far beyond the initial collaboration on Gems, with the Maison partnering on the creation of multiple works for the company. Most recently, to mark the premiere Millepied's Romeo and Juliet Suite, the Maison unveiled a new collection, retelling the story through jewellery pieces.[13]
In 2021, Van Cleef & Arpels furthered their commitment to supporting the creation and performance of dance, with the Dance Reflections initiative, which, in addition to supporting L.A. Dance Project, now supports choreographers and companies around the world.[14]
In 2017, L.A. Dance Project opened their first designated rehearsal and performance space in Los Angeles at 2245 East Washington Boulevard.[15] In addition to daily rehearsal, the company presents regular performances in the space, often using it to premiere new works[16]
In addition to company repertory performances, L.A. Dance Project frequently partners with other dance companies and organisations to present their work in the performance space.[17]
The company now offers artist residencies through the LAUNCH:LA initiative. The residency awards free use of the performance space to emerging choreographers and dance makers, also awarding them production creation and artist stipends.[18]
| Year | Repertory | Choreographer | Premiered | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5 Live Calibrations | Madeline Hollander | Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Paris | Music by Celia Hollander. Later performed at the Louvre Abu Dhabi | |
| 2019 | Adagio in B Minor | Janie Taylor | L.A. Dance Project Performance Space | Taylor's Choreography debut | |
| 2012 | Attitude du Cage | Nathan Makolandra and Julia Eichten | Smithsonian Museum, Washington D.C. | Performed as part of John Cage Centennial | |
| 2018 | Chapter Song | Kyle Abraham | Moody Performance Hall, Dallas | ||
| 2006 | Closer | Benjamin Millepied | Joyce Theater, New York City | Created by Millepied prior to creation of L.A. Dance Project | |
| 2015 | Harbor Me | Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui | Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris | ||
| 2014 | Hearts and Arrows | Benjamin Millepied | Olympia Theatre, Miami | ||
| 2014 | Helix | Justin Peck | Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles | ||
| 2016 | Homecoming | Benjamin Millepied | The Theatre, Ace Hotel Los Angeles | Music performed live by Rufus Wainwright | |
| 2018 | Homeward | Benjamin Millepied | Hauser & Wirth, Los Angeles | Music by Bryce Dessner | |
| 2019 | I fall, I flow, I melt | Benjamin Millepied | L.A. Dance Project Performance Space | Costumes by Alessandro Sartori | |
| 2014 | II Acts for the Blind | Roy Assaf | |||
| 2017 | In Silence We Speak | Benjamin Millepied | Joyce Theater, New York City | Music by David Lang | |
| 2019 | Kinaesonata | Bella Lewitzky | Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Paris | Revival of work from 1970. New scenic design by Charles Gaines | |
| 2019 | Kora | Charm La'Donna | L.A. Dance Project Performance Space | Scenic design by Njideka Akunyili Crosby | |
| 2016 | Martha Graham Duets | Martha Graham | Joyce Theater, New York City | Excerpted from Canticle for Innocent Comedians and Diversion of Angels | |
| 2016 | MinEvent | Merce Cunningham | Hammer Museum, Los Angeles | Arranged and Staged by Silas Riener | |
| 2013 | Morgan's Last Chug | Emanuel Gat | Maison de la danse, Lyon | ||
| 2012 | Moving Parts | Benjamin Millepied | Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles | Music by Nico Muhly, Visual Installation by Christopher Wool | |
| 2013 | Murder Ballades | Justin Peck | Maison de la danse, Lyon | Visual Installation by Sterling Ruby | |
| 2021 | Night Bloom | Janie Taylor | L.A. Dance Project, 2245 East Washington Blvd | Premiered in outdoor performance space, during COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2016 | On The Other Side | Benjamin Millepied | Sadlers Wells, London | Art by Mark Bradford | |
| 2017 | Orpheus Highway | Benjamin Millepied | Joyce Theater, New York City | Set to Triple Quartet by Steve Reich | |
| 2014 | Peripheral Stream | Hiroaki Umeda | Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris | ||
| 2012 | Quintett | Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles | Revival of work from 1993 | ||
| 2013 | Reflections | Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris | Visual Installation and Costume Design by Barbara Kruger | ||
| 2022 | Romeo and Juliet Suite | La Seine Musicale, Paris | Adaptation of Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev. Originally performed in a shortened version with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel | ||
| 2022 | Be Here Now | Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris | Visual and Video Installation by Barbara Kruger, Music by Andy Akiho and Caroline Shaw | ||
| 2019 | Rising Water | L.A. Dance Project Performance Space | |||
| 2018 | Run From Me | ||||
| 2009 | Sarabande | Originally choreographed for Millepied's pick-up troupe Danses Concertantes | |||
| 2022 | Quartet for Five | Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber | Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris | ||
| 2022 | Elastic Ballet | Madeline Hollander | Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris | ||
| 2022 | Everyone Keeps Me | Pam Tanowitz | Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris | Originally created for the Royal Ballet, London | |
| 2017 | Second Quartet | Noé Soulier | La Cours des Forges, Parc des Ateliers, Arles | Created during LUMA Foundation residency | |
| 2020 | Solo at Dusk | Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber | L.A. Dance Project Performance Space | Premiered in outdoor performance space, during COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2019 | Split Step | Emily Mast and Zack Winokur in collaboration with dancers of L.A. Dance Project | L.A. Dance Project Performance Space | ||
| 2020 | The Betweens | Jermaine Spivey and Spenser Theberge in collaboration with dancers of L.A. Dance Project | L.A. Dance Project Performance Space | Premiered in outdoor performance space, during COVID-19 pandemic | |
| 2019 | (untitled) (2018/19) | Tino Sehgal | Theatre des Champs-Elysees, Paris | Later performed at the Louvre Abu Dhabi | |
| 2012 | Winterbranch | Merce Cunningham | Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles | Revival of 1963 work. Visual and Costume Design by Robert Rauschenberg | |
| 2017 | Yag | Ohad Naharin | Joyce Theater, New York City | Revival of 1993 work | |
| 2023 | Unstill Life | Benjamin Millepied | Nuits de Fourvière, Lyon | Performed and conceived by Millepied and Alexandre Tharaud | |
| 2023 | The Missing Mountain | Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber | L.A. Dance Project Performance Space | ||
| 2022 | Festival in Motion | Benjamin Millepied, Madeline Hollander, Janie Taylor, Saburo Teshigawara, Bobbi Jene Smith, Salia Sanou, Jill Johnson, Dimitri Chamblas, Mythili Prakash, Bouchra Ouizguen, MAZELFRETEN, Rauf Yasit and Brigel Gjoka | Various, Doha, Qatar | L.A. Dance Project took a key role, performing multiple new works in the first Festival in Motion, which took place in Qatar as a part of the cultural programming accompanying the 2022 Fifa World Cup. The Festival was curated by Benjamin Millepied and Nico Muhly, presented by Qatar Museums, and commissioned by Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.[19] | |
| 2024 | Me.You.We.They | Philharmonie de Paris | Music by Nico Muhly | ||
| 2024 | Triade | Philharmonie de Paris | Music by Nico Muhly |